Introducing Artisan Chocolatier Matthieu de Gottal
Last December Matthieu de Gottal brought his chocolate truffles to Oxted, Surrey - and they were exceptionally well received at the town's premier Chocolate Fair. Matthieu will return to Oxted again next weekend, along with many other great chocolatiers, for a weekend of chocolate at Oxted School.
Chocolate has always been at the heart of Matthieu de Gottal’'s life. Born in Belgium, renowned chocolatier Matthieu had his first experience baking with cocoa at the age of four. Over the years he has refined his skill and is now one of the UK's top artisan chocolate producers.
Matthieu makes a range of truffles and chocolate bars, with his signature truffles being alcohol infused - using the finest whisky from Scotland, Wales, Japan, India and Sweden. Matthieu also infuses with gin, rum and beer.
Combined with bespoke mixtures of spices and herbs, the Matthieu de Gottal range varies in flavour and complexity, as well as different levels of intensity ranging from mild to strong.
With a diploma in Hotel & Catering Management from Glion in Switzerland, Matthieu has a rich culinary pedigree. He has worked in remarkable restaurants and hotels across the world. Now based in The Cotswolds, his passion for chocolate is infectious and, utilising his creativity and relentless attention to detail, Matthieu produces world-class truffles from his Nailsworth Laboratory.
"I love the extraordinary layers of flavours within chocolate. With chocolate you can grasp feelings that you can't with any other food - pure ecstasy! I love chocolate's un-forgiveness, its complexity and need for love and respect. If you try to take a shortcut when cooking it, it will punish you for it. I truly feel a real connection with it.
With all of my truffles I want to satisfy my customers five senses. Not only is the feel and look of each chocolate truly unique but also each aroma, the distinctive snap each chocolate makes with the first bite and obviously the taste. I ensure that I only use the best possible ingredients to create a distinctive flavour that everyone can enjoy."
Each Matthieu de Gottal truffle is hand crafted. The truffles are prepared in batches of 250 to ensure complete control over the emulsion. Overall it takes four days to complete the truffle making process.
Matthieu uses the finest Bean To Bar Single Origin Chocolate. Ethically sourced from Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico and Madagascar, using Bean to Bar chocolate ensures cacao beans are traded fairly.
By paying more than average for good quality couverture, Matthieu guarantees that not only that the quality is the absolute best but also that the farmer receives financial reward, helping support sustainability for the cocoa industry.
For more information visit www.matthieudegottal.com