UPDATE: Rococo Chocolates in Chester is now permanently closed.
With Easter kicking off early this year, it's perfectly acceptable to start indulging in Easter treats. I’ve discovered the perfect little place….
Founded in 1983 by Chantal Coady, Rococo Chocolates has elevated chocolate on a par with fine wines by using rich organic cocoa beans.
The first Rococo shop opened in 1983 on London’s Kings Road, an emporium of fine chocolates, which quickly attracted a loyal following. Soon after two more shops in Marylebone and Belgravia opened and, most recently, a beautiful little shop in Chester which is the first foray outside of London.
Rococo works closely with the Grenada Chocolate Company, a cocoa farm in Grenada to produce fairly traded, ethical chocolate. Rococo has even built a bridge in Grenada to help organic cocoa farmers get harvest from the land over a river. The Cocoa is made into chocolate on the island in a small, solar powered factory.
It is shipped to the UK with a zero carbon footprint, and then added to the Rococo House Blend of chocolate, which is used across the whole Rococo range.
“Chantal Coady is like a real life version of Joanne Harris’s Vianne from Chocolat, with a dash of Jo Malone’s facility for mixing unusual perfumes - but she started before either of them.”
I recently visited the Chester store to taste some of the gorgeous chocolates and to learn more about the Rococo Easter collection.
The store is based at the front of the Chester Grosvenor Hotel and is a warm and inviting Aladdin’s cave of chocolate. I met assistant manager, Peter Kubica, who talked me through the chocolates on offer.
He explained that the truffles, ganaches and caramels on sale were all hand crafted in small batches in Rococo’s kitchens in London by principle chocolatier Karen Waller and her team. The chocolates are then transported to Chester in heat controlled delivery vans to protect the chocolate. Rococo suggest that the chocolates must be stored in a cool dark place at around 18°C, avoiding refrigeration if possible.
There are all sorts of intense flavour combinations dotted around in beautiful packaging. My favourite of the chocolates was the Anglesey sea salt caramel ganache. Chantal Coady believes the Rococo team were “the first people to create salted chocolate.”
The Easter collection includes exclusive Roald Dahl eggs for children. One of which is filled with 6 milk and white chocolate green mini crocodiles.
A cube of ‘Superior Seagull’ Fleur de Sel eggs, salted caramel ganache covered in milk chocolate.
Various packs of colourful Hunting Bunny Foiled Easter eggs. These would be perfect as an Easter Sunday treat or for egg hunt prizes!
A cube of 5 praline quail eggs. Realistic looking with a French hazelnut praline.
‘Rococo City Farm’ - milk and white chocolate praline animals from the Rococo farm. Ideal for children, containing praline bunnies, ducks, lambs and chickens.
A ‘stroppy teenager’ Easter egg, containing 4 praline quail eggs and 4 salted caramel Superior Seagull ganache eggs.
Half a dozen real hens eggs blown and filled with delicious fine hazelnut praline in a cute egg crate.
And my favourite, a hand-painted Easter bunny made with white chocolate and backed with fine milk and dark chocolate.
We left with bags full of goodies to try at home and promises to return for a chocolate tasting evening which the Chester store frequently hosts.
If you’re unable to visit any of the Rococo stores in person, you can buy the treats online at www.rococochocolates.com as well as Harvey Nichols and John Lewis.
Chester Grosvenor Hotel, Eastgate, Chester CH1 1LT
T: 01244 895 610