Monty's Chocolates

This is a very bad photograph of my breakfast this morning!! It really is very hard to beat the barre infernale Lait. Beautiful chocolate, with the best quality hazelnuts, almonds and Praline from europe. This really is one of the best chocolates money can buy!!!!!! The nuts are actually put in by hand, remarkable!!

This is a cheese cake made with L’Artisan du Chocolat, Liquid Salted Caramel Sauce. It really is very, very delicious!!!! It was made by Vanilla Pod in Ascot. I still have about 1/2 left.

I’ve been in Germany for a couple of days and I’ve had the chance to visit Coppeneur which was wonderful. They showed me the roasting and conching area. Some of the Coppeneur chocolate is conched for 100 hours to ensure a perfect texture. That’s amazing because 72 hours is seen within the industry as a mark of quality!!!!! Photo’s to come later!!

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This is a photo of Rococo’s head chocolatier, Laurent Couchaux. I’m a big fan of his pralines which combine confits and ganache. Very good indeed.

You may wonder why I have taken a photo of the garden tiles!? These tiles are however the inspiration behind the new packaging on Rococo’s chocolate bars! See I’m an endless source of unusual, chocolate trivia.

This is inside Rococo’s, in Motcomb Street, Knightsbridge. It really has a very welcoming atmosphere. It’s a bit like being invited into a master chocolatier’s front room. On this particular afternoon I shared the front room with John Cleese!

After a great week in Paris, I needed a trip to Rococo’s to cheer up a rainy day in London!

Although my love for Francois Pralus chocolate is well known. I felt it was important to jump on the Metro and visit his store. I got there just as a brassing, Autumn night was closing in but it was worth it!!! What a special day, I wish I could have shared it with some dedicated foodies!!!!

Having enjoyed the tart so much I convinced myself there was still room for the Vanilla Choux. Well I have been doing a lot of walking!

Off to Jacques Genin. I needed something other then pralines, so I opted for the chocolate tart. It was a good move!! Very tasty, great pastry and rich chocolate ganache, with a hint of bitterness at the finish!!!

I think I was actually getting drunk from the fragrance in the shop. The smell of chocolate coming from the sculptures was fantastic!!!!

This was a seriously busy day!! First stop Patrick Roger, a salted caramel with lime that stole the show. A fantstic praline, one of the best I’ve ever tasted.

One of the great things about Salon du Chocolat is that it’s not just about chocolate. It also showcases the culture of countries involved in the agricultural side of the business. At every moment there is an attack on the senses!

Pralus really is a family endevour, here is a photo of Francois son making the Praluline. You can’t get fresher Praluline then eating it straight from the oven still warm and sticky!!

Here is a photo of the main man Francois Pralus talking chocolate at the show. Being there in person you really get a feel for how passionate these guys are about chocolate. All the way from the farmers, the growing of the beans through good organic practices and the final finished delicious product!!