Caldey Island Chocolate

Posted by in Chocolate Reviews on September 10 2007 | Leave A Comment

Caldey Island Chocolate

As any regular reader will no doubt be aware, I always try and keep an eye out for unusual or different types of chocolate when I’m on my travels. I’m proud to continue this tradition by reviewing this bar of milk chocolate from . . . Wales.

Yes, Caldey Island chocolate is made in the Monastery on Caldey Island.

Unfortunately I didn’t actually go to the monastery. This bar was bought from the gift shop at the Welsh Parliament building in Cardiff. As you can see from the photos, it comes in a pleasant enough gold and brown coloured paper sleeve, with a rather interesting and very decorative foil wrapper around the actual bar itself.

Caldey Island Chocolate

The rear of the wrapper promises a minimum of 32% cocoa and 24% milk solids, so I was anticipating a good, creamy milk chocolate. I was not disappointed. Upon opening the wrapper, I was immediately impressed with the smell of the chocolate.

Caldey Island Chocolate

As you can see, it comes stamped ‘Caldey’ on each square, mimicking a lot of the Belgian bars I’m so fond of. The chocolate itself is slightly sweeter than my normal ‘tipple’ but it is indeed very creamy, melts beautifully and delivers a taste not entirely dissimilar to a Galaxy chocolate.

I don’t suppose the monks of Caldey Island make huge quantities of chocolate, and nor do I imagine that this is widely available (even in Wales) but I would recommend it to anyone who happens to spy a bar while visiting Wales.

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Comments On This Post

  1. Bloody hell Simon you sure do get around a bit. Italian chocolate pasta, Lindt bars from Europe, Guiness stuff from Ireland…wherever next?

  2. Simon

    Oh, I have few surprises left up my (somewhat sticky) sleeve. . .

  3. raine

    hi guys, i started reading your blog just last week and it is addictive.:-) anyway, i noticed that you have never reviewed japanese chocolates. meiji and lotte are the big brands i think, i just don’t know if you can get them in the uk. just a thought.

  4. I’ve got a huge bunch of Japanese reviews on my website.

  5. raine

    terry, checking out your japanese reviews…adding your web site to my usual fare too. thanks.

  6. Mary

    YOU CAN BUY DELICIOUS CALDEY ISLAND CHOCOLATE ON-LINE http://www.caldey-island.co.uk

  7. Steve Olding

    Indeed the chocolate is delicious, however,on a recent trip to Caldey Chocolate factory I could not see any Monks actually making the chocolate, but instead a few ladies and a very young man, still, considering the trade descriptions act, it is made on the island but whether the chocolate is made by the monks at some time is perhaps another matter to be confirmed.

  8. Caldey Muffett

    Hi, I am across your blog and thought it was very interesting that Caldey had reached a blog. I have a strong connection with the island and can confirm that they do make they chocolate. Monks have very tight timetables to stick to, including prays at 3.30 am, therefor cannot be expected to run everything 24/7! It is amazing tho isn’t it, and just goes to show its not all about the big industrial places 😉

  9. Caldey island Worker

    Just to let you all know that i work in the chocolate factory in caldey. Sorry to disappoint but the chocolate isn’t made by the monks on caldey however it is made by myself and my boss who is actually a resident on caldey island. The chocolate is widely available on caldey and online and in select stores throughout the country. We also produce fudge that is exclusively available on caldey. I hope this clears things up a bit 🙂

  10. Caldey island Worker

    P.S. It is also nice to see that we are actually getting reviews on the chocolate aswell.

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