Hotel Chocolat Heart Strings
The final Valentine’s offering from Hotel Chocolat this year, and I’ve saved the best… well, the biggest at least… for last.
I had no idea what was in this giant, pink, 700g box, and I deliberately avoided looking at the description on the back so it would be a nice surprise. The bright pink box is laced up like a bodice, meaning rather than just ripping it open, you have to… undress it.
Once you’ve “tugged at the Heart Strings” (as Hotel Chocolat puts it), the box opens and you’re presented with this:
A rather large solid milk chocolate heart… with lots of pink bits. The Hotel Chocolat web site describes it as:
“A heady blend of love and chocolate in a daringly flirtatious, ribbon-tied corset. Just tug the heartstrings and slowly reveal a striking milk chocolate heart swirled with fruity two-tone strawberry chocolate. Pressed with luscious kirsch truffles and pralines, crunchy strawberry shortbread, chopped hazelnuts and crushed meringue pieces.”
Yup. That sounds about right…
Unfortunately, and somewhat typically, my heart was broken in two. I’m not sure how or when it got broken, as it was well packaged, but that could be a bit of an issue – and it did spoil the wow factor a little. But not much.
The important thing is how it tastes, and I can sum that up in one word: divine.
I simply love the strawberry chocolate (a mixture of chocolate and freeze dried strawberries). The aroma and flavour are chocolatey and fruity and incredibly moreish.
But the best part of Heart Strings is that you never know quite what flavours you’re going to get. Because it’s impossible to break off a piece accurately, you always get a slightly different combination of milk chocolate, straberry, meringue or truffle. So even a slab of this size never gets boring.
If you really want to make an impact this Valentine’s day, then I would absolutely recommend this. But if you can, I would also consider buying it from a physical Hotel Chocolat shop, rather than online if you want to make absolutely sure that your heart doesn’t get broken in the post.
Posted by Dom on 06 Feb 2009 at 10:02 AM
| 8 Comments
Filed in Reviews under hotel chocolat, milk, strawberry, UK, valentines
February 6, 2009 : 12:41pm
Broken or not, this is a truly wonderful Valentine’s gift. I don’t care if He loves me, as long as He gets me one of these :)
(By the way, I’m not sure who said: Forget love, I’d rather fall in chocolate – but whoever it was, it’s quite right!)
February 6, 2009 : 1:34pm
Dom – mine was also broken by the bloody postie! Colour me not impressed! I definitely think people should take your advice and buy it from the physical store!
Jim
February 6, 2009 : 1:49pm
Maggie: I don’t know… I think some people might question how you really felt if you gave them a broken heart.
Jim: I think perhaps HC need to rethink how they send these big slabs of chocolate out… they look well packed, but clearly it’s not enough for a solid chunk that big.
February 6, 2009 : 3:40pm
Dom –> I’m notorious for my emotional chill anyway, so they probably wouldn’t take it personally ;)
Still, I took your advice and I just bought one in an actual store. Just in case.
February 6, 2009 : 3:45pm
Hi,
Just to say, if your chocolate comes in broken you are entitled to call HC costumer services, it is good to let them know and I believe they would offer compensation. They do offer very good costumer service in general!
February 8, 2009 : 7:40am
Wow wow wow, I’m impressed regardless of whether it arrives in one piece or two….. Surely Hotel Chocolat could do with a review from an eager Aussie chocaholic, hint hint? :)
February 12, 2009 : 7:39am
That really is incredibly pretty. Nice to hear the taste is great as well. Yes, Kath would be an excellent reviewer and I’d be happy to help with any tasting involved….
February 15, 2009 : 1:12am
I have tried this and can officially confirm that it is indeed delicious!
xx