So I hate Christmas....I mean I'm sorry but I really do and I never want to make the effort with any of it and just want iflt over ASAP.. ...I really am a Christmas grouchypants however with just a couple of days till the big day itself and only buying for my blind Mum who has advanced Parkinsons I knew I had to relent and make the effort cos she does with me and its only us x Because of her blindness and her having bad tremors I feel very limited on what I can buy for obvious reasons and I think I hate Christmas because I never feel like I've bought her stuff that she wants or needs or above all can use....I.E books... dvds are out.....she cant drink alcohol due to meds.....she cant unscrew tops or press aerosols so no body sprays or nice perfumes and she cant put jewellery on...even a nice mug is out of the question as she uses a beaker with a lid and so on x I went down a practical route.....lots of nice pjs that all fit nicely...she wanted a new ightweight quilt as hers is too heavy for her but then I felt my gifts were just too practical and there was nothing just....I dont know indulgent and personal for her x The one thing my Mum does have is a serious love of chocolate....she loses alot of weight and muscle often due to her Parkinsons so she can afford to eat it I guess but she can really put chocolate away... where as me I can take or leave it and its not a thing I'm crazy about or that I have a favourite brand or flavour or anything like that.....I can go months without not eating the stuff lol x My Mums everyday chocolate is Cadburys milk chocolate just the plain one which i buy her often and then usually as gifts I buy Thorntons which she really likes but I wanted to get her something different x I lived in London for a while back years ago and I remember going past a Hotel Chocolat store.....posh as hell and known to be expensive where people went with money....I am going back a very long time ago by the way but I looked just for a nice box of chocolates on here and up these popped x Initially I thought wow theyre expensive....like almost 27 pounds a box and I think there's 30 chocolates in there....so whats that....about 90p a chocolate or something like that? Im thinking Mum loves her large bars of Cadbury milk chocolate at £1.25 a bar and at that point I'm thinking of spending the money on a load of them instead of a one tiered box of chocolates.... However Im mighty glad I didnt do that and yes I did buy a couple of bars of Cadburys for her too lol x So to start off lets talk about the lovely quality box....it sounds silly but it has a lovely feel to it and the lid comes off and on easily....I notice this like that due to having a blind parent x Now the photo I took is of the back of the box where at a glance it shows you a photo of each chocolate and the names of each one and gives a description of each as well x On that photo on the right hand bottom of it I put the carrot cake chocolate on to show and it looks exactly the same as the photo on the box and very similar size too! Then inside the box you get a lovely 'menu' on a folded card again telling you whats inside the box and a paper covering the chocolates with the branding on and underneath that....the most beautiful chocolates are laid x Most there are two of......a couple there are only one of....they're like the really special ones.land the jewel in the crown if you like! All look beautifully perfect and are of really good size not being too small but each one is deeply rich in flavour and not too big and/or sickly x They just are so beautifully crafted and decadent! The chocolate is smooth and rich and glossy....creamy and not overly sweet ...mainly milk chocolate with a couple of dark and a couple white in there too x All of the chocolates are smooth and not too thick but not flimsy either x There are no hard centres or chewy chocolates in this particular box that we saw or ate and just a couple of chocolates with alcohol in them.....one contained champagne and there was two of them ones and another was cherry kirsch and again there was a couple of those and my Mum doesn't usually like chocolate with alcohol in them or chocolate with fruity flavours but she told me one contained champagne and that it was strong and she joked that she felt tipsy but the cherry kirsch one was her favourite and I was shocked by that revelation being an alcoholal and fruit combo lol x There is a real diversity in this box x We liked the mix of chocolate types...Mum even liked the dark and white chocolates when she only ever usually enjoys milk x She loved the fact there was a couple of biscuit kinda chocolates in there like a macaroon and I love the caramel cheesecake and the carrot cake one.....tlremeber Im not your usual lover of chocolate but I am aconvert for these and I think I had 3 in total as I really didnt want to eat Mums present but these really are something else and it was hard not indulge in more as theyre utterly delicious! These simply put are stunning in every way with no complaints at all x Everything about them is simply beautiful from the packaging to the beauty of them and the size of them....the flavours being so wonderfully balanced and just the overall taste and quality of them x Mum even though she can eat alot of chocolate usually really rationed herself with these and felt she couldn't eat more than a couple in one sitting due to the richness of them x She also said the difference with these to any other chocolate she usually eats is that the flavour in your mouth stays for ages after eating one which is something I agree with and she insisted on total quiet whilst she nibbled away at one and said it made it more enjoyable....again something I agree with....you really do need peace and tranquility to savour them properly lol x Overall..... Well like I say I think these are fabulous in every way....a real indulgent treat and a great gift for a real chocolate fan/lover x Now I personally think they make a beautiful gift and I felt they were worth every penny I paid for them and would buy them again and in fact I will for my Mum x However....my Mum felt they were the nicest chocolates she probably ever had and thoroughly enjoyed them but after I asked her opinion of them based on what I paid even though she wasn't cross with me she still felt I spent too much on chocolate when you think I paid almost 30 quid and what you could buy with that....shes thinking money here shes old shool lol x She did request in the future I buy Thortons and not these as you can get a big box for a tenner on offer in supermarkets tho I think with the cost of living on the rise weekly theyre probably not a tenner anymore lol x My Mum did feel these chocolates were far superior in every way to the many Thortons chocolates shes had over the years and she felt Hotel Chocolat is very superior to Thortons....and again I have to agree! x The bottom line here is my Mum is late 70s and she thinks they're overpriced....I dont and I think they're an impressive gift to give someone and its nice to give a gift that isnt always practical all the time to people x I wouldnt hesitate in buying them again and I certainly shall x There are different boxes like the boozy box....fruity box and just a dark choolate box and so on.....the only issue is once people try these....every other chocolate may not hit the spot anymore lol x They are highly recommended by us and like I've said a fabulous treat for chocolate lovers who know they're stuff! 100/10 by miles....well done Hotel Chocolat!
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The presentation on all the the Hotel Chocolates is amazing! We have a family member that loves 'boozy' truffles and was made up when we bought him these. They taste great and are by far one of the best quality chocolates on the market. For the price you get alot of individual chocolates. Great value for money, great for gifting or if you just want to treat yourself.
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These chocolate’s where absolutely superb, will definitely be buying more next year! Taste ,quality ,variety and quality fantastic. Although price is a little expensive it is definitely true, you only get what you pay for!!
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Excellent chocolates. Good selection of different flavours. We ordered some of these before Christmas direct from Hotel Chocolat. This is the same product but at a lower price. Recommend.
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I bought these chocolates for a birthday gift. I was so embarrassed when my sister opened them to share around, and the chocolates had a white coating as though they were out of date. There is only a month left on the best before date (which should be mentioned in the description); however, the chocolates already looked as though they were past their sell by date. No one fancied trying one and I couldn’t apologise more. I’m really not happy about this.
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Excellent chocolates
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As usual, these chocolates were great quality and a good selection for after Christmas / New Year meals. Who needs petits fours when you have these? We prefer ours kept in the fridge (yes, I know this is not always best for chocolate but these never hang around for long anyway) and whilst some fillings seem more boozy than others, they are all very tasty.
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Gorgeous chocolates, as usual with a long date, so definitely not a rip off! Who can resist these wonderful chocolates at that fantastic price? DEFINITELY NOT ME!!
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Praline di LIVELLO SUPERIORE - da HOTEL 5 stelle*****
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