Hotel Chocolat

With forty-one stores in the UK, Hotel Chocolat is a household name and with its range of premium chocolates, it's definitely a company to turn to when you want to send a gift or indeed, treat yourself. The company was founded over fifteen years ago by Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris with the intention of bringing better chocolate to the high street. They have achieved that and more, continuing to be innovative whilst offering its online customers both superb chocolates and service.

Hotel Chocolat has its own cocoa estate in St. Lucia, the Rabot Estate, that provides the company with its cocoa. The fertile volcanic soil, its high altitude (1000ft above sea level) and rainforest water all help create the perfect growing medium.

WHAT TO CHOOSE?

If you are not familiar with the brand, the list of best sellers is always a good start. You could plump for the Everything Selection that offers a range of the most popular, including liquid caramels and chocolate brownie. Otherwise, search for chocolate gifts by occasion, products, person or genre. Needless to say, at Christmas, Hotel Chocolat pulls out all the stops with a range of gifts for chocolate lovers, Christmas crackers as well as advent calendars. Here you'll find something to suit all ages from the youngest in your home to the oldest, all with a premium chocolate hiding behind each window. Chocolate hampers, giant half kilo slabs of chocolate and dipping adventures are there to tempt.

In Cocoa Cuisine, you'll find organic cocoa powder, chocolate pasta and a spiced savoury chocolate sauce that you could serve with chicken, Mexican style.

CHOCOGRAMS

The Sleeksters and H Boxes are slim and designed to fit most letterboxes. Hotel Chocolat will add a personal message that is printed onto a stylish card and deliver the next day.

TASTING CLUB

Hotel Chocolat's club has over 100,000 members who receive a brand new selection of chocolates every month. Members get to taste a wide variety including pralines, gianduja, creamy ganaches, all made using only the best ingredients, as well as one-off unique special editions. Membership also entitles a 5% discount on purchases made online, in-store and via the catalogue.