Hotel Chocolat

Author
Discussion

fourstardan

Original Poster:

5,217 posts

153 months

Sunday 5th January
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Have this lot gone downhill or have I just got less taste?

Won a box in a raffle at work that im currently scoffing through and im not getting any of the tastes like you used to when they surfaced on the market.

Is it just me?

Jer_1974

1,587 posts

202 months

Sunday 5th January
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Got a small bar of friut and nut from my wife for Christmas. I don't eat a lot of chocolate but it was very sweet.

SlimJim16v

6,267 posts

152 months

Sunday 5th January
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No, I gave up on them a while ago. They taste too artificial now.

Ham_and_Jam

2,723 posts

106 months

Sunday 5th January
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fourstardan said:
Have this lot gone downhill or have I just got less taste?

Won a box in a raffle at work that im currently scoffing through and im not getting any of the tastes like you used to when they surfaced on the market.

Is it just me?
Have you left in a nice warm room for a decent period, or from the fridge?

It will taste much better at 20C than 5C

fourstardan

Original Poster:

5,217 posts

153 months

Sunday 5th January
quotequote all
Been at room temperature for a few weeks.

The selection available was poor and fillings boring.

Also some of them didn't come in pairs so dissapointing value.

-Cappo-

19,983 posts

212 months

Sunday 5th January
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I tried a few from a massive selection box before Xmas - same conclusion, pretty tasteless, too sweet - just "candy", nothing else.

dragonflyjade

50 posts

119 months

Sunday 5th January
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Ex-shareholder. Hotel Chocolat is now owned by Mars.

I'd expect the taste to be adjusted to US palates now as the market is bigger. Hotel Chocolat found it difficult to enter the Japanese and US markets over five years prior. Mars needed an upmarket chocolate on the books that was not regarded as confectionary.

Not sure what has happened to the hotel and the plantations though.


Trustmeimadoctor

13,910 posts

164 months

Sunday 5th January
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https://www.chococo.co.uk/

These are better than hotel Chocolat were

dapprman

2,519 posts

276 months

Monday 6th January
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Was never certain if I got too used to the taste of their base chocolate but I think they do use more sugar now (which would make sense if they are trying to push the same recipes for the USA).

blue_haddock

4,067 posts

76 months

Monday 6th January
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We used to like hotel chocolat and whils i've not noticed a change in taste i have noticed the price has gone into orbit.

You used to get 3 of the selectors for about a tenner, then it was 12 quid, then 14 quid and when i went in before christmas is was like 18 quid for three small packs.

Priced themselves out of the market for me rather than quality gone downhill.

fourstardan

Original Poster:

5,217 posts

153 months

Monday 6th January
quotequote all
dragonflyjade said:
Ex-shareholder. Hotel Chocolat is now owned by Mars.

I'd expect the taste to be adjusted to US palates now as the market is bigger. Hotel Chocolat found it difficult to enter the Japanese and US markets over five years prior. Mars needed an upmarket chocolate on the books that was not regarded as confectionary.

Not sure what has happened to the hotel and the plantations though.
This explains a lot and decides a future purchase decision!

Thanks for the insight, I hope you got a good pay off and some of the older chocolates!

netherfield

2,829 posts

193 months

Tuesday 7th January
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Prefer Friers over Hotel Chocolate.

Edited by netherfield on Tuesday 7th January 16:47

Sporky

7,698 posts

73 months

Tuesday 7th January
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Montezumas is still good.

fourstardan

Original Poster:

5,217 posts

153 months

Wednesday 8th January
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70% off at the moment to more realistic prices! And just shows you what mark up they make.

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/up-to-70-off-hote...

Interesting comments echoed.

dragonflyjade

50 posts

119 months

Monday 13th January
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fourstardan said:
This explains a lot and decides a future purchase decision!

Thanks for the insight, I hope you got a good pay off and some of the older chocolates!
You are welcome. smile

Pay off was not too bad - usual share price cycles but finally finished up. I believed in the business and the product. Got some older chocolate stashed away. Now buying various bars from independents as I travel on city breaks.

Be prepared for chocolate prices to go up, or quality to go down (more sugar) as cocoa prices are really high.


Edited by dragonflyjade on Monday 13th January 22:44

Mobile Chicane

21,389 posts

221 months

Monday 13th January
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fourstardan

Original Poster:

5,217 posts

153 months

Tuesday 14th January
quotequote all
I've had plenty of good chocs, best one were from a local shop doing gourmet ones you individually bought.