Hotel Chocolat launches new Café collection in Yorkshire
Hotel Chocolat, the luxury cacao grower and chocolatier, has unveiled its new bakes and savouries collection at its key North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire stores, including Harrogate, Leeds Trinity, Leeds Springs, and Ilkley (set to open late September).
This enticing new offering evolves from the successful Velvetiser Café concept, featuring an array of entirely new recipes created in-house by Hotel Chocolat’s expert Development Chef, David Demaison. These delicious treats are inspired by dishes from the renowned restaurant at Hotel Chocolat’s cacao farm in Saint Lucia and the brand’s exquisite chocolate range.
A delight for every moment
The vibrant collection of chocolate and savoury creations is designed to delight at breakfast, lunch, and every other moment in between. Start your day with a flaky Chocolatine, featuring two of Hotel Chocolat’s sophisticated, high-cacao chocolate batons encased within. Enjoy lunchtime with an authentic Rabot Original savoury pastry, available in three different variants. Elevate your afternoon with a Beyond a Brownie – luxuriously chocolatey and loaded with fillings inspired by the brand’s best-loved chocolates.
Hand-baked excellence at Boar Lane Bakery
True to their innovative spirit, Hotel Chocolat approached their new bakes with the same precision as their chocolates, even opening Boar Lane Bakery in Leeds to ensure the highest quality. Hand-baked daily, these creations promise exceptional taste and texture, reflecting the brand’s commitment to excellence and attention to detail.
Expansion and investment
The new café collection is part of Hotel Chocolat’s broader commitment to expanding its UK presence. Alongside the café collection, the company plans to open 25 new stores across the UK next year, creating 200 new jobs. This expansion is supported by a £10 million investment in its manufacturing plant, generating an additional 50 jobs.
Commitment to quality and innovation
Ian Mackie, Head of Velvetiser Café, states: “This launch represents a significant milestone for the Velvetiser Café, as we expand our offerings to include a diverse and delectable menu inspired by our commitment to quality and innovation. Each item is crafted with care and precision, using the finest ingredients sourced responsibly, reflecting our dedication to ethical and sustainable practices. We cannot wait for our customers to experience the unique flavours and exceptional quality that define Hotel Chocolat.”
Chef’s expertise in every bite
David Demaison, Executive Development Chef, notes: “We spent months obsessing, finessing, and taste-testing (of course) before settling on just the right ratio of chocolate to pastry, and more. Now, our imaginative menu is ready to savour. A collection of chocolate and savoury creations designed to delight at breakfast, lunch, and every other moment besides. Wake up to a flaky Chocolatine, with two of our sophisticated, high-cacao chocolate Batons encased within. Spend your lunchtime with an authentic Rabot Original savoury pastry, in one of three recipes. And elevate your afternoon with a Beyond a Brownie – luxuriantly chocolatey and loaded with fillings inspired by our best-loved chocolates. I look forward to seeing our customers enjoy these new offerings, which are a true testament to our passion.”
Hotel Chocolat Café collection highlights
- Beyond a Brownie: Luxuriantly chocolatey and loaded with fillings inspired by our best-loved chocolates. Available in three flavours.
- Baton Chocolatine: Available in three delectable flavours.
- Hazelnut Crownie: More than a cookie, more than a brownie – the aptly named Crownie is abundantly chocolatey and packed with the finest Piedmont hazelnuts.
- Rabot Estate Banana Bread: A nostalgic, cacao-rich creation inspired by our original Rabot Estate recipe and crafted at our Boar Lane bakery in Leeds.
- The Dunking Pastry: Precisely crafted to be flaky enough to pull apart; sturdy enough to dunk, swirl, and savour.
- Cacao Pod: A cacao pod-inspired pastry lined with a choice of dark or white chocolate, filled with our famous Cocoa Whip, and finished with molten chocolate drizzle, a milk shard, and crispy pearls.
- Chocolatier’s Carrot Cake: Our Carrot Cake Selector reimagined as an actual cake, layered and topped with light-as-air cream melded with our molten 36% white chocolate.
- Rabot Original Savoury Offerings: Includes Caribbean Chicken Curry, Soufriere Spinach, Mushroom & Ricotta, Piton Pulled Pork, and Cortés Goat’s Cheese & Caramelised Onion.
Commitment to ethical and sustainable practices
Hotel Chocolat continues to uphold its ethical and sustainability values through initiatives like their Gentle Farming program, which supports cacao farmers in Ghana with sustainable farming practices. Now in its third year, the Gentle Farming program provides 2,500 farmers in Ghana with on-farm support, including pruning, provision of fast-growing shade tree saplings, and fertilizer application. Additionally, the program shares knowledge to improve cacao yield while encouraging soil health and biodiversity on farms.
Rollout and customer engagement
The new Hotel Chocolat Café concept will roll out in-store at Leeds Trinity, Leeds Springs, and Harrogate stores from Thursday, August 1st. Eager Ilkley shoppers can visit the new store from late September. Hotel Chocolat will offer surprise and delight moments to customers who purchase on opening day, as well as 20% off cafe drinks for VIP.ME members, the chocolatier’s member club, which is free to join.
Pop into your closest café to find your new favourite. For more information, visit: www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/bakes
