Reviewed by Colin Hewitt
That special day of the year is fast approaching again, and it’s so difficult to conjure up an original idea for a gift. However, being the Land of Our Fathers, it seems quite appropriate gifting a selection of Welsh chocolate for Father’s Day.
You might be reading this and think, hold on, chocolate as a present is hardly an original idea. For Dad’s, it’s almost up there with a chamois leather and a car valeting kit. But once you taste this magnificent selection from Wickedly Welsh Chocolate, you will see that chocolate from an artisan producer is a world apart from something picked up from a high street chain or supermarket.
I’ve commented on a few reviews over the years that I love discovering new companies, and I hadn’t come across Wickedly Welsh Chocolate, prior to being sent this hamper. They’re a family run business, based in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Not only do they produce a fantastic range of chocolates, they obviously care about the environment as well. On their website, they state that as many of their ingredients as possible are sourced locally. Their packaging is kept to a minimum and is eco-friendly, and the chocolate they use is from a sustainable source.
This is all well and good and highly commendable, but what does the chocolate actually taste like? Well, that’s very easy to answer. Absolutely delicious!
True to their word about minimal packaging, the hamper (prettily adorned with a Red Wickedly Welsh Happy Father’s Day ribbon), was cleverly packaged; hardly a millimetre of space is wasted.
The pack contained 3 different slabs of chocolate. Two milk and dark chocolate love spoons, and a pair of individual chocolates in a small presentation box.
Looking at, and tasting the contents a little closer:-
Welsh Sea Salt and Caramel (90g) A subtle caramel flavour, with a lovely smack of Halen Mon Sea Salt, the combination of ingredients was particularly flavoursome.
Moreish Milk Chocolate (95g). Proudly embossed with a Welsh Dragon and the words Rwyn Cymru (I Love Wales). This is a beautifully smooth melt in the mouth milk chocolate.
Coffee and Biscuit – Devilishly Dark Chocolate (90g). One of the things that really surprised me about this (and I really know it shouldn’t) is that this actually tasted of coffee. Not a synthetic representation of coffee like a good deal of other coffee flavoured products. The real ground coffee together with the crunchy texture of the biscuits made this my favourite. Prior to tasting, I suspected the Sea Salt and Caramel would have won my personal taste test, but this one just edged it by a very narrow margin.
Chocolate love spoons, the Welsh symbol of love. These were exactly what was said on the packaging. Each 40g bag contains one dark and one milk chocolate spoon. Again, deliciously smooth chocolate. I found the dark chocolate particularly tasty.
The two individual chocolates were a Dark Praline Dragon and a Milk Ganache – both delectable.
I’m very pleased to report that the quality of this chocolate is exceptional. In fact, it’s some of the best I’ve tasted in quite a while. Even if you’re not buying a present for Father’s Day, I would highly recommend having a close look at their website to discover their entire range. So why not treat yourself? (The Raspberry and Vodka in Devilish Dark Chocolate Bar, and the Penderyn Whisky and Dark Chocolate Puddles especially caught my eye. I’ll be dropping a few less than subtle hints as my birthday approaches!)
Rating: A well deserved 5/5
RRP: £24.99
This product can be purchased here.