Chocolate Week 2011 Is Happening 10th-16th October

Chocolate Week, the nation’s favourite themed week, returns for a seventh consecutive year this October to celebrate the wonderful world of fine chocolate. Chocolate week 2011 sees over 350 events taking place around the UK and culminating in a deliciously indulgent exhibition, Chocolate Unwrapped, featuring some of the best chocolate brands from around the world. chocolate unwrapped.  I’ll be there on the Saturday so look out for me if you’re there and say hi to me!!

The UK’s top chocolatiers and chocolate companies celebrate Chocolate Week by hosting talks, tastings, demonstrations and sampling, as well as creating exclusive products, new launches, offers, chocolate meals, cocktails and recipes.  It’s also London Cocktail Week and given how well chocolate and alcohol goes together I’m excited!
Just some of this year’s events include:

• Chocolate Unwrapped – a dedicated chocolate show in London on 15th & 16th October. With over 4000 visitors and 40 exhibitors attending, the exhibition features top British chocolatiers and chocolate companies along with chocolate makers from France, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Holland and Germany. Visitors have the opportunity to view chocolate art, meet the chocolatiers, attend talks and demos, taste the very best chocolate, paint with chocolate onto a giant canvas and watch chocolate being made in the smallest chocolate factory in the world.

• The Great Chocolate Cake-Off – home bakers can enter their favourite chocolate cake to be judged by a panel of experts.

• William Curley’s pop up shop on St Martin’s Lane, London

• Hotel Chocolat launches its tasting adventures pack to encourage consumers to hold chocolate tastings at home. SO YUMMY!!!

• One of the UK’s top chocolatiers, Paul a Young, collaborates with renowned fusion chef Peter Gordon to create a 6-course chocolate dinner at Providores on Monday 10th & Friday 14th October.

• Jason Atherton hosts a chocolate tasting at Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge and launches an exclusive chocolate dessert at Pollen Street Social. The Ivy have created an exclusive chocolate bombe dessert for the week.

• Thorntons continues its centenary celebrations by giving away a chocolate smile to everyone who visits their shops during the week.

• Divine Chocolate launches recipes from baking extraordinaire and Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry, Baking Made Easy’s Lorraine Pascale and Masterchef judge Gregg Wallace and hold a plethora of events around the country. There are AWESOME chocolate cocktails inspired by and made with Divine and BlueBasil Brownies made with Divine chocolate are offering a discount all week plus a competition for free brownies and you know I love them!

FORTNUM & MASON – there are lots of things happening but specifically Thursday 13th October – Exploding Chocolate from 12noon. In Valhalla with Valrhona from 12noon and Chocolate Alchemy at 2pm.  then on Friday 14th October – Terrific Truffles from 12noon. La Molina from 12noon.

Chocolate Week was set up to promote fine flavour chocolate, the independent artisan chocolatiers and the chocolate companies who work in direct partnership with the cocoa farmers. It aims to encourage consumers to pay a fairer price for their chocolate.