A joyous birth might be at the centre of Christmas, but impatient babies show no respect for a holiday, and it’s business as usual for the nation’s midwives. At Whittington Health’s maternity unit in north London there is no crib for a bed, but rather a state-of-the-art birthing pool and assorted squishy balls and bean bags, and it’s here that a group of midwives gathers to labour over a collection of festive chocolate boxes. The panel’s expertise on the subject is immediately obvious: boxes of chocolates are apparently the number one gift from grateful new parents (more unusual gifts include, strangely, a large bag of assorted hosiery), and a quick sugar hit is always welcome during a busy 12-and-a-half-hour shift.
Divine luxury Belgian collection 225g, £10
Scoring high on all fronts, the Fairtrade tag provided the final push that gave this box full marks. The midwives were unanimous in their praise, deeming the chocolates “lovely, smooth, not too sweet” and “attractively packaged and offering good value for money”. One that ticks all the boxes. Expectant mothers, take note. Verdict: 5/5
Hotel Chocolat Christmas wreath 600g, £40
The circular box was opened to enthusiastic oohs, aahs and shrieks of “gin truffle!” and “mulled wine!”. Fortunately, alcoholic chocolates are marked with a bottle of wine, which is helpful for expectant mothers and weary midwives at the end of a shift. The final decision: “One for going over the top on.” Verdict: 4.5/5
Aldi Moser Roth Irish handcrafted chocolates 195g, £3.99
This box comes ready wrapped, which is good for the time-strapped midwife who wants to give a box as a gift, but doesn’t feel like swaddling presents after a long shift. The Irish theme is initially appealing and then confusing, with nary a hint of Guinness or Baileys to be found. After a careful examination of the packaging, our midwives declare: “They’re made in Warwickshire.” Strange Irish theme aside, these score highly on taste and value for money, and impress even chocolate sceptic Andrea. Verdict: 4/5
Chococo handmade chocolate & truffle selection (25) 390g, £17.95
The lid to this box was removed to much cooing. All agree that the chocolates are pretty and modern, and with enticing names such as Chilli Tickle and Salt, Sweet Smoke, not your standard box. The bold flavour combinations were welcomed by some, but others found them just a bit weird. One small drawback is that chocolates aren’t easy to extract from the box, even for those skilled in the art of encouraging infants from tight spots. The midwives engage their “Pringle fingers”, which is a technical midwifery term that will put anyone off childbirth. Verdict: 4/5
Bettys luxury Christmas chocolate selection 600g, £55
“There’s something quite comforting about these, like grandparents,” declares midwifery assistant Andrea, prompting agreement that these chocolates embrace “flavours for an older palette”, such as rose and violet cream. The champagne truffle was judged to be lacking in booze. The hefty price tag loses Betty points, and the final verdict? “One for your more wealthy sibling to buy for elderly relatives” Verdict: 3.5/5
M&S Mixologist’s box 265g, £15
This cocktail-themed offering is deemed to be “nice and shiny”, but the packaging is “a bit dated”, and “it’s the Abigail’s Party of the chocolate market”. Some deemed it a good gift for the liqueur chocolate fan looking for something different. Others were less generous: “That’s just horrible, really unpleasant!” The Hot Toddy chocolate was thought to be sadly lacking in whisky, while some were quite mysterious: “I’ve no idea what I’ve just eaten, but it tasted vaguely like Christmas pudding.” Verdict: 2/5
Tesco dark chocolate ginger boxed chocolate 200g, £5
This one scores highly on packaging, the minimal wooden box appearing more expensive than its modest price tag. The ginger theme divides our panel, with some declaring the chocolates “divine” and others spitting them out and complaining that they “taste like soap”. Ginger is apparently often employed as an anti-nausea remedy during labour, and our panel declare this a good present for nervous fathers-to-be. Verdict: 2/5
