Novelty and Seasonal Chocolate

Just as the dregs of Christmas chocolates are shrinking down off the retailer's shelves, the Easter seasonal chocolates are quickly filling up and replacing the space, (weirdly I haven't seen many Valentines products yet, and that obviously comes before Easter in the calendar year). I am a bit of a chocolate monster and of course I love novelty chocolate whether it is cheap and every day i.e Mini Eggs or luxury i.e a Prestat Salted Caramel Chocolate Egg. Even though it feels a little too early to even think about gifting easter chocolate, it seems to be a cynical retailers optimistic reminder that spring is on the way.

Lets talk about perceptions on what qualifies as a 'luxury' or 'every day' regarding chocolate; I remember as a child thinking that a 2 fingered Kit Kat was everyday, a tube of Smarties was a treat, and then something like After Eights, a box of Thorntons, Elizabeth Shaw Mints or a Ferrero Rocher was a 'posh and expensive' chocolate. Was it a luxury chocolate? Well as a child in the 90's it felt like a luxury. If it came out of a box and had it's own wrapper and they were only bought for special occasions... However contradicting this, there were also Christmas chocolates like Quality Street and Roses, they didn't hold quite the same luxs feel because they came in such big tins. This was of course before the rise in the mainstream gourmet chocolate popularity that came with the new millenium.

Gourmet chocolate - doesn't that sound delicious? Initially that term was very exclusive and conveyed high end and premium quality of chocolate which has now become very mainstream with supermarkets selling 'hand finished, gourmet chocolates'. In 1998 'Tasting Boxes' were sold mail order and distributed under the name of Chocolate Express boxes of chocolates like these were very uncommon on the high street at that time, then in 2003 Chocolate Express was renamed to 'Hotel Chocolat' swiftly opening up stores and selling as concessions in John Lewis. So this has undoubtedly been a rapid and successful growth. Other notable chocolate brands such as Green & Blacks and Montazuma found a niche for themselves too, marketing themselves as premium 'organic' chocolates. Cheaper brands of chocolate are imitating the finishes that gourmet and organic chocolates use such as gold leaf and freeze dried berries etc and selling them at high street prices. Supermarkets 'Finest', 'taste the difference', 'Especially For You'... ranges have improved their products to try and make them compete, as the standards have gone up. Thorntons and Lindt used to be considered super market premium, but because they haven't really changed what they do, supermarkets are creating their own ranges.

Lets talk about the packaging; one of my favourite topics! Hotel Chocolate has quite sophisticated predominantly black and white minimalist packaging which sets them apart from other confectionary companies and traditional wrappings. Along side the improvement in the taste and creativity of the chocolates the packaging has improved too. Grosgain ribbon isn't uncommon, patterned boxes and papers feature consistently on the shelves. A part of me quite likes the crass and 90's style of loud graphics on glossy shiny packaging, I also love the designs of the Harry Potter series sweets and how they are created for the movies, with gorgeous type and wonderful colours... just like how I imagined.

#Chocolate #Easter #Lindt #HotelChocolat #presat