The DOMVS Almanac_issue #1_Winter 2020

Top of the Chocs
Move over, Willy Wonka, Chococo’s in town
Born here in Dorset back in December 2002, Chococo
is an independent artisan chocolate company crafting
all our chocolates by hand in small batches. When we
started, it was just me - Claire - and my husband Andy
with a two-year old toddler in tow. We made all our
chocolates fresh by hand in a tiny ground floor kitchen
(which we had converted from a hairdressers) in an alley
in the heart of Swanage.
I was passionate about
only working with fine,
single origin chocolate
of known provenance,
about using fresh local
and seasonal ingredients,
and about not using any
additives or preservatives,
as they adulterate the
purity of the flavours.
Our equally tiny shop was
upstairs (how bonkers was
that?!) and we were only
open three afternoons
a week. Today, we have
a production unit in
Wareham, four Chocolate
Houses in Swanage,
Winchester, Exeter and
Horsham, and an online,
nationwide mail order
service. We are still
making and packing all
our chocolates by hand,
however, just with more
people to help!
In all our locations we
employ a wonderful team
who are all passionate
about spreading the word
about our world of fine chocolate. We are still potty
about all the same things we were back in 2002; we now
work with a wide variety of single origin chocolates from
Madagascar, Colombia and Venezuela especially, we still
love working with local ingredients, and we still don’t use
preservatives, so when we say our chocolates are made
fresh, we mean it! We have won 98 national and
international fine food awards to date and were humbled
at the 2019 Dorset Food & Drink Awards to be awarded
Dorset Food Hero for our contribution to promoting all
things Dorset and working with so many fellow local
producers over the years.
We also now make our own gelato and have a bakery
opposite our original
chocolate house in
Swanage, which supplies
the cafes in all our
chocolate houses. The
next time you visit
Swanage for a walk on
our glorious beach or
along the coast path
from Durlston Country
Park, why not pop in
for a restorative hot
chocolate and one of our
award-winning gelatos or
brownies?
lactose or vegan by choice.
As you might expect,
we offer a selection
of Christmas-themed
chocolate gifts, with
something for all the
family, from small, fun
stocking fillers to giant
hampers to share, all
in 100% recyclable,
recycled or compostable
packaging. If you didn’t
know, dark chocolate
is also naturally veganfriendly,
and we offer
many gifts suitable for
anyone intolerant to
In these strange Covid times, we hope to lift your spirits
with our delicious, fine, fresh chocolates, which are
available from our Chocolate Houses, open seven days a
week, and online at chococo.co.uk (during UK lockdown,
visit our website for Chocolate House opening hours).
Tantalise your taste buds and enjoy your very own
Chococo treats at home with our Chococo recipes.
Created by Co-Founder Claire, this Salted Caramel Hot
Chocolate and showstopping Chocolate Ganache Cake
(overleaf) are sure to keep the whole family happy this
winter.
Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
Serves one.
Ingredients:
• 250ml milk, whole or semi-skimmed
• 25g good quality 70% dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 tsp dulce de leche caramel
• 1/10 tsp crushed sea salt (or a large pinch)
Optional to serve:
• 2 tbsp whipping cream
• Flaked dark chocolate
1. Claire recommends whisking a small amount of fresh
whipping cream by hand to soft peaks rather than using
canned cream, but you can use that sort of cream if you
want.
2. To flake the chocolate, run a knife along the back of
the rest of the bar of chocolate in short sharp motions
to create simple flakes.
3. For the hot chocolate itself, put the chopped chocolate
and two tbsp of the milk into a small, heavy-based pan
and warm gently to melt the chocolate into the milk.
4. Use a small balloon whisk to stir this mixture into a
smooth paste and, once the chocolate has all melted,
add the rest of the milk, the caramel and salt.
5. Keep whisking the mixture to help melt the caramel.
The moment it starts to boil, remove from the heat and
whisk vigorously to make a foam.
If you are going to top your hot chocolate with cream
and flaked chocolate, prepare these first.
6. Pour your foaming hot chocolate into your mug, top
with cream and chocolate flakes, and enjoy!
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