Sometimes what you want is a delicious box of chocolates that’s contemporary, but would still satisfy the most Spitfire-and-steam-train-loving of chocolate enthusiasts. ‘It’s all very well talking about chilli and popping candy in chocolate,’ said an imaginary reader, ‘but what about if I want to give a box of chocolates to my auntie?’
I first saw Holdsworth chocolates in John Lewis and then started seeing them everywhere. The reviews were consistently good. So I bought a box. I went for the Signature Collection (£14, 160g) which equates to nine chunky chocolates. This has a bit of everything: white, dark, milk and a variety of centres – creams, truffles, pralines.
None of the chocolates contain alcohol, which really surprised me as some of them tasted well boozy. There were a few things that irked me in the design: the menu was on the bottom and the inside tray was plastic, but otherwise I was really impressed.
These are not craft chocolates, but you get plenty of that usually. They are delicious and I was pleased, as were my testers. The flavours were clean, rich and intense. I don’t think there was one I didn’t like. I really could see myself settling down à la Babs Cartland and eating an entire box while watching afternoon TV. There’s something nostalgic about them. They made me feel happy.
There are variations on the mixed box I tried, including champagne truffles and guess what? There are also some with popping candy. Prices start from £7.
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