Christmas box of chocolates proper old fashioned no palm oil or endless Pauline mush..any suggestions please

[OrangesCinammonIvy]

As above

Id love some proper treat box of chocolates without palm oil slime or prauline mush...

We’ve just had our first box of Audreys - thought they were very nice. And their website states categorically that they don’t use palm oil…

Kennedy’s chocolates, hand made in Orton, Cumbria, are my go to. Make your own selection or let them choose for you.

www.kennedyschocolates.co.uk/orton-chocolate-shop/

Iain Burnett chocolates are lovely

https://highlandchocolatier.com/

Neuhaus are v good - you can get online from Sous Chef. Solkiki is also amazing for a more artisan chocolate with impeccable ethical credentials.

Also another vote for M&S Big Mix on the cheaper side, so much better than Roses etc.

If you are in London Patchi available from Harrods are delish

These are lovely, although there's a section of Paulines to choose from too

highlandchocolatier.com/pages/chocolate-selection

Having done extensive research on this...

Prestat selection boxes are my favourite widely-available chocolates.

For some reason I love Charbonnel & Walker's violet and rose creams but don't like their other chocolates.

Tried Audreys a few years ago when I was in Brighton after seeing recommendations on here. I was completely underwhelmed and won't bother with them again.

Hotel Chocolat - gave up on them years ago. The chocolate base and coating was too thick in proportion to the contents. And the chocolate itself wasn't impressive.

I'd like to try some of the continental brands (eg Neuhaus, Leonidas) but given my poor success rate so far it's safer to stick with Prestat and C&W violet creams.

Butlers and if you’re ever in Ireland they do delicious coffee too!

Leonidas claim not to use palm oil and have a few branches dotted around the UK.

Harry Specter's. They are my go-to for a special gift.

Chococo
Art Chocolat
Harry Specter's
Braemar

All delicious, no palm oil and very low on the praline fillings (which I also loathe, Belgian chocolates and gianduja can just fuck off, I want my chocolates to have distinctive flavours and textures thanks).

Never been impressed by anything from Hotel Chocolat!

Pierre Marcolini for Belgian chocolates. I think Selfridges sell them.

Hobbs for UK made Artisan luxury chocolates and gifts for mail order in the UK - Hobbs

Both reassuringly expensive!

If you know anyone going to northern France then ask them to pop into a branch of Beussent-Lachelle. The factory is in a tiny village called Beussent in the vallee de la course and they have shops in many of the major towns of the Nord Pas de Calais - Montreuil, Calais, St Omer, Lille, Arras, Bethune, Le Touquet etc.

You can order online too but the selection isn't as good as in store where you can choose exactly what Chocolates should go in your box. The calvados are particularly good.

https://beussentlachelle.com/gb/

@Soupdragon41 Kennedy's look perfect becsuee I can choose my own !

And they do rose and violet creams.

@Letthemeatgateau wow they look amazing as well !

Thanks for the Pauline advice

@MightyFlow

I also like charbonel violet creams have you tried any others they are so expensive now at 50 I'm sure they were 30 last year

My go to is our local shop, they are brilliant and it is a family business. They do deliver. Super selection and they are going "design your own" advent calendars this year - which I wish I had seen before buying Hotel Chocolat one - grrr
Create your own box | The Chocolate Shop

Montezumas! Still UPF (emulsifiers etc) but no palm oil.

Laderach is very nice. I buy online or it's now available in a few stores in London. I saw it in Westfield Shepherds Bush.

Friars of Keswick. We’ve had two superb boxes from them - one nut platter and one liqueur cherries (whole cherries with stalks).
Not cheap, but worth it. After being given them, we’ve ordered them ourselves as presents.

@yorkshiretoffee this is the thing it's not just crap for the environment t it's the slime taste !!

I came on the thread to write this. The chewy caramels are absolutely delicious.

Levoco hand made chocolates are lovely! (Their hot drinking chocolate is fab too in this cold snap!).

The boxed chocolates are just gorgeous and I bought some for Christmas gifts last year and they were very well received and btw they have vegan chocs too:

www.levoco.co.uk

It's really wonderful to read all the support for the local artisanal chocolate makers around the country. I am loving the enthusiasm for the local specialists rather than the big branded operators.

Exactly Ive never understood it, even before opening the thread fully I thought I bet people are going to be banging on about that Audreys

Chococo for me at the moment, love them