You love chocolate. Don’t try to hide it. Those few seconds (or minutes) of pure gustatory pleasure are just what you need to make life seem a little bit more bearable. And it just so happens that we know where you can go to get that much-needed chocolaty treat. Here are four chocolatiers to look out for in the Mother City.
1. Chocolates by Tomes
Truffles, brownies, mousse, biscuits. You name it. Chocolates by Tomes makes it, with ingredients sourced from cocoa-rich Africa. Their head offices and factory shop are based in Blackheath, while two other stores can be found at the V&A Waterfront, and at the Gardens Shopping Centre.
So go on, buy your beau a fabulous goodie-filled hamper, or get some chocolate couverture if you’re planning on making your own dessert. And if you’re stumped as to what you should bake, then look through the various recipes on Chocolates by Tomes’s website.
OF NOTE
Where Shop 6198, Ground Level, V&A Waterfront, and other venues
Contact +27 21 425 2237, [email protected], www.chocolatesbytomes.co.za
2. Honest Chocolate Café and Retail Shop
Honest Chocolate’s artisanal products are made from cacao beans ethically farmed in Ecuador and Tanzania. They can be bought at numerous stores dotted around the city, and include slabs and bonbons of various flavours, a yummy spread and hot chocolate.
Added to that, their café in the CBD offers a menu full of delectable treats. You have not lived until you’ve tasted their chocolate bunnychow. They also have their own retail store at the Woodstock Exchange that offers bonbon workshops and chocolate tastings.
OF NOTE
Where Honest Chocolate Café, 64A Wale Street, CBD
Contact +27 76 765 8306, [email protected], www.honestchocolate.co.za
3. CocoáFair
CocoáFair is a bean-to-bar chocolate shop found at the ever-popular Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock. Handcrafted on site at their very own factory, their goods include chocolate bars, chocolate-covered nuts and fruit, truffles, pralines, and wholesale bulk chocolate.
They also offer tasting tours of the factory, as well as chocolate-making courses for those whose sweet tooth comes with a knack for culinary craftsmanship.
OF NOTE
Where The Old Biscuit Mill, 373-375 Albert Road, Woodstock
Contact +27 21 447 7355, [email protected]/[email protected], www.cocoafair.com
4. Le Chocolatier
And just when you thought Stellenbosch couldn’t get any better. Le Chocolatier handcrafts slabs, truffles, chocolate-coated nuts and pralines using Swiss recipes, and also serves coffee. Some of the store’s products are sugar-free, vegan-friendly, and suitable for banters.
You can order from Le Chocolatier online, and you can find their chocolate treats on sale at various Melissa’s branches.
OF NOTE
Where 10 Church Street, Stellenbosch
Contact +27 (0) 21 883 2200, [email protected], www.lechocolatier.co.za
Photography Chocolates by Tomes – Waterfront, Honest Chocolate, CocoáFair and Le Chocolatier South Africa
Jacqui Stelzer