‘Slow Chocolate’ is whole new approach to eating chocolate and the the art of chocolate appreciation.

Fine chocolate is fast becoming as sophisticated as wine, yet we are conditioned to eat chocolate as a sweet snack with little chance of noticing its finer points.

‘Slow Chocolate’ will help to unravel all those years of chocolate snacking by working through each of our chocolate senses one by one.

Rather than tell you what chocolate you should like, ‘Slow Chocolate’ gives you the tools to start you on your own journey towards becoming a chocolate connoisseur.

Through our courses and workshops we explore the gastronomic senses with a series of interactive modules, awakening and educating our palates along the way.

Day course – A workshop of the senses

Our six hour day course is suitable for beginners and connoisseurs alike. Using fun and engaging games and taste experiments we will awaken your chocolate senses. Our superb modern London venue will put you in the right mood and help us take you on a journey of the senses.

Connoisseur steps

We’ll show you the important steps you need to understand chocolate and to eat it correctly. Most of us eat chocolate in completely the wrong way, which is fine if your eating candy of chocolate confectionery, but not really suitable for the new world of fine and origin chocolate. You’ve paid a lot for your origin plantation chocolate, don’t waste that hard earned cash – get the most out of your chocolate by learning a whole new way to taste.

You will come away with a new view on the true taste of chocolate and with simple steps you can use at any time to quickly tell a good chocolate from a bad one. By the end of the day you will be well on the way to becoming a connoisseur.

Includes a light lunch that will keep your palate clean, and refreshments. For your own benefit and that of fellow workshop members, avoid wearing strong perfumes or aftershaves. It is also best to have a light breakfast without strong flavours.

Info

Booking

Book your tickets through PayPal – no account needed, all major cards accepted. Bookings made through Micrograde.com Ltd, our holding company.

Gift certificates: If you are buying tickets for a gift or present, you can download a printable certificate here. Proof of purchase required.

£100 per person

The post Slow Chocolate: taste workshop – 28 January 2013 appeared first on Seventy%.

‘Slow Chocolate’ is whole new approach to eating chocolate and the the art of chocolate appreciation.

Fine chocolate is fast becoming as sophisticated as wine, yet we are conditioned to eat chocolate as a sweet snack with little chance of noticing its finer points.

‘Slow Chocolate’ will help to unravel all those years of chocolate snacking by working through each of our chocolate senses one by one.

Rather than tell you what chocolate you should like, ‘Slow Chocolate’ gives you the tools to start you on your own journey towards becoming a chocolate connoisseur.

Through our courses and workshops we explore the gastranomic senses with a series of interactive modules, awakening and educating our palates along the way.

Day course – A workshop of the senses

Our six hour day course is suitable for beginners and connoisseurs alike. Using fun and engaging games and taste experiments we will awaken your chocolate senses. Our superb modern London venue will put you in the right mood and help us take you on a journey of the senses.

We’ll show you the important steps you need to understand chocolate and to eat it correctly. Most of us eat chocolate in completely the wrong way, which is fine if your eating candy of chocolate confectionery, but not really suitable for the new world of fine and origin chocolate. You’ve paid a lot for your origin plantation chocolate, don’t waste that hard earned cash – get the most out of your chocolate by learning a whole new way to taste.

You will come away with a new view on the true taste of chocolate and with simple steps you can use at any time to quickly tell a good chocolate from a bad one. By the end of the day you will be well on the way to becoming a connoisseur.

Includes a light lunch that will keep your palate clean, and refreshments. For your own benefit and that of fellow workshop members, avoid wearing strong perfumes or aftershaves. It is also best to have a light breakfast without strong flavours.

Info

Book your tickets through PayPal – no account needed, all major cards accepted. Bookings made through Micrograde.com Ltd, our holding company.

Gift certificates: If you are buying tickets for a gift or present, you can download a printable certificate here. Proof of purchase required.

£100 per person

11.00am-4.30pm, Monday 12 Nov 2012
Adam Street Club
9 Adam St
London
WC2N 6AA
UK

Find on Google Maps

For enquiries email us at events@seventypercent.com or call 0870 446 0770.

The post Slow Chocolate: taste workshop – 12 November 2012 appeared first on Seventy%.

The International Chocolate Awards are an independent organisation, partnering with fine chocolate experts and organisations in different countries with independent verification and oversight.

The first year’s Awards will run in 2012 in Italy, the UK and the USA with other countries in progress. The first Grand Final will be held in Chocolate Week, 8-14 October, in the London. In future years the final will rotate around different locations.

The International Chocolate Awards are completely independent of any other fine chocolate organisation, but will work with associations and other partners in each particpating country. The Awards are overseen by an International Advisory Committee, an Entrants committee and the judging is overseen by an independent, international Grand Jury. For full details and our committment to fairness and transparency, see the awards website at www.internationalchocolateawards.com.

European Semi-final, London, 28 May 2012

The European Semi-final of the International Chocolate Awards will take place 28 May – 1 June in London. Judging will be in all categories, including origin and plain dark chocolate bars.

If you are a chocolate company, details of how to enter are at www.internationalchocolateawards.com/entry-forms.

The Americas Semi-final will be held in New York in September. Details of the dates and how to enter for US, Canadian, Latin American and Caribbean companies will be available soon.

Italian National Competitions – results

On 14 April, Seventy% and Chocolate Week packed their suitcases and took off for Tuscany to organise the Italian National Chocolate Awards with Italian chocolate expert, Monica Meschini.

Over 100 chocolate products were entered from all over Italy, with judges from Florence, Milan, Rome and London gathering in the Medici’s villa in Artimino for a non-stop contest lasting three days.

Some of the Judging team at Artimino

The winners of 12 categories were announced last week. Highlights included a gold for ‘Lattesal’ from Domori and Slitti’s ‘Riccosa’ , which took Gold in milk chocolate spreads.

The winners will compete alongside the best of the European and Americas semi-finals (London, May 2012 & New York, Sept 2012). Tthe Grand Final will take place during Chocolate Week in London, 8-14 October.

The post International Chocolate Awards‏‏ appeared first on Seventy%.

El Pedregal is a rarity in another way – a cacao plantation actually owned by a chocolate maker. Despite the impression some companies may give, you could actually count the number of these in the world on a few fingers. Most cacao is bought from traders, cooperatives, exporters and occasionally big organised producers.

The original Del Pedregal box

Although Valrhona have owned this plantation for twenty years, their first version of Pedregal came out only in 2005/2006. This was perhaps though too soon. The chocolate was interesting, but didn’t quite live up to the hype or match up to the standard of the current Valrhona vintages.

For this reason, perhaps, the chocolate was only available in very fancy pentagonal boxes, with two layers of moulded chocolate, laid out in the shape of a cacao flower. This was all very fancy, but unsurprisingly not sustainable as a product.

Back now in a standard bar format, El Pedregal begins to live up to the hype, replacing the former Venezuelan offering in the Vintage bar range, Palmira.

The post Valrhona – El Pedregal appeared first on Seventy%.

‘Slow Chocolate’ is whole new approach to eating chocolate and the the art of chocolate appreciation.

Fine chocolate is fast becoming as sophisticated as wine, yet we are conditioned to eat chocolate as a sweet snack with little chance of noticing its finer points.

‘Slow Chocolate’ will help to unravel all those years of chocolate snacking by working through each of our chocolate senses one by one.

Rather than tell you what chocolate you should like, ‘Slow Chocolate’ gives you the tools to start you on your own journey towards becoming a chocolate connoisseur.

Through our courses and workshops we explore the gastranomic senses with a series of interactive modules, awakening and educating our palates along the way.

Day course – A workshop of the senses

Our six hour day course is suitable for beginners and connoisseurs alike. Using fun and engaging games and taste experiments we will awaken your chocolate senses. Our superb modern London venue will put you in the right mood and help us take you on a journey of the senses.

We’ll show you the important steps you need to understand chocolate and to eat it correctly. Most of us eat chocolate in completely the wrong way, which is fine if your eating candy of chocolate confectionery, but not really suitable for the new world of fine and origin chocolate. You’ve paid a lot for your origin plantation chocolate, don’t waste that hard earned cash – get the most out of your chocolate by learning a whole new way to taste.

You will come away with a new view on the true taste of chocolate and with simple steps you can use at any time to quickly tell a good chocolate from a bad one. By the end of the day you will be well on the way to becoming a connoisseur.

Includes a light lunch that will keep your palate clean, and refreshments. For your own benefit and that of fellow workshop members, avoid wearing strong perfumes or aftershaves. It is also best to have a light breakfast without strong flavours.

Info

Book your tickets through PayPal – no account needed, all major cards accepted. Bookings made through Micrograde.com Ltd, our holding company.

Gift certificates: If you are buying tickets for a gift or present, you can download a printable certificate here. Proof of purchase required.

£100 per person

11.00am-4.30pm, Thurs 12 Apr 2012
Adam Street Club
9 Adam St
London
WC2N 6AA
UK

Find on Google Maps

For enquiries email us at events@seventypercent.com or call 0870 446 0770.

The post Slow Chocolate: taste workshop – 12 Apr 2012 appeared first on Seventy%.

N

ew for 2012, an inspiring season of tasting events exploring the many flavour notes of fine chocolate. Each month we pick a classic flavour group, like citrus, spice or forest fruits and explore the flavours and nuances of each group in detail.

The Marylebone Pub

In the relaxed comfort of a quiet room in The Marylebone pub, London, we take you through a chocolate tasting and flavour experience.

With a little history, sample flavours in their natural and try special treats and cover all the flavour nuances while enlivening and educating the palate.

We’ll start each tasting with a specially flavoured hot chocolate, with an optional dash of rum or liquor for those seeking an extra hit, and finish off with a specially created cocktail, in both alcoholic and ‘virgin’ variations.

Chocolate Flavours is both fun and educational and makes a great early evening treat for couples, connoisseurs or the merely indulgent.

Dates and tickets

Chocolate Flavours events take place on the 3rd or 4th Tuesday of everything month at The Marylebone Pub, London. Book your tickets through PayPal – no account needed, all major cards accepted. Tickets are sold in the name of our holding company, Micrograde.com Ltd. Please print out your pay Pal receipt as your ticket.

Gift certificate

Forest

Tropical

Spice

Citrus

Floral

Info

The Marylebone
93 Marylebone High Street
London
W1U 4RE
UK
www.themarylebonelondon.com

Find on Google Maps

For enquiries email us at events@seventypercent.com or call 0870 446 0770.

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