London's cocoa kings
Meet the UK’s cutting edge chocolatiers
WORDS | SUMMER LITCHFIELD
PHOTOGRAPHY | HELEN CATHCART
It doesn’t seem that long ago that England lagged behind some of its chicer European cousins and was a nation of Dairy Milk-lovers, blissfully unaware of the qualities of real, handmade chocolates. But with the help of homegrown pioneers like Green & Black’s, Brits are now coming round to the darker and more interesting side of true cocoa. And, just in time for Christmas, a whole new slew of chocolate boutiques have unveiled their tempting wares.
The Soloists
Paul A Young
This young Yorkshireman, who worked as pastry chef to Marco Pierre White before going it alone as a chocolatier, is currently riding high as one of the UK’s leading epicureans. Young is a big believer in the return of the cottage industry and is forever creating new flavours, from his award-winning ‘Sichuan pepper and mango’ to a more recent ‘Himalayan pink salt truffle’ – it’s a wonder how he’s found time to write his recent book Adventures With Chocolate. He compares what’s happening creatively with chocolate in the UK with Britpop and the YBA scene: “The British are actually very daring.”
33 Camden Passage, London N1, +44 (0)20 7424 5750 20 Royal Exchange, Threadneedle Street, London EC3V, +44 (0)20 7929 7007, www.paulayoung.co.uk
Damian Allsop
A purist, with more than a touch of the mad professor, Allsop has worked with superchef Joël Robuchon and was inspired by Ferran Adrià while cheffing in Catalonia. But his true epiphany came when he realised that certain chocolates could be made even better, and those all important notes and flavours (such as his ‘fresh English mint’) made brighter, when blended with water instead of cream or butter. Thanks to this discovery, and his other winning ways with the dark stuff, Allsop now supplies some of the best restaurants in the UK, from Murano to the Hotel Tresanton, as well as delicatessens like York & Albany.
+44 (0)1628 472 476, www.damianallsop.com
William Curley
If you’d normally think of banking when you hear the name Rothschild think again. More recently they’ve invested in the talents of this chocolatier and patissier who has just opened his first outlet in London’s Pimlico this October. Curley, who works alongside his Osaka-born wife Suzue, is a one-stop-shop for the sweet of tooth, creating both stunning deserts and irresistible chocolates using only the finest Amedei blends. With flavours like apricot and wasabi sitting next to rosemary and olive oil it’s easy to see what makes the Curleys’ shop so special.
10 Paved Court, Richmond, Surrey TW9, +44 (0)20 8332 3002, www.williamcurley.co.uk
The Big Hitters
Hotel Chocolat
With nearly 40 stores nationwide (and huge orders from their online service), Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris’s baby, founded in 1993, is now all grown up. Their motto is ‘Less sugar, more cocoa’ – ethically sourced cocoa at that – and their stores are designed to look more like sexy cosmetic counters rather than old fashioned sweet shops. With plans to open a real Hotel Chocolat – one you can stay in – on their Rabot Estate cocoa plantation in St Lucia early next year, they really do seem to be delivering the ultimate chocolate experience.
Branches include bmi destinations Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham and London, www.hotelchocolat.co.uk
Artisan du Chocolat
Though the sophisticated packaging may ooze Parisian chic, Gerard Coleman and Anne Weyns’s delectable creations are all made from scratch in their factory in Kent. Having started out supplying Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants, they were one of the first chocolatiers to bring sea-salted caramel to these shores and tirelessly strive to create innovative collections and discover new cocoa-bean producers to bring variety to their range. Their new Westbourne Grove branch is a cult stop-off, if just for the hot chocolate, soon to be available in ‘mole chilli’ flavour.
81 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill, London W2 (Branches in Chelsea, Selfridges and Borough Market). From UK: 0845 270 6996, international +44 1233 505170. www.artisanduchocolat.com
The Hipsters
Cocomaya
A wonderfully stylish little establishment, Cocomaya has been something of a secret gem for a while, selling its choccie trinkets to only the luckiest of those in-the-know. Not for much longer, we predict, as owners Walid Al Damirji and Joel Bernstein have recently teamed up with Agent Provocateur founder Serena Rees to move to more capacious premises and in late October opened a bakery next door. The trio’s fashion savvy background give them the perfect pedigree for creating chocolates and other sweet delights that look as good as they taste. This is where chocolate gets its sexy makeover.
35 Connaught Street, London W2, +44 (0)20 7706 2770, www.cocomaya.co.uk
Melt
This slick yet enticing shop in Notting Hill has become a firm favourite with style-conscious West Londoners and foodies alike. Owner Louise Nason’s hands-on approach extends to the chocolates themselves, which you can help yourself to using the wooden tongs provided. Chocolatier Keith Hurdman makes fresh batches of tastebud-tingling truffles, ganaches and discs on a daily basis, and has just collaborated with chef-of-the-moment Mark Hix to create a chocolate-dipped fudge made with clotted cream and seasoned with Cornish sea salt.
59 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, London W11, +44 (0)20 7727 5030, www.meltchocolates.com
The Fairy Godmother
Rococo
By opening her first quirky-cool boutique on the King’s Road in 1983, Chantal Coady paved the way for independent chocolatiers to follow suit. Passionate about cocoa quality and content (“Chocolate is an emotional relationship,” she says) but also stirring in a good dose of humour, Coady now has three branches of Rococo in London and is ever innovative, her chocolate sardines, artisan bars, and gorgeously retro gift-wrap still in great demand.
321 King’s Road, London SW3, +44 (0)20 7352 5857, (plus branches on Motcomb Street and Marylebone High Street), www.rococochocolates.com
And if you just can’t do without the Euro classics, then of course there’s London outlets for Godiva and La Maison du Chocolat who have both done exclusive Christmas ranges and special editions for the festive season. www.lamaisonduchocolat.co.uk www.godiva.com
