100% Madagascan chocolate was described by one Hello Chocolate customer as ‘like chewing paracetamol’. But Gill Lyth, founder of the Dunfermline chocolate company, doesn’t sell the most bitter of all chocolates – she just uses it for her tasting events. She explains: ‘During our chocolate experience events we taste chocolate from around the world, from countries like Tanzania & Ecuador and, despite its bitterness, some customers actually like the 100% Madagascan.’
Her hand made chocolates feel like they have a healing effect they taste so good – unlike the 100% Madagascan. Gleneagles, the 5 star hotel agrees because their shop has just agreed to stock her chocolates. And who knows? Perhaps Tiger Woods and the Ryder Cup teams may be seduced by the Dunfermline confections in 2014.
Tasting her chocolates is one thing but you can enjoy a more sensory experience by learning how to make them yourself at her Chocolate Craft workshops. Depending on which class you choose you could take home a pretty box of 16 truffles that you have made or four artfully decorated cupcakes. Particularly appealing, and reminiscent of childhood art projects, is the chance to blow up a balloon, smother it in chocolate and then burst the balloon. Gill says, ‘It’s amazing what how much people achieve, the wonderful decorations that are created for the top of the cupcakes. Until they come along to the class most of them haven’t even picked up a piping bag.’
Above, Gill Lyth demonstrating piping at one of her events, and below, a customer’s decoration for a cupcake.
Below, the cast of chocolate made using a balloon.
The business is a family concern run from home but that has led to a few Willy Wonka moments particularly when friends of their children, aged 6 and 4, first visited the house and didn’t realise the sea of chocolates was for the business. Gill credits the support of family and friends for the success to date. Her husband Stan does all the design, packaging, photography and the website – he’s currently working on a new website that can take online bookings for Hello Chocolate’s events.
Check out a great competition on Avocado Sweet tomorrow – two lovely prizes from Hello Chocolate to be won!
