In case you hadn’t realised, National Chocolate Week kicks off on Monday – giving us all an excuse to gorge on the delicious treat for a whole seven days.
Not that we’ve ever needed an excuse to indulge our sweet tooth in the past, but it’s nice to know we can pick up some guilt-free chocolaty goodness.
Chocolate Week comes but once a year, so throw off the shackles of that diet (beach season is over anyway) and allow yourself to give in to temptation.
Believe it or not, Chocolate Week is not all about eating (seriously!); it’s also about celebrating the art of chocolate-making and learning a bit more about the entire process.
Chocolaty events are taking place up and down the country next week, so there’s no excuse not to get involved. So, how can you make the most of Chocolate Week?
Stay at the Chocolate Boutique Hotel
We’re very privileged here in Britain, as we have the only chocolate-themed hotel anywhere in the world.
The Chocolate Boutique Hotel, in Bournemouth, has 13 glorious chocolate-themed rooms complete with lusciously dark brown decor to really get your taste buds going.
Each room in this Grade II-listed building comes complete with a chocolate fountain, so you can indulge your sweet tooth from morning to evening.
A stay at the Chocolate Boutique Hotel starts from £65 per night, with extras like a chocolate fountain for an additional fee. Book at thechocolateboutiquehotel.co.uk.
Have a chocolaty day trip
The highlight of Chocolate Week, Chocolate Unwrapped is a two-day exhibition held at London Film Museum on Covent Garden on October 13 and 14.
With more than 50 exhibitors showcasing the best of the world of chocolate, visitors can marvel at chocolate sculptures, watch cooking demonstrations and, of course, try plenty of free samples. Tickets can be purchased on the door or in advance from chocolateunwrapped.co.uk.
Treat yourself to some chocotherapy
Chocolate isn’t just for eating; apparently it can be used to pamper the skin as well as the taste buds. So, let your troubles melt away with Mercure Spa hotels’ chocotherapy spa-treatment packages.
Available at nine separate Mercure Spa hotels around the country, this pampering package includes a chocolate-orange back treatment, which leaves the skin silky and smooth, as well as an overnight stay with a three-course meal.
There’s also plenty of edible chocolate on offer too, from choctails to a Divine Chocboard – a delicious take on the cheeseboard. This package is available throughout October and costs from £160 for two people. Book at mercure.com.
Have a family day out at Cadbury World
If there’s one place every child should experience, it’s Cadbury World in Bourneville, Birmingham. And what better time to visit than Chocolate Week?
This real-life Willy Wonka chocolate factory is every child’s idea of heaven, with a fun-filled tour that takes in the history of Cadbury and offers an insight into how our favourite chocolate bars are created.
There are plenty of free samples along the way of course, plus the chance to play in the chocolate rain and create your very own chocolate treat. Tickets start from £14.75 for adults and £10.75 for children and can be booked at cadburyworld.co.uk.
Try your hand at chocolate-making
Chocolate week is as much about celebrating the art of chocolate as it is about eating, so why not educate yourself with a trip to the Chocolatier’s Workshop?
These two-and-a-half hour sessions are available up and down the country and will take you through the history of chocolate-making, before you try your hand at creating some delicious chocolate truffles.
Chocolate-making classes start from £58 per person, and you get to keep the chocolates you make – typically between 30 and 50. You can book at goseedo.com.
Try some chocolate experimentation
If making run-of-the-mill delicious Belgium chocolate truffles sounds a little too mundane for you, then the Cupcakes, Chocolate Martini and Whoopie Pie Experience could be more your thing.
Try your hand at creating two butter-and-marshmallow filled whoopie pies, before sipping on a self-made chocolate martini and rustling up six fresh cupcakes with flavours and toppings of your choice.
Also available at locations around the country, this experience starts from £58 per person and can be booked at goseedo.com.
Sample Belgian chocolate
As good as we are in Britain at making chocolate, we’ve got nothing on the expertise of some other European countries.
One country renowned for its supreme chocolate-making abilities is Belgium, whose chocolate and praline brands are known across the world.
There are more than 2,000 chocolate shops in Belgium, with some of the best to be found in Brussels. The majority offer tours and tastings, so just take your pick!
Sample Swiss chocolate
Another country well-known for its chocolatiers is Switzerland, so a trip here is a must for any true chocoholic.
Chocolate has been produced in Switzerland since the 18th Century, so they have it down to a fine art and make some of the best truffles, cakes and mousses in the world.
There are a number of tours you can go on in Switzerland, which will take you through the country’s history of chocolate. But, as with Belgium, a visit to any chocolate shop will be the experience of a lifetime.
(Images: Chocolate Hotel, Chocolate Unwrapped, Mercure Spa hotels, Benkid77, goseedo, visitflanders, mfotinakis)
