Godiva opens first European chocolate cafe at Harrods

Gourmet Belgian chocolatier Godiva has recently announced the opening of its first Godiva Chocolate Café in Europe at London’s luxury department store, Harrods.

A tempting destination for all lovers of quality chocolate the cafe provides them with the ultimate chocolate experience in an excellent setting. Its menu which has been created jointly by Harrods executive pastry chef Markus Bohr, Godiva’s executive chef chocolatier Thierry Muret and Godiva global chef chocolatier David Funaro contains a range of exquisite patisserie and delicious chocolate drinks.

Some of the signature items include the delightful sounding milk and dark chocolate Sin Cake, Hazelnut Délice, a Chocolate Fondue which comes straight from the café’s continuously flowing taps of molten chocolate and the Chocolixir, a superb combination of ice cream, ganache and chocolate.

The Godiva Chocolate Café also boasts a counter showcasing a wide selection of Godiva’s best pralines, bonbons, truffles and carrés.

For those wishing to perfect their chocolate-making skills, Godiva also offers chocolate classes at the café, which are taken by head pastry chef Raquel Lowrey. Classes last 90 minutes, are limited to six people and cover truffle-making, chocolate decorations and mastering the iconic Godiva chocolate-dipped strawberries.


Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar. A true chocoholic, he also is chief editor of I Love USA Candy.

Source and Photo: The Upcoming

Addicted to chocolate? Science wants YOU

Science is always trying to give us the good news when it comes to chocolate.

It can cut your risk of heart disease (in very small doses), it makes you thinner (but not everyone) and lowers your blood pressure (dark chocolate and only in small amounts).

But what science hasn’t really been able to tell us is why some people find it irresistible and others can just take it or leave it.

Enter Queensland University of Technology Institute of Heath and Biomedical Innovation PhD candidate, Stephanie Fay.

Ms Fay hopes to discover why some of us are a slave to the cocoa bean.

“What we are really doing is trying to uncover individual differences in food preferences that might drive differences in eating behaviour,” Ms Fay said.

“We know there are quite strong differences in the types of food people like and also the different circumstances in which they eat them. This study is really focusing on snacking, in particular sweet snacking, looking at the characteristics of people who tend to indulge in that type of snacking and as well, a large part of the study is also looking at the environmental cues that might provoke certain people to snack more than others.”

Examining the environmental cue responses may explain why some people follow seeing those advertising images of rivers of melted chocolate with reaching for a block of the real thing.

“It really is quite difficult to escape these little memory prompts (advertising, stores, food images) and we are wondering if certain people are more susceptible than others to these prompts,” Ms Fay said.

A savoury study is set to follow and Ms Fay hopes her findings may help provide solutions to tackling Australia’s obesity epidemic.

“Obviously, there are huge rates of overweight [people] and obesity across Australia and worldwide and snacking in particular is thought to play quite a strong role in this increase,” she said.

“So if we can uncover the reasons for people’s behaviours, maybe try to work out exactly what is going on and whether snacking is healthy and if not, what are the sorts of different people who might be more responsive to various interventions.”

Ms Fay is looking for volunteers willing to eat chocolate for science.

Those interested in participating should email stephanie.fay@qut.edu.au.

Source: Brisbane Times

Chocolate eggs recalled

Australia’s two major supermarket chains recalled brands of chocolate eggs on the eve of the Easter long weekend.

Coles is recalling five batches of Heritage brand Belgian Milk Chocolate Egg with chocolate truffles in a 270g package, sold exclusively through Coles supermarkets.

The product contains almond, hazelnut and gluten but they are not listed in the ingredients due to a labelling error.

Victoria’s acting chief health officer Dr Michael Ackland said consumers with an almond, hazelnut or gluten allergy or intolerance should not eat the product and return it to its place of purchase for a full cash refund.

No other Heritage products are affected by the recall.

Dr Ackland said there has been no known illness associated with the product.

Woolworths has recalled two Macro Wholefoods Market dark chocolate lactose-free products sold at Woolworths, Safeway, Food for Less and Flemings supermarkets nationally.

The Macro Dark Chocolate Lactose Free Bunny and Macro Dark Chocolate Lactose Free Easter Egg and Twist Sweets are being recalled due to the presence of an undeclared allergen milk which occurred in a labelling error.

Source: Sky News