As of 26 October, shoppers will be able to refuel and get their cacao kicks at a new Hotel Chocolat Café.
The luxury chocolatier, whose factory is based in Royston, has applied the same level of precision and authenticity to their coffees as their expertly created chocolate. Choose from the perfect flat white and loose leaf teas to the best drinking chocolate served in ritualistic ceramic cups reminiscent of cacao pods.
The 40-seat café can be found in Lion Yard and, as expected, the drinking chocolate menu is extensive, with choices ranging from the creamiest milk through to a serious cocoa barista 100%. At the bar, watch servers dip into pots of silky-smooth salted caramel or chilli hot chocolate, then indulge with a squirt of ‘Chocolate Whip’ on top.
And because no hot drink is complete without a bite on the side, there is an array of brownies, nut and quinoa bars and Cocoa Nib Beef Jerky. Keep an eye out for chocolate events and classes, and the walls are lined with exciting new Hotel Chocolat products to take home, too.
“As a local resident I’ve always felt that Cambridge needed a more luxurious café,” says CEO Angus Thirlwell. “Somewhere that offers a sense of escapism the moment you step inside. We’ve been working on our menu and perfecting the designs for a long time, and we feel we’ve really achieved something special.”
At the launch, which took place on Thursday 22 October, Angus highlighted the similarities between the cocoa bean and coffee bean, saying: “They grow next to each other, have similar flavour notes – they’re a perfect love match.
“How crazy is it that a drink as energising as chocolate has become something we have before bed? It should soothe you, make you feel happy and play a part in orchestrating your day.”
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