Welcome to the enchanting world of an artisan chocolatier! Our unique flavours are inspired by fairy tales from around the world, where each bar has its own tale to share. From Hansel and Gretel's gingerbread house to Alice in Wonderland's mad tea party, our chocolates are crafted with creativity and care, taking you on a magical journey with every bite. Join us as we reveal the surprising inspiration behind our one-of-a-kind flavours and indulge in the irresistible charm of our artisan chocolates!
Where Do Fairy Tales Come From?
Filled with magic and mystery, our childhoods were filled with fairy tales that date back centuries. Whether it’s hardworking Cinderella and her glass slipper, Jack and his magic beans, or Rapunzel and her never-ending curls, fairy tales serve to entertain and educate, but where do they originate?
Steeped in folklore, fairy tales date back centuries and were originally shared by word of mouth or acted out. While we commonly associated fairy tales with children, they were actually designed for a variety of audiences (which may explain why some are so scary!).
As you might imagine, fairy tales reflected the culture in which they first originated and were peppered with a little mystique in the same way our chocolate chapters are carefully curated to transform culture into sumptuous flavours.
The Inspiration Behind Our Chapters
Inspired to translate stories into taste, each of our chapters is created by chocolatier UK and designed to take you on an epicurean adventure. Read on to learn more about the influences that sparked our culinary creativity…
Astronauts
Space has captivated and mesmerised humans for as long as we’ve been in existence, so it’s not surprising that it made its way into folklore. While space travel is a relatively modern phenomenon, numerous cultures have been telling tales about space for centuries.
According to Chinese mythology, a goddess known as Chang’e gets stranded on the moon after consuming an extra helping of an immortality potion, while Haida mythology reports a boy being sent to the moon after he ridiculed the celestial being.
It was, however, a Vietnamese tale that sparked perhaps the best-known space story. A woodcutter, known as Cuội, grabbed on to the roots of a tree to stop it from flying away and was transported into space – forever becoming the infamous Man in the Moon.
Today, space still represents the unknown and only a few select cosmonauts have got to sample life outside of Earth’s atmosphere. However, our chocolate studio and chocolatier in London has brought the culture of space to life with our marshmallow-packed Astronauts bean-to-bar chocolate.
Healers
The medicinal properties of mushrooms are now well-known but, for centuries, they have been at the centre of folklore and fairy tales. In Irish folklore, for example, mushrooms were said to connect the eater to the wisdom of the universe because of the vast subterranean network of mushrooms that grew underground.
When circles of mushrooms are seen in the UK, they’re often referred to as ‘fairy rings’, following the lore that fairies dance around them after a rainstorm, yet these circular formations are associated with sorcery and magic.
Of course, it’s the Fly Agaric mushroom that is best known in fairy tales. With its familiar red and white markings, it’s present in the form of a toadstool in a vast number of famous tales, with some stories being entirely devoted to these captivating fungi.
While you won’t find Fly Agaric in our Healers chapter, you will find a beautiful blend of Reishi, Cordyceps, and Chaga mushrooms, along with 70% dark chocolate. Combining the health-boosting properties of these spectacular ingredients and the wisdom and luck they’re said to bring, our urban chocolatiers use the art of chocolate to convey these cultural stories via taste and flavour.
Greek Gods
Ask any artisan chocolatier why honey is such a popular ingredient and they’re likely to tell you it’s because it tastes fantastic! While there’s no doubt honey is a must-have addition for independent chocolatiers in the UK, this isn’t the only reason it’s a beloved commodity.
Steeped in history, honey (or ambrosia) was consumed in the belief that it granted immortality and was a source of wisdom. The ancient Greeks believed bees were messengers from the gods, such was the reverence that was placed upon honey. As its medicinal properties were recognised, the mythological power of honey only increased, until it was commonly referred to as a ‘food of the gods’.
Indeed, honey is still an effective and natural way to boost your well-being, which is why it’s present in our Greek Gods chapter. Paired with luxurious milk chocolate, our Greek Gods bean-to-bar chocolate gives you a taste of heaven like you’ve never known it before.
Gladiators
Inspired by the gladiators (or ‘barley men’) of the Roman era, our Gladiators chapter features popped barley and dark-milk chocolate to deliver a glimpse of the elixir that made these men so powerful. However, this isn’t the only ancient lore in which beans and grains are present.
Jack and the Beanstalk might be the most famous fairy tale to feature ‘magic beans’ but it certainly wasn’t the only story to do so. While Jack was tempted to swap his cow for a handful of magic beans, you don’t have to go to quite such lengths to get your hands on our delectable Gladiators bean-to-bar chocolate!
Geniuses
Both coffee and chocolate are known stimulants, so you can expect our exquisite Geniuses chapter to help you feel switched on and alert. While the marriage of coffee and chocolate has long been recognised by chocolatiers in the UK, both of these beans have roots in ancient mythology.
The earliest folklore surrounding coffee beans is believed to date back to 850 AD in Ethiopia, when Kaldi discovered his herd of goats consuming a mysterious berry that transformed them into ‘majestic, dancing creatures’.
While we can’t guarantee our Geniuses bar will have you dancing majestically, we’ve certainly been known to bring out our best moves after sampling these fabulous flavours!