Sweets for sweethearts on Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day is here and you know what that means — a very convenient excuse for indulging in your love for all things rich and chocolatey. And Victoria’s talented chocolatiers are happy to help.
Some of the city’s most beautiful Valentine’s chocolates are being crafted by Gerald Tan, the executive pastry chef at the Fairmont Empress. This year, he is creating them with exclusive chocolate that he developed with the team at Cacao Barry headquarters in Louviers, France, about 100 kilometres northwest of Paris.
What they landed on were two different bespoke chocolates. The dark one is called Midnight Bloom – Empress Reserve Noir, and has a cacao content of 66.8 per cent with notes of bark, pine cones, earth, red berries and a subtle hint of rose inspired by the hotel’s lush gardens. The milk chocolate is called Golden Aura – Empress Reserve Le Luminaire, and has a cacao content of 46.5 per cent, a smooth, creamy texture and notes of honey, sea salt, caramel, cookie, biscuit and caramelized milk.
Chef Tan will be using them in boxes of bonbons available to purchase in the Lobby Lounge, as well as chocolate hearts that will be available only as a special amenity for hotel guests. But if you really, really love chocolate, you may want to opt for the three-course Valentine’s dinner in Q at the Empress, which wraps up with an indulgent chocolate dessert buffet that includes bonbons, chocolate bars and more to sate your cravings.
But there are other local chocolates to love, too, including:
Sirene Chocolate
> Since Taylor Kennedy launched his backyard bean-to-bar enterprise in 2013, he has become renowned for his ethically sourced, organic bars and now sells them right across Canada and around the world. Look for: single-plantation bars, some with flavours such as Mayan Spice.
Rogers Chocolates
> Canada’s first chocolate company has been around for 140 years and continues to add new products and flavours to its lineup. Look for: legendary chocolate-covered creams and squares, as well as caramels, truffles, bars and a bit of everything — even baking and fondue chocolate.
RockCoast Confections
> This chocolatier is tucked away in an industrial park out on Keating Cross Road where they handcraft high-quality treats from pure, natural ingredients. Look for: their famous toffee bark, as well as gourmet chocolate bars, artisan truffles, salted soft caramels and luscious meltaways.
Roxy’s Chocolate
> The small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate produced by this local workshop is made from single-origin organic cacao and often features Island ingredients like sea salt and raspberries. Available to purchase online. Look for: dark and milk chocolate bars in various flavours.
Chocolat & Co./Terrible Truffles/Uncouth Chocolate
> It all began with David Booth who made “terribly delicious” chocolates for the B&B he ran with his wife Vlasta; they recently opened Chocolat & Co. on Fort Street. Look for: signature Terrible Truffles, as well as single-origin bars by two long-term chocolate concierges at The Chocolate Project under their label Uncouth Chocolate.
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