It has to be said that I am partial to a bit of chocolate.
I'm a bit funny about chocolate though. Quite particular. Until very recently, I have to confess that I was a 'cheap chocolate' sort of a girl. I was unimpressed by rich truffles. I eshewed Equador's best dark chocolate. All I was really interested in was overly-sweet milk chocolate. At Christmas, the rest of the family would indulge in sophisticated Bittermints and luxurious Belgian truffles. I would bring my own box of Milk Tray and happily scoff the lot (...with the exception of the Turkish Delight - one has one's limits).
I'm still more than happy with a bar of something cheap and cheerful but, in recent years, I've been persuaded to branch out. I've been seduced by pralines, salted caramels, guianduja and velvety ganaches. I attribute this change of heart entirely to the arrival of
Hotel Chocolat on some of the more upmaket high-streets of our nation. Whilst their mail-order and internet service is absolutely first-class, there is nothing to beat actually visiting a store 'in the flesh'. It is a true chocolate emporium with treats to please everyone. There are wonderful slabs of chocolate studded with caramel and cookie pieces, little bags of truffles in every flavour under the sun, gorgeous gift boxes and intriguing cocoa-based ingredients (including chocolate pasta). It really is heaven for chocoholics and I defy you to come out without clutching a little something.
What I particularly love about Hotel Chocolat is that their products are fun. Many have a touch of whimsy about them and this really sets them apart from their competitors. I've been lucky to receive a host of Hotel Chocolat presents recently from visiting friends and also from my lovely husband on Valentine's Day. We've really enjoyed sampling the imaginative offerings in the
Sleekster boxes which make a great gift as they will fit through a letterbox!
Anyway, just as we were fighting over the last
Caramel Sweetheart, what should arrive but a lovely Easter Egg sent from Hotel Chocolat for me to review. Hurrah! As you would expect, Hotel Chocolat have the most fantastic selection of Easter Gifts at all prices and to suit all ages and tastes. I was sent the
Milk Chocolate Easter Egg Eggsposé - a deliciously extra thick milk chocolate half-egg shell filled with delicious mini praline-filled eggies. I was already a fan of the variety of filled mini eggs having given my husband a
selection box last year for Easter. I them promptly insisting on sampling at least one of each flavour and particularly liked the pralines. Not only are these mini eggs far prettier than your average, they really deliver on deliciousness too. So I certainly enjoyed the lovely mini eggs. But the actual egg? Now that was very exciting. It was much thicker than a 'normal' Easter Egg and, as such, much more satisfying for the die-hard chocoholic that I am. A delicious thick and creamy 40% milk chocolate - not too sweet, I'd say this is definitely a grown-up Easter Egg.
 |
| Wonderfully thick Easter Egg shell |
Would you like to win a Hotel Chocolat Eater Egg?
It didn't take us long to polish off this delicious egg (which also comes in a dark chocolate and white chocolate version). The great news is that Hotel Chocolat have kindly provided me with another egg to give away to one of my lucky readers. You could give this egg away to a loved one this Easter, but I suggest you sit back one afternoon with a nice cup of tea and devour the lot yourself (....but you probably shouldn't listen to me!).
To enter the competition:
All you have to do to win this competition is take a look at the
Hotel Chocolat website and leave a comment to let me know what Easter gift you would most like to receive this Easter.
For a 'bonus' entry, please follow
Hotel Chocolat and
Foodglorifood on Twitter and then comment below to let me know you have done so.
Anyone in the UK can enter, bloggers and non-bloggers alike. If you are a non-blogger, please leave details of how I can contact you should you win!
Deadline for entries is midnight on Sunday, 3rd April.
The nitty gritty (dull, but important):
-Regretfully, this competition is only open to those with a UK address.
-Winner will be selected at random.
-Prize cannot be substituted.
-Deadline for entries is Midnight, Sunday 3rd April.
