Chocolate Heroes
#OnlyFortnums: Rose & Violet Creams and Champagne Truffles
INTRODUCING TWO OF OUR BEST-LOVED SWEET TREATS
There are few things in life more pleasure than very good chocolate, and we've been making heaps of the good - no, great - stuff for nearly a century.
Our in-house chocolate department was formally established in Piccadilly back in the 1920s when Mr William Pain, Fortnum’s famous chocolatier, began producing artisan chocolate using beans imported from Trinidad, Java and Venezuela.
In 1928, we even opened a chocolate factory on our 6th floor where fresh truffles were made each day.
In the 21st century, our dedication to exceptional chocolate continues and here, by way of proof, are two of our very finest contemporary chocolate favourites: Rose and Violet Creams, and Marc de Champagne Truffles.
Read on to find out a little more about how these wonderful creations come to life but be warned: mouths may water and tummies rumble in anticipation...
Our Rose & Violet Creams
Made entirely by hand, our signature Rose & Violet Cream chocolates have been lovingly mixed, poured and coated in the same way, to the same recipe, for decades. A Fortnum's team of master chocolatiers are the guardians of the secret instructions to producing these milk and dark chocolate miniature masterpieces.
Made from the very finest chocolate in a surprisingly small kitchen near Brighton, the creams are subtly flavoured with natural oils from flowers carefully grown and picked-by-hand, then hand-finished with candied petals.
The taste is wonderfully floral, and sweet without being too sweet. Hours of hard work goes into each box, and it shows - both in the taste and the flawless appearance, too.
Our Marc de Champagne Truffles
Much like our Rose & Violet Creams, the recipe for our famous truffles is a closely-guarded secret. If you've ever tasted one, you'll realise why we're quite so protective of it.
However, it's certainly no secret that there is a generous measure of Marc de Champagne and a serious shot of chocolate (in the form of a milk chocolate shell and a milk chocolate ganache inside) in each bite-sized truffle. One bite is enough to give the game away on that front.
A byproduct of the champagne-making process, Marc de Champagne is a colourless spirit, very similar to brandy, which is made by distilling the remainders of the champagne grapes after they have been pressed and made into Champagne. The distilling gives it a much higher alcohol content, ensuring that you can really taste it in every bite.
Made in England and individually dusted with icing sugar, our truffles are perhaps best summed up by the line on the inside of each truffle drum lid. Try for yourself, and see just how right we are.