Auberge Du Chocolat brings an image of a wonderful French chocolaterie nestled in a backstreet lane of Paris. However we are very lucky to have this wonderful artisan chocolate company in Chesham!
It was in 2005 that Auberge du Chocolat opened their doors, and rapidly they rose to being an award winning chocolatier winning their first Great Taste Award in 2009 and they now have over 100 accolades. I was fortunate enough to be judging at The Great Taste Awards a few weeks ago when I bumped into Ian and learnt about their story.
Run by Anne and Ian Scott they are passionate about chocolate but also about supporting and helping in the community. As well as making great handmade chocolate they make premium luxury ice cream and run a range of workshops and parties for children, adults and corporates.
I would really love to attend the fun chocolate workshop they do for corporate companies, rolling handmade truffles, making chocolate thins with loads of different flavours. At £45 plus Vat per person it’s a steal!
I’ve always found team building at work to be sometimes a little dull and a little predictable, but with Anne running your team build there will be nothing dull or predictable. How would you like to have a go at making a chocolate hot air balloon? Sounds simple doesn’t it, but believe me it isn’t. Its great when you face a very different situation with work colleagues – who becomes the leader in a very different working environment, what you learn about others strengths and development needs, what better way than to learn all of this surrounded by chocolate!
Anne is a natural storyteller and her parties for children are enchanting, her website description certainly undersells just how fantastic these are. I don’t want to spoil the fun by saying what happens but I know every child will certainly want to come back for more, and that’s not just because they get to eat chocolate!
Such wonderful events and workshops at Auberge du Chocolat, but lets get to the crux of the matter- the chocolate. Anne works tirelessly searching for the best sources of chocolate from all around the world. When I visited I was lucky enough to try a Vietnamese chocolate it was really interesting a bit woody with tobacco hues, I would highly recommend trying it, it’s so very different to anything else I’ve tried before.
As well as a fantastic array of bars of chocolate ranging from a Columbian 85% single origin with two Great Taste Award stars to the Orange-Utan Bar that donates 25p to supporting Orangutans; Anne prides herself and her team with the wonderful range of handmade filled chocolates they make. Each recipe is carefully created giving the best taste you can get. The double salt and caramel is simply divine and so very deserving of its 2 star award that is carries. The perfect balance of salt and spice enriches your taste buds as you let the chocolate fully develop in your mouth. You must have a serious talent to be able to produce something quite so special as this. One of my other favorites has to be the Lavender dark chocolate, often either too subtle or too overpowering but again Anne gets the balance exactly right. If you just love to try different chocolates you could buy a monthly subscription, each month you receive 24 chocolates, complete with tasting notes and recipe ideas delivered straight onto your doormat! At £95 for 6 months it is definitely worthwhile, and would make a great gift for a chocolate lover.
As I mention recipes that reminds me, Anne has also written a book – of course it is called Auberge au Chocolat – the secrets of fine chocolate making, it is really easy to follow and has some great recipes. It would make a great gift alongside one of their really funky products.
These very glamorous shoes, or very adapt for this current month a footballer, however not like any other chocolate footballer as this one is solid chocolate- think it could take a while to munch by way through that!
Auberge du chocolat a real hidden gem in Chesham. Make sure you visit them either at their home at Chess Business Park or on line at Auberge du Chocolat. I can’t wait to taste their new delights once they have created them.