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Going Over to the Dark(er) Side......................

31/1/2019

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Recently I have been branching out, mixing things up a bit in the Mill Street Chocolate kitchen, experimenting with new and exciting flavours.
 
Up until now, I have always used 70% ‘Mellow’ to craft the flavoured bars in my range.
 
In the last few weeks however, I have started to develop a new range of flavoured bars using my 80% ‘Signature’ chocolate.
 
                                                       I know - pretty radical huh??!!!
 
Both the ‘Mellow’ and ‘Signature’ chocolates are Great Taste Award Winning.  However, the Signature gives a richer experience -
 
                             great for those who like their chocolate even darker and even less sweet.
 
The first to emerge from these developments in food alchemy were.....................
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​Tangy Orange
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​ Mint Crunch
​These have both now been thoroughly tried and tested, and have reached their final incarnations.  Pop over to the ‘Shop’ page to have a look, and maybe try them out for yourself!
 
Current investigations are around developing a .................
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​         Chilli Bar
I have blown people’s socks off at my local choir with my first batch of samples!  Though some enjoyed the ‘kick’ of the chilli, it was too hot for many - they couldn’t stand the heat and reached for their water bottles!
 
So, I have bowed to public pressure and batch 2 is milder, though still with a significant chilli bite.  It’s a work in progress and may need a third incarnation before it settles into its final form.
 
Watch this space, but I hope to have it available for sale fairly soon so keep checking the website!
 
                                           “What else?” I heard you cry!..................
 
Look out for the relaunch of my Dark Mocha bar – more news of that in a few weeks’ time.
 
Also, notions of a Spice bar are starting to work their way around the crevices of my brain.
 
It’s going to be an exciting year for chocolate, I can tell!!
 
For now, I will leave you dreaming of the darker side of life - chocolate, spices, coffee………………………..my mouth is watering already!
 
With love and good chocolate,
Steph x
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​A Chocolate Club? - A CHOCOLATE CLUB??! No-one Told Me there was a Chocolate Club!!!

10/9/2018

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(or, Blog posts are like buses – none for ages, then 3 come along at once!)
 
SO, dear readers, you may have heard whisperings that your favourite chocolate-maker Mill Street Chocolate now has a ‘Chocolate Club’?........and you may be wondering why you haven’t been informed of such a thing?
 
Well, it is time for me to fess up, come clean, make a clean breast of it etc, etc……
 
I did indeed start a Chocolate Club earlier this year but, at the moment, it is restricted to those who are local to me, here in Wells, Somerset and can therefore collect their monthly chocolate allocation in person.
 
WHAT??????????!!!!!!!!!!
 
I know it sounds unfair, but Mill Street Chocolate is a very teeny, tiny business, run solely by little old me, and I need time to devote the same love, care and attention to every stage of the process that makes my award-winning Mill Street Chocolate amongst the best raw chocolate on the market.
 
Over time, I hope to find a way to run a chocolate club with postable options.  So don’t lose heart everyone - and watch this space carefully!
 
If I do roll out Chocolate Club nationwide, you’ll be the first to know right here in the blog posts and on my chocolate mailing list.

The best thing to do at this stage is sign up to my chocolate mailing list (see the footer of each page on the site to do this).  This ensures that, as soon as I have any news about Chocolate Club, or any other important chocolate news) an email will drop into your inbox to tell you about it.
 
In the meantime, why not treat yourself to a selection of yummy MSC bars.  Whizz straight to the ‘shop’ page to browse all the delicious flavours and make your selection.
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​SHOPPING IS 100% SECURE ON MY SITE…………...........................................….…........Or, What the Hec is SSL anyway???!!

10/9/2018

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Ok folks, here's the thing......................
 
I recently looked at my site and was horrified to spot ‘not secure’ on the header bar.
 
Why would my site suddenly have ceased to be ‘secure' and how can I expect folk to shop on my site if it isn’t safe?
 
Before I go any further, I must reassure you that shopping for chocolate on my site IS SECURE.  When you checkout, you are transferred to a special secure site, as has always been the case.  Nothing has changed in this regard.
 
All that has changed is that my web provider has decreed that, if I want my site to say ‘secure’ on the header bar, I need to ‘upgrade’ (ie pay an extra monthly subscription).
 
This means megabucks folks, for a tiny business like mine.  I can’t afford it, I can’t justify it and it doesn’t make any sense to pay it because checkout is secure, just as it always has been (and that’s where you enter all sensitive information such as card details, etc).
 
So, dear readers, never fear – you can continue to shop till you drop on my Mill Street Chocolate Website and all your details will remain safe as house, as always.
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What to do When There’s No Chocolate ……………………….............................................…Or, How to Make the Perfect Cup of Cocoa

10/9/2018

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Hi folks

It has been quite a while since my last blog, so I am 'catching up' on lost time and giving you 3 in quick sucession!  Here goes with the first one...............................................

I recently spent a week on solitary, silent retreat in a private acre of woodland in Devon.
 
It was a healing, rejuvenating time and long overdue.
 
My little ‘Kuti’ (hermitage) was well-stocked with herbal teas and basic food staples and I collected a ‘tiffin’ box each day containing a hot meal.
 
The one missing item, to my mind,
was chocolate!
 
How can a chocolate-maker be expected to do without chocolate for an entire week??!  I mean, be reasonable!
 
Fortunately, salvation was to be found in a humble tin of cocoa.
 
Now, some of you may groan at such a suggestion and I too have distant memories of the weak, watery, bitter drink given to me as a child.
 
Nevertheless, I did my best dear readers, and managed to produce something I would go so far as to describe as delicious!
 
How did I achieve this seemingly impossible task?  With the following recipe:
 
​Kuti Cocoa
  • Mix 2 heaped teaspoons of cocoa to a wet paste with a small amount of Oatley (other milk alternatives are available).  Mix really well.
  • Heat a mugful of Oatley in a pan until hot but not boiling.
  • Add milk to mug and stir till combined.
  • Add 1 heaped teaspoon of dark brown sugar and stir well.
  • Sit back and enjoy!
 
This recipe produced a suitable combination of chocolatey strength, sweetness and creaminess to give that luxuriousness we all know and love. It came close to satisfying my chocolate craving!
 
Try it at home and see for yourselves folks!  It is no replacement for the real thing but, in times of emergency, it comes a close second.
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INTRODUCING.............(DRUM ROLL PLEASE!).........THE DARK MOCHA BAR!

21/7/2017

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​Well folks, as promised, we have a brand new chocolate bar on the virtual shelves from today!

...................and this time, I have been bold  with the blending.

​Breaking from my tradition of using the lushious organic, 100% pure Medicine Flower Extracts to flavour my chocolate - this time, I have thrown caution to the wind and poured freshly ground organic coffee beans straight into the stone-grinder with the cacao   (Shocked face!!!).

​
It was an exciting day at Mill Street Chocolate as I watched the stone grinder work its magic on the beans..........and the smells emanating from mix was mind-blowing!

It has resulted in the most amazing merging of the coffee and chocolate flavours creating, in my opinion, my best bar yet!


​Rich, dark and intensely satisfying, this is a bar for lovers of dark chocolate, rich coffee and the magic that occurs when these two amazing flavours meet.

It is available on the website now.

BUT, if you are feeling lucky, then rush to my FACEBOOK page ( http://bit.ly/2tNggaC​ ) and enter the competition to win a bar!

Good luck folks - may the best entry win!

Wishing you a fabulous summer break.
Good Health and Good Chocolate!
Steph

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CAN THERE BE SUCH A THING AS 'TOO HOT FOR CHOCOLATE'??.............

28/6/2017

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Well.............I don't know about you folks, but last week I was finding the weather a little on the warm side!

Certainly WAY too hot to be making chocolate!
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​By Wednesday, I felt the overwhelming need to celebrate Solstice at the beach - and what a relief it was to be sitting there with a light breeze coming off the sea!  Heaven!
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​
​   Not that I don't love a bit of sun
   as much as the next person, but
   this week has come as a bit of a relief
   - and the Stone Grinder is on
   in celebration of cooler, more
​   'British', temperatures.



​
Anyway, on to the important news................

I wanted to let you all know that the chocolate thinking cap is firmly back on my head and new, exciting flavours are sloshing around in there, bumping up against each other and generally vying for attention.

I hope to have two new bars available on the website soon - so keep an eye out!

If you want to be sure not to miss out on all that is new and exciting in the Mill Street Chocolate world, join the mailing list by signing up in the footer of this page. 

In the meantime, lets all hope for a return of the sun, albeit not quite as hot as last week! (early to mid 20's would suit me, if I could put my order in!)

Wishing you all a wonderful summer
Steph
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A BESPOKE CHOCOLATE HAMPER....................................

15/2/2017

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Last week I was asked to prepare a bespoke chocolate hamper as a gift.

I wanted to ensure that most of the cost would go on the chocolate itself (the important bit, I'm sure you'll agree!), so decided to be a little creative on the packaging!

I came up with the idea of recycling one of those infamous amazon delivery boxes, by 'decoupaging' it and using it to house all the yummy chocolates.

Out came all my crafting tools (pva glue, tissue paper!) and I set about transforming this ugly box into something beautiful!

​It took a while to dry - but I sped up the process with the industrious use of a hair dryer!

The pic opposite shows the box in question hanging up to dry on two kitchen roll holders!
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​I also wanted to include a few individual chocolates so, knowing the taste preferences of the recipient, I made a few rose flavoured 'hearts and roses' chocolates.

Once bagged up, they looked a treat and I tucked them into the hamper along with lots of my delicious 70% flavoured bars plus a little chocolaty surprise!
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​I was very  pleased with the finished product - see the picture opposite for the completed hamper.

It is being collected this afternoon so fingers crossed the lucky lady will be happy with her hamper!

Wishing you all a wonderful February - the sun is on its way folks - hang on in there!

Steph

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Rave Reviews for local Civic Society Christmas Talk..................

15/1/2017

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In mid December, I gave a talk to the Wells Civic Society all about my chocolate.

Over 60 people turned up, eager to hear what makes raw chocolate different from the bars they buy in the supermarket.

They were a lovely group and it was great to meet them all and pass round lots of samples to satisfy their eager taste buds!

Below is a write-up from the Wells Journal which appeared this week.......................................

Wishing you all a happy and very chocolatey 2017!
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IT WAS ALL ABOUT CHOCOLATE AT THE 2015 CHOCOLATE SHOW........................

30/10/2015

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I took myself on a 'Chocolate Holiday' recently - purely for research purposes you understand! :-)

Salon du Chocolat were hosting their annual 'Chocolate Show' at Olympia, London - how could I miss such an opportunity to meet other chocolate-makers and sample high quality chocolate made by top makers from around the world.
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What a feast for the senses it was - 3 days of talks, demos, stalls and exhibits - even a Chocolate Fashion Show with garments made using real chocolate! (they had to seen to be believed- check out the detail on the skirt in the picture here!).
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All the top names in high quality chocolate were there - from the 'big boys' at Valrhona, through to Paul A Young (pictured here selling his amazing brownies - sold warm straight out of the oven!) right through to the small-batch, craft chocolate producers such as Marou, Duffy, Charlotte Flower, plus others from the world of raw chocolate such as Pablo Spaull from Forever Cacao, Pacari and Lucocoa - and many, many more.
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It was 3 full days of inspiration and learning for me - talking to fellow chocolate-makers and sharing in their passion for their product. Watching demos from the likes of Paul A Young and Anish Kapoor - enormous fun to watch such experts at work.
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The real highlight for me was, after the results of the International Chocolate Awards World Finals were announced on the Saturday,  Sunday brought the opportunity to taste the winning chocolate from all around the world!
I have returned inspired and fired up with even more enthusiasm for the fascinating world of chocolate. 

I am also so packed full of ideas and thoughts for new flavours, new chocolates, etc - so watch this space folks!  The limited edition Christmas Box will be on the website soon and, after that, who knows where my chocolate jorney will lead.

Wishing you all a Happy Chocolatey life
Steph

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MILL STREET CHOCOLATE OUTING TO THE TATE SENSORIUM.......................

16/9/2015

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5 stars to Paul A Young for his bold, brave and frankly amazing contribution to the ‘Tate Sensorium’!

Mill Street Chocolate’s latest outing was to this temporary exhibition at Tate Britain recently - I was as excited as a puppy!

I admit the main pull for me was that I knew Paul had been involved and that the experience included his chocolate in some form or other!    

This prize-winning exhibition features four artworks from the permanent exhibition at the Tate.  Organisers worked with experts in their fields to select and devise complementary smells, sounds, feelings and tastes to work alongside visitors’ viewing of each work.  So far, so exciting!

I queued for an hour to ensure laying my hands on one of the FREE tickets to this 20 minute experience so, by the time I came to enter through the magic door to this ‘sense wonderland’ anticipations were running high.

To me, by far the most interesting of the four ‘rooms’ was the final one displaying Francis Bacon’s ‘Figure in a Landscape’ – this included the long-awaited chocolate experience!  A hollow chocolate shell filled with a mixture of edible charcoal, cacao nibs, salt, Lapsand Suchong tea this probably rates as one of the most unusual, compelling and exciting taste experiences of my life thus far.

That said, I’m not saying I’d necessarily want to eat it again.  It was fascinating - a real journey of discovery. The following day I could still sense the experience of that dusty, gritty, smoky, salty, earthy, almost muskiness.  It was profound.  But I didn’t ‘like’ it as such.  It won’t be on my Christmas list – “a delicious box of those dusty charcoal chocolates please”.

…………………….but I don’t believe for one minute that was the point.  I found myself torn between wanting to spit it out because it somehow didn’t ‘taste edible’, to moving it around in my mouth increasingly fascinated by the unusual flavour combinations, and the revolutionary textures.  It was a deeply memorable chocolate.

However, I am sad to say that the rest of the exhibition left me cold – somehow reminiscent of a visit to the dentist.  Now, we are only talking a check-up here, not root canal work, but basically the feeling that I’d been subjected to someone ‘messing’ with my senses – artificial smells; harsh, often over-loud noises; shapes being ‘blown’ unexpectedly onto the palm of my hand by a machine.  All vaguely unpleasant and uncomfortable.

But that chocolate! I would recommend you go just for that.  Rush there – run!  It’s on till 20th September.  Get there an hour before to start queueing or you won’t get a ticket.

Happy chocolate dreams

Steph
#paulayoung  #chocolate

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    I'm Steph Hiller, the creator of Mill Street Chocolate.  I make luxury handmade raw chocolate, with love and in tiny  batches,  from my home kitchen.

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  Contact: Steph Hiller, BA5 2AT   Tel: 01749 689 114