Experiences with Christmas Chocolate
If you’re planning on gifting some craft chocolate this Christmas, how can you ensure your recipient appreciates and experiences your gift, rather than mindlessly scoffing it down faster than a snowball melts on an open fire? I’ve tried to answer that in this blog, with some suggestions of how you can share, communicate and experience your craft chocolate gifts this Christmas.
According to market research reports, around 20% of Brits consume chocolate daily. This rises dramatically with between 60-75% of Brits consuming chocolate weekly. By some measures we spend more on chocolate than books. Or music. And at any time there are more households with chocolate than loo paper (the explanation here is that while occasionally you may run short of loo paper, there are so many household staples with chocolate in them… bars, bonbons, biscuits, cakes, ice cream, etc … that it’s unlikely you’ll run out of all of these).
Yet most of the time this chocolate consumption isn’t that memorable or great – particularly at Christmas. Think about it. Try to think not just of the last time you had a chocolate bar, snack, drink, cake, etc. but the times before then. Few of us can. Indeed the same market research reports with the above stats struggles to account for when we Brits are consuming chocolate. They suggest two occasions. Firstly in front of the television or scrolling on the internet where the chocolate is often not shared, and not that memorable… it’s a pleasant hit, and comforting, scoffed. Secondly, chocolate is scoffed (wolfed down) as a guilty, personal treat (or pick me up) in the middle of the afternoon, at home, or in the office, school yard etc.
I’m delighted to see that Cocoa Runners subscribers are far better at answering when and how they savour their monthly boxes. More often than not, they savour and share with their partners or friends in the evening after the meal. And they do remember their favourite bars (and we are working on more ways to help you do this too).
A lot of chocolate will be gifted, and consumed, this holiday season.. But sadly all too often these seasonal gifts of chocolates are also quickly scoffed and gobbled. So we’d like to suggest another approach. Please see below for a few ways to share, savour and, hopefully create great holiday memories with craft chocolate:
- Spend some time with your (or anyone else’s) kids to make some great craft chocolate brownies, cup cakes, lollipops, bars and more with these activities. While you’re doing this, you can talk about chocolate, where it comes from and what you can taste – or the difference between what you taste before and after you’ve finished your creations. Far more memorable than yet another unwrapped, scoffed and discarded last minute stocking stuffer.
- For a geographic angle, check out our World Chocolate Puzzle Map to spend many fun hours. It’s again, a great opportunity to talk about where cocoa comes from, and think a bit more about the chocolate you’re enjoying.
- Impress everyone, and again have lots of fun, making a two ingredient chocolate mousse just with water… hat tip to Herve This, see here.
- Make some amazing drinking chocolate. It’s really not that hard – just follow these simple instructions here. The key is to choose some great craft chocolate (see here for options from Bare Bones, Chocolarder, Pump Street, Original Beans and ourselves), and be GENEROUS. Plus don’t boil the water or milk! Again, it’s not that hard to make great drinking chocolate – saucepans or a microwave can be used, and if you want to you can also use a milk frother / cocoatiser. And if you want some extra special “wow”, use a nano-foamer. Since the Aztecs and Olmecs, foam has been recognised as really lifting flavour (see here). It really does make a MASSIVE difference; I’ll be making some for my swimming buddies on Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day etc. – see my instagram for more and you’ll get testimonials from some brave cold water swimmers!
- Explain the difference between taste and flavour by using our flavour waves (see here) with a couple of bars… or with our Zoe Tasting kit here (and see here for the podcast). Again, it’s really easy. Get some (fresh) mint (or other herbs), smell it, then hold your nose as you pop the mint in your mouth and chew (but don’t let go of your nose). What sensations do you get? That’s taste (ie sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami and fatty). Then release your nose. That’s flavour. And then try the same routine with a square of chocolate. Try again with another chocolate – and use the flavour wave to start articulating and describing the waves of taste, texture and flavour. And don’t worry if different people detect different aromas and flavours… that’s part of the magic.
- Explore how different music can change your impression of craft chocolate – especially stone ground bars (see here for Taza) or some nibs bars (see here). Just savour a bar with family and friends, first without music and then play a 30-60 seconds of different music while you try another couple of bits of the chocolate. And see how it changes your impressions.
- … and if that doesn’t work, try to find some stubble, beard or some sandpaper and explore how stroking your finger against this while you savour some craft chocolate … and then stroke something smooth (note: you stroke the rough and smooth objects with your finger, not the chocolate!). If want to know why, see here
- Explore how some red and orange wines pair amazingly with (respectively) dark chocolates and dark milks… see here. And see here for whisky pairings too.
- If you really want to wake everyone up, pass around some 100% chocolate. And then explain how you can reduce their impressions of bitterness and astringency by chewing, and swallowing, a couple of coffee beans before trying another square of 100%. See here for some great 100%s and here for an explanation of astringency.
- Similarly, if conversation is flagging and you feel like reinvigorating it, why not crack open a few bars and kick off a round of trivia… here are a few suggestions on topics to kick of a few “interesting” conversations (see below for answers!)
- How many liters of water are involved in running a bath versus growing, and making a chocolate bar? (see here for the answer, or the blog for the cheat sheet)
- What’s the link between drinking chocolate, trembling hands, aristocratic french ladies and their boudoirs and the cup and saucer?
- How much of your recommended daily magnesium allowance can you get from 4-5 squares of craft chocolate (and if you want to really wow them, ask them which countries you should focus on … and why you need magnesium)
- What’s the link between Queen Victoria, Christmas Trees and Christmas Gift Boxes of chocolate
- Why Tony’s have done an AMAZING job of marketing… but we wish they’d do a bit better on how they pay the farmers
- What’s the real “scoop” with Belgian chocolate and the link to machine guns and baguettes filled with french fries, mayonnaise and/or ketchup (for this, you may be better coming to a tasting too)
Above all, have fun. Enjoy, share, savour, discover and help save the planet.
ANSWERS TO TRIVIA
How many liters of water are involved in running a bath versus growing, and making a chocolate bar?
1500-2000 (versus 50-70 for a bath) see here
What’s the link between drinking chocolate, trembling hands, aristocratic french ladies and their boudoirs and the cup and saucer?
Historians believe that the modern “cup and saucer” owes its origins to the habit of French aristocratic ladies to drink chocolate in bed, and to avoid spilling it on their bedclothes added a “trembleuse” or saucer. Note: Spanish historians argue that it was the combination of Spanish dances by chocolate drinking aristocrats that led to the same idea. See here
How much of your recommended daily magnesium allowance can you get from 4-5 squares of craft chocolate (and if you want to really wow them, ask them which countries you should focus on … and why you need magnesium)
15-25% .. see here for more, and which countries / origins to focus on
What’s the link between Queen Victoria, Christmas Trees and Christmas Gift Boxes of chocolate?
During the Boer War, Queen Victoria “persuaded” (aka ordered) the Quaker, Pacifist firms of Frys and Cadbury’s to gift boxes of chocolate to the soldiers fighting in South Africa; despite their pacifist beleifs eventually (after much prevarication), complied. And the tradition spread – see here for more
Why Tony’s have done an AMAZING job of marketing… but we wish they’d do a bit better on how they pay the farmers
Tony’s has done a great job of raising the issue of child labour; it’s a shame that they are STILL working with cocoa farms using child labour, and still barely paying more than “Big Chocolate” does to West African Cocoa Farmers. And they are conspicuously silent on the primary ingredient in the majority of their bars – ie sugar – which has a squally “problematic” supply chain. See here for more .. and it’d be great to see them “walk the talk” with more transparency, and more pay to their farmers
What’s the real “scoop” with Belgian chocolate and the link to machine guns and baguettes filled with french fries, mayonnaise and/or ketchup (for this, you may be better coming to a tasting too)
BELGIUM played a key role in creating the equivalent of “ready meals” for chocolate via the inventions of couverture (by Callebault) and praline cases (. Effectively these making it far easier for anyone to make chocolate bars, bons, bons, etc. by removing the need for turning “beans” into “chocolate” in their factories. See here.
Sources and further reading
NielsenIQ – Indulging in delight: A look at chocolate consumption trends in the U.K. (2023)
https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/education/2023/indulging-in-delight-a-look-at-chocolate-consumption-trends-in-the-u-k/
Mintel – UK Chocolate Confectionery Market Report 2024
https://store.mintel.com/report/uk-chocolate-confectionery-market-report-2024
Mintel – Which country eats the most chocolate?
https://www.mintel.com/insights/food-and-drink/which-countries-eat-most-chocolate/
Convenience Store – Five things you need to know about chocolate confectionery
https://www.conveniencestore.co.uk/products-in-depth/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-chocolate-confectionery/689512.article
BakeryInfo – UK’s chocolate consumption habits revealed
https://bakeryinfo.co.uk/finished-goods/uks-chocolate-consumption-habits-revealed/618758.article
Workplace Journal – UK office workers spend £57m a week on chocolate – Virgin Media O2 (June 2025)
https://workplacejournal.co.uk/2025/06/uk-office-workers-spend-57m-a-week-on-chocolate-virgin-media-o2/
Grand View Research – UK Chocolate Market Size & Outlook 2025–2033
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/horizon/outlook/chocolate-market/uk
