Some months ago, in an attempt to stop me buying what I know I like and instead branch out and try new things, I subscribed to Cocoa Runners’ excellent subscription service. For £20, plus p&p, you get a letterbox-friendly package each month which contains milk/dark/100% - you choose the parameters, but the individual bars are selected for you.
So each month it’s a total surprise as to what you’ll get and it’s a great way to experiment and discover new bars. I mean, would I have picked out Naive’s Ecuador Rough-Ground 75% (£5.95 when bought on its own)? No I would not, but that would have been a mistake. This is a flavoursome, surprising and intriguing bar and I love the bite of the sugar crystals you get with rough chocolate. I love super-smooth chocolate, but stoneground was a whole new, delicious world to me.
Another brand to look out for in the stoneground world is Taza. In a million years I would not have picked out the round, rather rustic looking Chocolate Mexicano Cinnamon bar, £5.95 (it looks like a packet of beer mats). Cinnamon and chocolate is not something I’d voluntarily pick up. But I loved its complex, gritty taste. I can’t wait to go through the rest of the range, in time.
If you, or someone you know is stuck at home, consider buying a monthly tasting box. Cocoa Runners also runs a fantastic Chocs for Docs scheme: for a one-off donation of £10/£20/£30 they will send chocolates to health staff on the front line. Any profits will go to local food banks.
