To give Hotel Chocolate as a present

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Earlier there was a thread about a work raffle where people donated prizes. The OP mentioned Hotel Chocolate as being one of those "junk presents" that people would donate.

I'm feeling a bit sheepish as I would have bought it online to send as presents to friends in UK (I don't live there myself).

What do people think?
IABU - It's got a bit of a crap reputation
IANBU - It's a premium brand that you'd be glad to get as a present.

I would be very happy to be given hotel Chocolat or any chocolate.to be honest
It's not cheap at all and I haven't heard anything about it having a bad reputation either.

I don't like the chocolate and think it's very expensive for what it is. So no, I wouldn't want it as a present thanks!

I don’t like flavoured chocolate so I’m not the target market! I’d rather have a bar of Lindt (or Montezuma buttons).

HC isn’t high luxury but it’s not shit either. It’s Molton Brown versus Baylis and Harding, just not Diptyque. If I was buying it to impress I’d go with Neuhaus, if I was buying for a friend or family member I wouldn’t expect them to turn their nose up at HC.

Some people on MN like to make out they only eat one square of good quality chocolate a night. While in reality they are probably eating Mars bars every night.

Why is Prestat seen as so luxe? That's a level up from bog standard IMO and not really any different to Hotel Chocolat quality. It's certainly not Godiva or Laderach quality.

The only reason its looked down on IMO, is that there are now so many shops, whereas Prestat is only available on Waitrose in terms of very mainstream shops as far as im aware.

Can't bear the stuff. If I won it in a raffle, it would be kept for some other raffle. If I was given it I would say thank you very much, then wait for a raffle to give it to.

Do you know a funny thing - some people are different from you! And do exist IRL!

I literally eat one square of good dark chocolate a day 😆 Except for when I'm ill, then it's Cadbury's all the way.

More than grateful to receive it as a gift.

It was bought by Mars a while back, and has started to hit the supermarkets so I definitely think its exclusivity is starting to change.

Thanks everyone for the replies. Obviously not everyone is gonna like the brand, but hopefully my friends haven't donated it to the "naff presents" pile in the work raffle 🤣

I always was a lover of HC but last year I hated the texture and lack of fruit flavour strength in the fruity ones. It was cloying and tasteless. Could they have added Palm Oil? I’ll have to check.

I complained, sent the product back, and they were very kind and refunded my money.

I’ll never buy it again because I think they’ve not only changed the chocolate recipe but they’ve become stingy with fruitiness.

Ten points for customer service though.

I think the quality of the chocolate has drastically declined in the last 5-10 years, hard to pinpoint as I’ve stopped bothering with it now, more oil less cocoa.
Someone bought our team at work one of the giant boxes recently as a thank you, I enjoyed a couple of the filled ones as they sort of give it a bit of flavour!
My family would happily share a box though, I think they’re fine as a collective present.

I love hotel chocolat. The fruit fillings are lovely.
They definitely took over Thorntons market share when they went downhill (I used to love Thorntons too in the old days when they were nice)

First time I tried it was when I got it for a gift. It was really appreciated!

I still love Thorntons.

I’d love to receive it as a gift.

Their toffee was always much better than their chocolate (again possibly because I don’t like flavoured chocolate!)

It’s crap like Thorntons, and expensive crap,

My low-stakes conspiracy theory is that no one actually likes boxes of chocolates.

I think that people like the idea of eating them - the marketing is glorious. They are also a handy generic gift to give as people can be funny about alcohol or flowers.

But, I've never found a box of chocolates I've ever enjoyed more than an everyday bar of chocolate. They are very rarely not a massive anti-climax. And that is before you get all the really weird tasting ones that only 1% of the population would ever like.

Give me a Twix or Cadbury's Whole Nut anyday!

Id be delighted with Hotel Chocolat chocs.

I'd be happy enough to get it. The first time I bought it (years ago) I was surprised at the small size for the price (yes, I should have paid more attention), but it tasted fine IMO.

It's expensive so you always look generous at least! 15 years ago I really liked it and would be pleased to have a bit as a gift, then they changed it. It's quite plasticy tasting now. The last lot I was given some years ago I threw out for the mice living under our shed and they wouldn't eat it either! Same can be said for montezuma's choc, their giant chocolate buttons were so nice. Now, yucky plastic.

It's only on MN that chocolate is a terrible Secret Santa/work raffle gift. In reality it's absolutely fine.

It's the new Thorntons, perfectly nice but nothing to get excited about.

I adore their vegan box! I get at least one a year for my birthday

This^
from the other side MN full of people who like Cadbury and advise you their selection boxes as a go for present for anyone. I can’t understand how it’s even possible.
I wouldn’t put Cadbury’s dairy milk even in brownies.