There aren’t many luxury brands who acknowledge that their products are produced by people with much, much poorer livelihoods than those who buy them. Fewer still are active in doing something about this. Hotel Chocolat, a British cocoa grower and luxury chocolatier, is one of the rare examples of companies who are busy working to address this problem.
Hotel Chocolat runs an ‘Engaged Ethics’ program to help cocoa farmers from some of the world’s poorest countries, by enabling sustainable development in the communities where the cocoa is grown. The company website gives interesting information on this work, and the special effort that goes into producing some of the finest luxury chocolates available. It is interesting to read how Hotel Chocolat is not part of the high profile Fairtrade scheme, as it doesn’t believe the way it works goes far enough to make a difference for cocoa farmers.
For chocolate gift ideas Hotel Chocolat is very good, with lots of choice at a range of different prices. This is a great website to remember for when Christmas shopping time comes around!
A perfect birthday gift for children is the crunchy and crispy, yet meltingly smooth ‘Rocky Road Giant Slab’, with handmade chocolate chip cookies, lively pieces of puffed rice, and generous white chocolate chunks stirred together in a rich milk and dark chocolate mix.
Extravagant gifts for a special occasion, or corporate gifts for a valued client, can be found in Hotel Chocolat’s amazing hampers. The ‘Adventures in Chocolate’ hamper is perfect for families and friends to share. There’s something for every chocolate lover to explore – from sparkling prosecco to nibbly chocolate batons. For a simpler gift for a smaller budget, ‘Purist’ bars give you a taste of the company’s Rabot estate fine cocoa in silky high cocoa editions.
The website has some exciting Chocolate Christmas gifts, with stocking fillers such ‘Orange Tangs’ - pure set orange juice simply enrobed in dark chocolate, as well as Advent Calendars and Christmas Crackers. Labels: Blogging, Food |