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Original poster

Hotel chocolat- I just don't get it?

101 replies

theyhavenothingbuttheaudacity · 30/05/2022 12:07

So I was in a steaming mood yesterday and was in the shopping centre and thought I would treat myself to a small pack (the three for 12 pound size packs)
I have never before tasted chocolate with such a cheap oily aftertaste. Have I had a bad batch or has anyone else found this?

OP posts:
Bluevelvetsofa · 30/05/2022 12:49

Even when they’re on sale, I’m not tempted. Still way to expensive for something that doesn’t taste that good.

Squiff70 · 30/05/2022 12:52

Two Christmases ago we spent a fortune on HC to treat ourselves and our family. It was almost all crap and some of it got thrown away months later. Vile. Never again.

PinkPolishedNails · 30/05/2022 12:52

There are much better chocolates out there. I do like some of them though. But I think they rely heavily on marketing and people gifting their chocolates. It's hard to find a nice looking box of chocolates on the high street so I think people just automatically go to that. Also people's tastebuds adjust overtime and just learn to accept lower quality chocolate or any food for that matter.

I would still eat most Hotel chocolate (not love it, but I'd eat it). But I wouldn't touch at Thornton's with a 10 foot pole though. They're stuff is true it vile. It goes directly to the donation pile if we're given any.

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Pudmyboy · 30/05/2022 12:57

I was given some a few years ago, so glad I didn't pay for them: disappointed is too small a word. Gamely tried all but spat them out which is a heresy with chocolate in my mind but they were inedible

Chewbecca · 30/05/2022 13:00

DH buys it for me as he thinks it is luxurious but I do prefer Lindt and think it is a waste of money. Haven’t told him explicitly.

MaggieFS · 30/05/2022 13:02

They're alright, but there's no way they are worth the money. Thorntons is a good analogy before they went mass market. HC heading the same way.

Penguinevere · 30/05/2022 13:05

I was given a Velvetiser which doesn’t work properly despite them sending me a new phone whisk. 😬

Regularsizedrudy · 30/05/2022 13:05

All chocolate is delicious except American chocolate and pretending otherwise is a special kind of snobbery. Well done you and your superior taste buds.

FloweryCurtainTwitcher · 30/05/2022 13:07

You need Audreys- they make the chocolates for Fortnums

www.audreyschocolates.co.uk/index.aspx

You will never go back.

MintyMoocow · 30/05/2022 13:08

I honestly just prefer a Starbar, a Flake or a box of Celebrations.

MintyMoocow · 30/05/2022 13:09

Penguinevere · 30/05/2022 13:05

I was given a Velvetiser which doesn’t work properly despite them sending me a new phone whisk. 😬

What is a phone whisk?

Dolares · 30/05/2022 13:10

There's definitely nicer chocolate around. I do love the ginger hot chocolate flakes for the Velvetiser though!

ButterOllocks · 30/05/2022 13:11

It's overpriced and for the instagram 'look what I've bought' brigade - would not even buy it in the sale ! If you've more money than sense - then ......

RoseLunarPink · 30/05/2022 13:12

I agree, and I like a lot of chocolate, including Cadbury's twirls, so I'm not fussy. It's cheap chocolate dressed up as gift chocolate. Agree it's very like Thornton's. For something posh I like Prestat or Charbonnel.

BendingSpoons · 30/05/2022 13:14

I really like it, and there is plenty of chocolate I don't like because of the after taste. I'm clearly in a minority here!

Penguinevere · 30/05/2022 13:15

New phone whisk.. should be new whisk😄

Geranium1984 · 30/05/2022 13:15

I thought hotel chocolate was really nice, very smooth and creamy. I havent had any in about a year so maybe it's changed. We used to buy the big selection boxes during lockdown and have one each night as a big treat, highlight of the day 🤣

StrangeCondition · 30/05/2022 13:18

Regularsizedrudy · 30/05/2022 13:05

All chocolate is delicious except American chocolate and pretending otherwise is a special kind of snobbery. Well done you and your superior taste buds.

No it's not, most of the shite masquerading as chocolate these days doesn't even taste like chocolate - it's just sweet, crumbly, greasy muck

Purplemist · 30/05/2022 13:18

I like their hot chocolate ( I have a Velvetiser ) but bought some chocolate bars once and they were awful. Didn't even taste chocolatey, just very bland.

comfortablyfrumpy · 30/05/2022 13:22

HarrietSchulenberg · 30/05/2022 12:25

When they first started they sold delicious, and expensive, chocolates made by individual chocolatiers. They used to be mail order by subscription and came with little cards telling about who made the products.
Now, I agree, it all just tastes a bit greasy and is vastly overpriced for what it is.

True - it used to be quite a different offer.

That said, some of their stuff still is excellent, but it's definitely variable.

BuenaVistaAntisocialClub · 30/05/2022 13:23

Regularsizedrudy · 30/05/2022 13:05

All chocolate is delicious except American chocolate and pretending otherwise is a special kind of snobbery. Well done you and your superior taste buds.

Agreed! Me any my inferior tastebuds really like Hotel Chocolat.

Poor HC - looks like they’ve just reached that level of popularity where it’s the done thing for everyone middle class and above to declare them awful, say the quality has dropped, and to jump ship to a less well known, and more expensive, brand.

VanillaIce1 · 30/05/2022 13:23

It's very bland tasting. I was given a huge huge box of them for Christmas think it was priced as £131.
I ate a few but it all tasted the same, there wasn't any wow factor. I do love Tonys chocoloney though and it's a little pricey at 3.50 a bar but it's way more better tasting than hotel chocolat.

Badger1970 · 30/05/2022 13:27

Their chocolate is a bit meh like most these days, but their coffee pods are absolutely the dogs nuts. I'm really impressed with them.

Penguinevere · 30/05/2022 13:30

@MintyMoocow it’s when you put your mobile phone into the milk/chocolate mixture and just smash it around until you get hot chocolate or a sore elbow.
(it was a typo sorry)

BarbaraofSeville · 30/05/2022 13:32

BuenaVistaAntisocialClub · 30/05/2022 13:23

Agreed! Me any my inferior tastebuds really like Hotel Chocolat.

Poor HC - looks like they’ve just reached that level of popularity where it’s the done thing for everyone middle class and above to declare them awful, say the quality has dropped, and to jump ship to a less well known, and more expensive, brand.

Show quote history

Yes, this sounds like one of those threads that are far too prevalent on MN where the OP posts with faux naivete about something where they know that everyone will reply in agreement about how special they all are to think in such a way and look at all the stupid people being fooled.

Makes a change from Pandora or Nando's.

I've been buying Hotel Chocolat since they were a small mail order company and haven't noticed a decline in standards. I like the various truffles with alcohol/fruity centres.