The Chocolate Society was formed in 1991, by three dedicated enthusiasts. One of the first priorities of the Society is to draw attention to the difference between the complex delicacy of what the worlds greatest cooks and gourmets recognise as chocolate, and the low grade, daily confection consumed by the ton.
Fine chocolate, painstakingly produced from natural ingredients, is every bit as sophisticated as a great claret or single malt whisky. Each variety has its own distinctive character, aroma and flavour. Just like coffee, varying the origin, type and blend of cocoa bean opens an endless range of subtlety to the palate.
The principle ingredients of commercial chocolate bars and bonbons are not cocoa, (on average 20% by volume), but sugar, saturated vegetable fat and powdered milk.
These dietary villains are responsible for chocolate's undeserved reputation as a fattening, tooth-decaying, addictive indulgence. True chocolate is a far purer, healthier product. A single square of Guanaja Noir (made by French manufacturers Valrhona, near Lyon), for example, contains 70% cocoa solids, but only a tenth of the sugar of the typical so-called chocolate bar.
Now nearly 20 years after we launched, we are as committed as ever to selling some of the finest chocolate in the world. As times change, the direction of the company has had to adapt and evolve and we are pleased to have recently launched a new chapter in our history by launching a brand new online store. We have listened to feedback from members and customers alike and believe the new website will be a considerable improvement on our past online stores, whether you are looking for a luxury chocolate gift, or for chocolate hampers, we hope we have something for all.
Over the coming months, we will be relaunching and improving our membership offering. We will be releasing details shortly.
One area where we are very keen to expand on is the number of small artisan chocolate bean to bar companies being featured here at The Chocolate Society. One such brand that we have recently started stocking is Mast Brothers Chocolate from Brooklyn, New York. We are currently stocking their full range of chocolate bars, such as the Madagascar chocolate bar, which was voted as one of the top ten chocolate bars in the world by The Times newspaper.
As a company we are looking to provide chocolate lovers with a unique experience online, and as such if you have any feedback on our website, or on what you would like to see from The Chocolate Society, please contact us, as we would love to hear from you.