Hotel Chocolat- more style than substance?

[WilhemminaWhite]

Okay they are lovely, but £1 a choccie?

Recently opened branch near me. I have bought from them for gifts, and yes, they are nice, but I somehow can't swallow (!) £1 a chocolate. Which is the price of all of them that are boxed rather than in cellophane bags.

They are also an ethical cacao grower. Good chocolate is good chocolate (wonder what you think of Ladarach prices etc) and carries a premium. Look at the prices Thornton charge for (average) choc.

I buy the mix & match packs which are excellent value. I don't need the swank packaging!

I bought them this year, I like them. I think the fact they are ethical too. I'm not keen on everything but that's the same everywhere..

Some are nicer than others, they don't all "work" or taste that amazing but the tiramisu ones are my addiction

Too sweet, and last time time I bought some there was palm oil in some of the chocolates.

My DH bought me a HC Easter egg last year and it tasted stale and nasty so we took it back and they refunded us the full cost! Not my favourite chocolate!

They're ethically good, responsible cocoa sourcing and use. I'm unimpressed by their actual chocolates. They're fine, I'd enjoy them if I didn't have to pay for them, but I'd not put any more money into them.

Palm oil Chardonnay? Shit. They're right off my list then.

Well if you are going to spend a pound on chocolate better one small nice one than a bunch of horrible ones? All nice chocolate is expensive.

The vodka liqueur is something else though! It is like pure liquid chocolate, so so nice! Not fussed on the rest, but that stuff!

No all, and not the chocolate bars, those are safe.

I looked it up again, and it seems the ones with palm oil are the one with shortbread, so easily avoided I suppose.

They do a good job of telling you whether the products are vegan, vegetarian, or whether they contain nuts and so on so it would be goos idea to add palm oil to that.

But it seems on the whole, not too much palm oil, except for the shortbread.

As you mention, that's the price in nice boxes. If you just want them to eat yourself, you can get 3 packs of 6 for £10/11, so much cheaper.

Good chocolate is expensive. I'd much rather have one of the small HC selector packs at £3 or £4 than spend that amount of money on a pile of cheap crap.

Used to be nice - I loved the chilli penguins.
Not so nice now.

I had a gingerbread latte in the shepherd bush branch last weeked and it was to die for. Not sweet at all, but i dont think many branches do drinks

I don't buy them for me; I don't buy sweets at all.

I only buy them as gifts for people for birthdays etc as the packaging looks good and I think they are good quality. Not fussed about the vegan aspect.

However, £1 a choc is very pricey, whether it's good quality or mediocre. It's still just a chocolate!

I think Lindt is good and perhaps Godiva.

A bar is €5 in Ireland

I've never understood the obsession with HC. The chocolate just isn't very nice.

They do the best caramel chocolates I've found, although they're so pricey it really is a rare treat. But I definitely did not buy 5 packs of their caramel penguins in the January sale

I’m not keen on the chocolate either.

I think it's overrated

I was very underwhelmed by the box I got at Christmas

It's nice, but overpriced imo.

DH works in Europe Monday to Thursday, DS and I get Ladrach chocolate every second week.

Their champagne truffles are to die for.

Misses the point entirely...

DH works in Europe Monday to Thursday, DS and I get Ladrach chocolate every second week.

I'm now super envious, can he get me one of their large choc slab taster packs please??! Best chocolate I've ever tasted. Chocgasm! @BreevandercampLGJ