Chocolate Wizard Selection

David Craggs is a 15 year old from Southport with his own chocolate making business. When he sent me these samples, he specifically asked for the chocolates to be judged on their merits alone, rather than because of his age.

Of course I’ll be doing that, but I do think David’s story is interesting. I’m always excited to hear about new people starting out in the industry, and the fact that David chose to start a chocolate business at the age of 13 as part of a schools enterprise scheme – and the fact that he’s still going – is really encouraging.

As you can see, the chocolates arrived a little scuffed up, primarily due to being packed loose in plastic bags, but that’s often the case with chocolates like this. It’s a minor cosmetic issue, but to maintain the best quality while passing through the hands of the Royal Mail, I think simple boxes would really help. (Note, these are available in boxes on the website, but they’re a little more expensive.)

The chocolates are all moulded and come in various designs, from hearts to cups, and are perhaps a little old-fashioned looking, particularly when compared with the likes of the Charlotte Flower chocolates I reviewed last week (another sole trader, whose chocolates are simply designed yet elegant and sophisticated).

But David is clearly going for a different market here. These are fun little treats or a simple gift for a family member rather than a fashion statement.

The flavours are interesting and for the most part well chosen, although for my tastes they are a little sweet. That probably means they’ll go down very well with a more mainstream audience.

For me, I’d like to see a little more attention to presentation and more dark simple, dark chocolates. And I’d really like to see more people like David getting into the industry.

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