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.

If you want to check their website, send me a link and paypal me the cash I will see what I can do.

DS gets a bar of confetti, which is milk chocolate with Laderach's homemade smarties in it...he and his girlfriend drool fight over it every second weekend.

I’d only buy them as a gift for people who I knew rave about HC. I don’t much like chocolate so obviously wouldn’t buy them for myself; and I think they’re too expensive for what they are to buy as a gift for people who don’t find them particularly noteworthy - would prefer to get something from a local independent producer (in London this is pretty easy though, probably not much choice elsewhere.)

They are one of the few places that sell dark chocolate rose and violet creams, which are my absolute favourite

I used to LOVE HC but have gone off it the last few years. It just doesn't taste as nice but I don't know why.

I buy it as they are one of the very few chocolatiers easily available that don't use palm oil. (I quizzed them on it appearing in ingredients and it is bisuit components which they are hoping to phase out this year). Godiva uses palm oil. Lindt has it in Lindor and assortments although not I don't think in its basic chocolate.

I'd far rather eat a small amount of decent chocolate than more nasty chocolate.

DH bought me some of their blackcurrant ones, and some fruit and nut - bloody delicious.

Good to hear they are looking to phase out that supplier using palm oil, not that I would buy one of those as they sound grim.

Ethical products carry a premium and the quicker we all realise it and alter our consumption habits accordingly, the better.

I love it, purely because they do “novelty” chocolates in dark choc, so my dairy free son can have little choc penguins/Santas/Easter bunnies etc. Is much better than the disgusting “allergy” choc like Kinnerton which just tastes of sugary candle wax

I had some for Christmas and they tasted stale and mostly tasteless. Tried Aldis chocolate buttons at the weekend, absolutely gorgeous and I guarantee if you repackaged them the 'chocolate experts' would love them

I'm a convert to them and also the new ranges introduced by Thorntons.

I've finally got fed up of the older brands such as Cadbury and never buy them anymore as they've changed recipes and hiked prices by reducing sizes.

I'm happy to pay more, and just buy less chocolate, as the better quality is clear.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was underwhelmed by hotel choclat, chocolates.

Bog standard ordinary chocolate, oh ok, marginally better than Cadburys but only marginally. Pretty much style over substance IMO. Also, IMO Thorntons was better than Hotel Chocolat but I wouldn't particularly rush to Thorntons either.

Cadbury's is pretty middle of the road for chocolate so no point in spending money on chocolate that is not significantly better.

I used to love HC but DH bought me some for Christmas (because he happened to be in a town with one of their shops) and they just don't seem as nice as they used to be. He tends to buy those six pack ones and he did say that they had a really limited range so maybe the other flavours are better (I prefer the softer centres really, these were hard and dry)? Or perhaps I'm getting old and my taste is going - I used to love Thorntons, think they're revolting now.

I used to love Thorntons, think they're revolting now
agree far too sweet
I usually much prefer dark chocolate over milk chocolate, but HC milk chocolate is lovely

Massively overrated and overpriced.

for HC fans I spotted in Next today that they have got giant HC Rocky Roads by the till - and I mean giant.