Brit bits from the London Chocolate Company

The London Chocolate Company Salt and Vinegar truffles

What, what, old boy; have you come across The London Chocolate Company? When you come across the British brand’s flavour range, the first word you’ll likely reach for will indeed be, ‘what?!’ And quite probably closely followed by, ‘on earth?!’ Because these truffles come in combos not too commonly sighted in the chocoverse.

Even if you’re well-versed in flavour innovation, the eccentric English flavours The London Chocolate Company has incorporated into its edibles will be somewhat surprising. The range reads like a compilation of brilliantly bonkers Brit hits; Afternoon Tea, Ginger Beer, Gin & Tonic, Salt & Vinegar….

Hold up. Say waat?! But, lest you forget, these splendid truffles are sophisticated sorts. There’s a little more to the latter’s magic than merely upending a packet of coarsely-crushed Walkers into a puddle of melted choc and letting the whole hot mess set solid (although I would heartily recommend you try that too…).

The crisp-flavoured combo is not so odd if you consider the still-snowballing success of sprinking sea salt into chocolate and caramel. Adding vinegar to the mix just ups the ante, a sharp and snappy antidote to the salt and sweet already present. This is not your bog-standard brewed condiment, either – rather, the creamy vanilla-kissed white ganache is infused with mellow balsamic. A sprinkle of sea salt flakes puts on the glitz to the ritzy dark chocolate shells. So yes, Jim, this is Salt & Vinegar. But not as you know it.

If you know anything about eating in England, you’ll be no stranger to the notion of taking afternoon tea. Stranger, though, is the concept of taking said tea in the form of a truffle. But, lo and behold, The London Chocolate Company demonstrates wedding the noble Earl Grey with milk chocolate is a quite marvellous marriage.

Gin & Tonic is a pair content to couple up in their liquid state, but is it so when they’re solid? In a word, yes. London gin brings the booze to the white chocs. A sprinkle of cinnamon cleverly suggest the mixer, whilst a squidge of lemon in the ganache evokes the garnish on the glass. Popping a dash of popping candy into the centres even brings a bit of the drink’s signature sparkle.

The brand’s creation was inspired in 2012 by the Queen’s Jubilee and the Olympic games. Elsewhere in the patriotic product line you’ll find Strawberries & Cream, English Rose, Pink Champagne, and Ginger Beer – a flavour sure to find favour with the Famous Five.

The London Chocolate Co. crafts chocolate as well as I put together puns, and so I’ll leave you with one: If it carry on this way, this company has a sporting chance to become a right royal contender for the cocoa crown.

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