Friday 16 October 2015

National Chocolate Week with Whittard



Tis the season to eat chocolate! Before you write us off for being prematurely excited about the arrival of, dare we say it, Christmas, we are of course referring to the one week of the year where we're actively encouraged to eat chocolate and indulge to our hearts' desire - Chocolate Week! 

To celebrate, the beautiful people at Whittard sent us the most glorious selection of chocolate treats to ensure we did Chocolate Week in style. But we're not just talking any old hot chocolate, Whittard have gotten very creative and delivered a selection of chocolate beverages that are to leave you with the most worthwhile guilty conscious you've ever had. 


From the collection we tried; 70% Cocoa, Rocky Road, Caramel, White Chocolate and we kid you not - white chocolate tea. Yes this exists. 

To start we went with the Classic Cocoa - so so chocolately, it tastes like pure luxury. Next was the Caramel - this one is very sweet so if you're used to a nice dollop of caramel syrup in your coffee, this is the one to try. Then Rocky Road - again so full of flavour and topped off with some mini marshmallows you definitely get that textured, rocky experience. 

Now we're giving White Chocolate its own little paragraph because it needs it. Oh. Dear. Lord. This was actually heaven in a cup. Yeah sure we've had white hot choc before but imagine a Milky Bar, melted and served to you as a drink. This is it. It's so smooth and not at all heavy. Just A-mazing. 


Now for those of you who would rather a cuppa over a hot chocolate, the White Chocolate tea offers an alternative that lets you have the best of both worlds. Let it brew for just a few minutes and serve as it is. It is quite sweet and a very unusual taste but very drinkable. You'll notice a sort of shiny lining appear at the top which, as we learned at Paul Young's Afternoon Tea event earlier this month, is actually the coco nib. You probably couldn't drink this every day but it's a very unique blend and definitely one we would recommend giving a try.

Overall this was a delectable mix of chocolate treats and we can't wait for the weather to get a little frostier so we can wrap up in wooly jumpers and try them all again. If you're a chocolate lover or maybe just want to partake in the Chocolate Week festivities with a bit of luxury, look no further. 

For more info visit www.whittard.co.uk and if you've got any chocolately recommendations this #ChocolateWeek tweet us at @TeacupReview. 



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Wednesday 14 October 2015

Paul A Young Chocolate Afternoon Tea at Harvey Nichols



Two weeks ago we were invited to a preview of chocolatier, Paul A Young's new collaboration with Harvey Nichols. Released just in time for National Chocolate week and available throughout October, this new menu is a treat for the chocolate lover in us all.

Paul's quirky take, infuses cocoa into a selection of teatime treats, with highlights including chocolate and Gorgonzola sandwiches to start, a delightful cocoa nib tea, and chocolate tarts and mousse to finish.



Served alongside cucumber and beef sandwiches, the chocolate finger is a very different take on traditional afternoon tea fare, proving to be quite a talking point amongst our fellow diners, with Paul himself admitting that 'you'll either love it or hate it' - but love it we did. Think of a refined version of Dairy Milk Philadelphia and you can go some way to imagining the taste.



Next up we were treated to a quartet of scones, in fruit and brown sugar varieties. Now out of every scone we've ever tasted - and we've tasted a lot - the brown sugar has to be one of our favourites. Teamed with a salted caramel spread and cream, these were an absolute delight and top of our recommendation list. The cakes were similarly impressive, and though I would've liked to see a decadent piece of chocolate cake or selection of Paul's chocolates on the menu, carrot and chocolate cake was a good second - and exactly what the doctor ordered after our recent afternoon tea hiatus!


All in all I'd say the Paul Young afternoon tea is definitely one to try out if you're looking for something a bit special this month, so make sure you head to Harvey Nick's site to book your place.

Starting at £20 pp, Paul A Young's afternoon tea is available nationwide until the end of October. Book your place here.
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