Popular high street chocolate retailer to take on Greggs as it opens bakeries to sell cakes and hot food
A POPULAR high street chocolate retailer is planning to take on Greggs as it opens its first bakeries selling cakes and hot food.
The new Hotel Chocolat offer will launch this month at four of its stores in Yorkshire.
The move is part of the expansion of the company’s Velvetiser Café format.
The sites where the offer will be available are Harrogate, Leeds Trinity and Leeds Springs.
The concession will also be available at a fourth site, in Ilkley, which is set to open in late September.
The new sweet and savoury products on offer have been developed in house by development chef David Demaison.
The menu items are inspired by dishes available at the renowned Hotel Chocolat restaurant at its Rabot Estate cocoa farm in Saint Lucia.
One of the products customers will be able to buy is the Hazelnut Crownie – a cross between a brownie and a cookie – for £3.25.
Among the sweet bakes, there will also be a Chocolatier’s Carrot Cake, costing £4.50, and a Cacao Pod pastry, priced at £5.95.
And you can get a Chocolatine, made with two of Hotel Chocolat’s high-cacao chocolate batons encased within, for £3.40.
Hotel Chocolat said the new pastry is available in three flavours – dark, raspberry-white, and orange.
Another new item on the menu is called Beyond a Brownie, described by Hotel Chocolat as “the brownie that goes above and beyond.”
This product, available in three flavours including dark chocolate, praline and amaretto-soaked cherry in white chocolate ganache, is priced at £3.95.
Hotel Chocolat will also offer a range of savoury pastries, inspired by its Saint Lucia restaurant, for £6.50 each.
Flavours include Caribbean chicken curry, piton pulled pork, soufriere spinach flavours, as well as mushroom and ricotta.
As the rollout begins, the company has transformed the upper floor of the Leeds Trinity store into a purpose-built bakery.
The bakery will manufacture goods for all the four sites across Yorkshire.
Ian Mackie, head of Velvetiser Café, said: “This launch represents a significant milestone for the Velvetiser Café, as we expand our offerings to include a diverse and delectable menu inspired by our commitment to quality and innovation.
“Each item is crafted with care and precision, using the finest ingredients, sourced responsibly, reflecting our dedication to ethical and sustainable practices.”
He added: “We cannot wait for our customers to experience the unique flavours and the exceptional quality that define Hotel Chocolat.”
Executive development chef David Demaison said: “We spent months obsessing, finessing, and taste-testing (of course), before settling on just the right ratio of chocolate to pastry, and more.
“Now, our imaginative menu is ready to savour.
“A collection of chocolate and savoury creations designed to delight at breakfast, lunch, and every other moment besides.”
He added: “Wake up to a flaky ‘Chocolatine’, with two of our sophisticated, high-cacao chocolate Batons encased within.
“Spend your lunchtime with an authentic ‘Rabot Original’ savoury pastry, in one of three recipes.
“And elevate your afternoon with a ‘Beyond a Brownie’ – luxuriantly chocolatey and loaded with fillings inspired by our best-loved chocolates.
“I look forward to seeing our customers enjoy these new offerings, which are a true testament to our passion.”
The latest launch appears to show that Hotel Chocolat is moving into Greggs‘ territory thanks to similarities in their menus and the range of products available.
Some of the most popular products at Greggs are the sausage roll, which also has a vegan option, bakes including cheese and onion, steak, and chicken flavours, as well as pizza slices.
Sweet pastries include the chain’s butter croissant, pain au chocolat, brownies, doughnuts, cookies and muffins.
How to save money on chocolate
WE all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don't have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs…
Go own brand – if you’re not too fussed on flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you’ll save by going for supermarket’s own brand bars.
Shop around – if you’ve spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it’s cheaper elsewhere.
Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you’re getting the best deal.
Look out for yellow stickers – supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they’ve been reduced.
They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.
Buy bigger bars – most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.
So if you’ve got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.
The chocolate brand has been expanding since Mars acquired the business for £534million in November 2023.
In July, Mars outlined proposals to open 25 new Hotel Chocolat stores in the UK next year.
It said it would also invest £10million into the manufacturing plant at Royston to support the latest rollout.
The chocolatier has 131 shops in the UK in total, as well as cafés, restaurants, outlets, and factory stores.
It also has sites in Gibraltar, Ireland and Saint Lucia.
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