Kokova Magazine

Chocolate is getting into everything lately, especially with Easter and the Chocolate Festivals around the UK. So we were not surprised to see chocolate getting jiggy with the Baileys at the London Chocolate Festival - yet we were surprised to discover that is actually tasted so good.

But curried chocolate from the 'Fifth Dimension'? Does that really work?

For us, the discovery of Baileys Chocolat Luxe was a pleasant addition to our drinks cabinet. Made with the traditional Baileys recipe and 30 grams of real Belgian chocolate in each bottle, Baileys Chocolat Luxe has all the great taste of the highest quality chocolate with all the rich, creamy caramel tones of a traditional Baileys.

Pop a single chunk of ice into your glass and pour this delightfully decadent liqueur over the rock to create a little piece of chocolate heaven. Sit back, relax, enjoy!

5DChocolate took curious combinations to another level by adding to their flavours with Curry Pistachio, along with Parsnip & Lime, Wholegrain Mustard, Basil & Lime and Ginger Caramel.

Curry and chocolate was probably one of the most diverse flavours we encountered throughout the event but surprisingly our curry lover didn't think this was odd and happily munched the selection we were given. Personally I preferred the Honey-Glazed Peanut Chocwich - marshmallow gently sandwiched between two thin discs of chocolate; light bite-sized and peanut buttery all the way through.

With many chocolatiers exploring some curious combinations it is interesting to see which ones really work and which push the boundaries of taste completely over the edge.

The Chocolatier, Aneesh Popat delivered his truly wonderful creations to an ever present audience of visitors, and his stall was by far one of the most popular of the day.

Lucy Wager found the perfect showcase for her Pudology puds, which are dairy- and gluten-free but bursting with flavour.

"We are a family of dessert loving foodies on a mission to make delicious desserts that just happen to be dairy free & gluten free, that everyone can enjoy. Creator and dessert maker Lucy was diagnosed with a dairy and egg intolerance in 2010 and realised there were very few tasty treats for people like her, so she took to the kitchen and started creating."

Pudology

If you are following a free-from diet and despair at finding a pudding that is dairy- & gluten-free but actually has a distinctive 'real' flavour then Lucy has created this range for you. Banoffee Pud never tasted so good and knowing it was not full of naughty ingredients that were going to cause issues later certainly added to our delight. Spot on for flavour, consistency and texture - if you only try one then make this it.

It was a real pleasure to see Damian Allsop at the festival and join his masterclass demonstration. With his never-ending passion for flavour and desire to share the journey of taste within each bite, Damian conveys his knowledge and discovery of chocolate well with his audience and remains a firm favourite.

The London edition of The Chocolate Festival opened its doors from the 11th - 13th April and we were there to see how well this free South Bank show converted through to a paying event at its new location, the Business Design Centre in Islington.

With any popular event it is always a challenge to move venue and change that which is already established, and The Chocolate Festival was not without complaint from a portion of those exhibiting and visiting. But if you give it a little time and the organisers listen to the comments feeding back we can see no reason why next year's shows should not profit and grow.

A little more time on promotion and organisation will go a long way to rectifying any grumbles that the venue move encountered. Next year we would hope to see more exhibitors at the events and a flat rate entry fee to include the organised demonstrations and master-classes, with them being offered on a first come, first served basis.

For more details visit www.festivalchocolate.co.uk