Yesterday while I was spending the weekend in London I jumped in at the Selfridges Food department in Oxford St., where to my surprise I ran into a pile of Amedei bars! While a had planned to go for a chocolate tour listed with shops like Rococo, Hotel du Chocolat and others, I wasn’t expecting to find world’s best chocolate right here exactly! My London basket within minutes became definitely one of my most expensive ones ever, but happiness is priceless 
From Amedei I bought the big black “I Cru Collection” box, containing 36 origin napolitan tasting squares from Madagascar, Trinidad, Ecuador, Grenada, Jamaica, Venezuela.I couldn’t resist buying 2 of the Porcelana bars, and buy the Porcelana napolitan box on top, were it for the beautiful packaging design along. Also the napolitan Chuao box had to be bought, though sadly Selfridges didn’t had the bar version. Getting into the ’shopping’ I eventually even was to weak to resist stocking a milk bar and white bar from the La Tavoletta series, on percentages of cacao which I had left aside since long to date And as an dessert I eventually also bought a Toscano Red, fruited bar.
From the same shelves I equally collected some long sought new Valrhona series (Caraïbe, Abinao and Jivara), with a very attractive new pack design. From the UK chocolate scene I also had the chance to collect and discover the Green & Black’s organic dark bar and get hands on the Venezuelan Black brand, aimed more at kitchen use, from which I bought the Rio Caribe and Caranero Superior.
Well, I huge pile of exquisite acquisitions to discover here, and I won’t reveal how much cash I pleasantly burnt, but the aim is to prepare a small intimate event for which one these bars certainly spawn lots of fun on our palates. I’ll post tasty reviews of the London bars soon for sure!
I just stumbled onto your blog while searching out information on Salon Du Chocolate. And what a delightful stumble!!
That shopping trip is my idea of heaven. My hubbie bought me the big black box of Amedei last year for my birthday … and a year later I still have not storwn away the box. Divine stuff.
And now Abinao is on the top of my fav list at the moment
Now before I go and read the archived posts, can I ask you about Salon Du Chocolat? It’s the Professional version this year, so is it worth going to? I am thinking Chocolate Week or Salon Du Chocolate.
Thanks!
hi Gillian
Thx for sharing your enthusiasm!
Don’t let the chocolate wait to long too be savourated, it’s so much better when it’s fresh! I can tell for I made the same mistakes…
If you can, go for the Salon du Chocolat, it’s really fun and great alike to have so many passionate people on one floor offering so many great products. I went last year (http://www.choqoa.com/blog/2008/11/passion-20-in-paris-at-the-salon-du-chocolat/), and will probably go back this year too.
The Salon Professionel just runs simultaneously with the regular one but aims at a different audience. You can go for just one day, it’s big but you can easily handle it.
best regs!
No no I meant I ate the chocolate, but the packaging was so nice that I kept it!
I read your post about last year’s Salon and you have me booking my tix …. but I am not interested in the Professional one. And on their website I cannot see a list of exibitors for the regular one. Do you know who will be there this year and is it the same dates as the pro one? Thanks!
ah the box of course, Amedei’s packagings are gorgeous indeed. I’ve been told that fashion designers from Chanel actually designed those! I’m having almost all of the wrappings and boxes of the bars I ate, ever
You’ll find all the info for the regular Salon du Chocolat over here, and clicking on the letters wil help you explore the exhibitor list: http://www.salonduchocolat.fr/home.php?titre=1&id_code=3&cat=1&lettre=a
Ah merci … now why couldn’t I find it …