Chocolate Week 2015: 5 Places To Enjoy a Chocolate Treat

In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s Chocolate Week, so get ready to be covered, coated, dipped and drizzled in an array of events celebrating everyone’s favourite sweet treat, says Emily Oldfield…

If you’re tired of picking through the leftovers in a box of Celebrations, if you’ve had enough of ordinary milk chocolate, or if your favourite chocolate just isn’t helping you work, rest and play any more, why not ignore the stuff on display in the corner shop and treat yourself to something a bit special. Go on, surprise yourself and get those taste buds going!

1. Bonbon Chocolate Boutique

The home of stilton and caramel chocolate. Need we say more? This quirky Northern Quarter chocolatier is pulling out all the stops to celebrate chocolate week. Get there fast to take advantage of their limited edition chocolate treats for this week including packages containing gluten-free brownies, hand-crafted bonbons and macarons. Their flavour combinations are spellbinding. Anybody for raw chocolate with cayenne and geranium? To add to the magic, their Halloween collection is also available, with Madame Bonbon Sharon crafting 4 flavours of special chocolate skulls: Lemon & Cocoa Nib, Aztec Spice, Mexican Spice and Geranium & Spice flavour.

9 John Street, Manchester M4 1EQ

2. Eighth Day

Close to the main university campus on Oxford Road, Eighth Day – a vegetarian co-operative – should not be overlooked when it comes to interesting chocolate choices! They stock a range of vegetarian, vegan, organic and fairly traded treats. Especially interesting is their Tree Frog dark chocolate with chipotle chilli, which has a Scoville (spiciness/chilli pungency) rating of 60,000 and is dairy free. Dare you try it?

111 Oxford Road, Manchester M1 7DU.

3. Proper Tea

Home of the flourless chocolate cake. A beautiful tearooms just beside Manchester cathedral, Propertea has been showing that chocolate is so delightful in a cake, you don’t even need the other ingredients! Their flourless mix is the ultimate sweet treat.

10 Cateaton St, Manchester M3 1SQ

4. Slattery

Bringing you the ultimate Chocolate Challenge. Slattery is a renowned chocolatier and patissier in Whitefield, so a little way out of Manchester centre – but even just to witness the Chocolate Challenge is worth the journey! It’s a pay-to-enter competition, but those who try it face not only quantity but quality – a huge chunk of chocolate fudge cake with ice cream, fresh cream, two liquid chocolate pots and all topped-off with a big glass of hot chocolate. Sounds straightforward? Why not give it a try? Those who finish not only get a medal but receive (yes, you guessed it) even more chocolate!

197 Bury New Rd, Whitefield, Manchester M45 6GE

5. Cocoa Cabana

Anyone for chocolate stilettos? Cocoa Cabana is a West Didsbury chocolatier recognised by industry experts including The Guild of Fine Foods. It’s their design work which is the most exciting, including stilettos and handbags carefully crafted from luxury chocolate.

128 Burton Road, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 1JQ

The UK’s biggest chocolate celebration runs October 12-18 2015