Dawn Fry, Author at The Melting Pot

Why does my chocolate cost so much?

Posted on 4 May 20244 May 2024 by Dawn Fry

You will have noticed that your favourite chocolate bars have got smaller and the price of them has gone up (almost every time you buy). Several factors are driving huge increases in the price of chocolate. Let’s explore some of the reasons behind ‘why does my chocolate cost so much?’.

chunks of white and dark chocolate on a board with a wooden spoon filled with grated chocolate

Historical chocolate prices

The price of cocoa traded broadly within the range of £600-£1300 per metric tonne until 2008 and then between £1500-£2300 until the end of 2022.

From January 2023 onwards it has been rising steadily, completely surpassing previous ranges, to around £5600 per metric tonne at the end of February this year.

It does seem that higher cocoa prices are here to stay for the time being.

Chocolate used to be a rare treat only afforded by Royalty and very wealthy, you can read more about its fascinating history here.

Reasons behind the price increases*

•Several years of small crop shortages, with talk that this year the shortage could be as high as 1-1.5m tonnes, which would be 20-30% of the world’s annual consumption. This is having a dramatic effect on world stockpiles of cocoa.

•The implications of the new EU deforestation regulations (EUDR), whose likely full impact is still unknown. Ivory Coast is said to have lost around 85% of its forest since 1960 and this is what the EUDR is designed to address, alongside other issues such as child labour.

•The mounting challenges facing the cocoa farming industry by deforestation, El Nino effects, political instability, climate change, illegal mining, and disease.

The future of chocolate prices

The cocoa price may well keep going up for the foreseeable future. If and when it does come down, it is unclear how far down it will reduce, and over what period. Much will depend on how good the main harvest is in the new season, starting October 2024.

Over the longer term, higher prices should incentivise farmers to plant more cocoa, farm more sustainably and use better techniques to increase yields, but that will likely take at least 3-5 years to materially impact the size of the crop or bring prices down.

It is also worth bearing in mind that dark chocolates (average 60% cocoa content) will go up by more than milk/white chocolates (average cocoa content 28-35%), based simply on the cocoa content of the product.

Take your time to truly savour your favourite chocolate. If you want some tips on how to properly taste chocolate, then this may be helpful.

How can chocolate businesses adapt and survive?

The most obvious thing for most businesses to do is to increase prices. You will have experienced this when shopping for your favourite chocolate treat. Once prices hit the limit of what customers will accept, then what? Some businesses have adapted their offering and added non-chocolate-related items to their shops/outlets (Hotel Chocolat sells salted caramel vodka for example).

We need to communicate more about ethics and sustainability – to help consumers understand why chocolate needs to increase in price and reduce its footprint on the planet. If, collectively, the chocolate industry can increase understanding about these issues, chocolate starts to sit alongside other goods, like a sustainable cotton t-shirt, where we consumers just start to accept chocolate that should cost more.

What about The Melting Pot?

Here at The Melting Pot, we have tried to avoid price increases as much as possible, ever conscious of the demands on the household budget. I’ve adapted the workshops to ensure that there is still a reasonable profit margin to enable me to keep in business. However, I have tried to enhance the ‘experience’ element of the workshop, ensuring that your two hours have plenty of chocolate, education, and tasting included, as well as offering a variety of different styles of workshops and price points.

I buy chocolate for my workshops in 10kg bags, at the time of writing, this has risen to almost £100 per bag. My chocolate tanks hold eight kilos of chocolate per tank (and I currently have three tanks to fill for larger events). It’s quality Belgium chocolate, and I’m enjoying hosting you at workshops as much as ever. At the time of writing this blog, I’ve been offering workshops for 15 years. Theobroma Cacao (the Latin name of the cocoa tree) means ‘food of the Gods’ and it’s my privilege to continue to enjoy sharing its delights with you.

*With thanks to Keylink for supplying much of the chocolate information contained in this blog, and for continuing to support their customers as best they can through challenging times.

10 months since my last blog

Posted on 22 April 202422 April 2024 by Dawn Fry

I’m slightly ashamed to admit, it’s been 10 months since my last blog post.

When I decided to start a blog on my website, I went to blog school (it was fab, fun and I learned some cool stuff). We were taught some nifty tricks to make our blog more successful, one of them ensuring we mastered the art of catchy titles to try and get our audience to read what we had written……10 reasons…..7 mistakes……. 5 lessons (you get the idea).

10 Months since my last blog doesn’t really cut it in algorithm-sexiness, but I just thought I needed to start again and it’s the truth. I haven’t written my blog for 10 months because life got in the way. I have still been working hard in my business delivering my workshops and meeting lots of lovely people, but I stopped writing.

Why did I stop?

Maybe it requires a different energy? Perhaps as you are sitting on the laptop trying to create a mood, or impart some knowledge or enthusiasm you need to be in a certain mindset.

I could come up with excuses:

After a bit of time, I got out of the habit.
Even though I gathered things to blog about, I had no enthusiasm to turn them into a post.
My creativity seemed to dry up.
I lost my writing voice.
Others needed more of my time.
Sad things happened, and I felt too sad to write anything.

When I meet you at my workshops, I am already in host mode and focused on giving you the best time I can (with lots of chocolate to help). That comes naturally to me, it’s important that I deliver to the best of my ability, you are in the room and there is nowhere to hide. Here’s a link to ‘a day in my chocolate shoes‘.

What made me start again?

In all honesty, I’m not sure. My energy has changed. Sad things are still around, but they are often around for many of us and it can be about finding a way to navigate life with all the sadness that comes as part of the package.

Maybe we just need time.

I have the luxury of being my own boss, so there is no one forcing me to do any of these things. I do love to share and enthuse about all the things I’m passionate about, and I feel a sense of duty to serve, support, and encourage you with things I might be able to help you with. Here’s a blog from the archive about how to get great results with your chocolate creations.

Authenticity

I could have embraced AI and created blogs that would have filled the gaps over the past months. That’s not me. It’s from my heart/hand or it’s not written.

After such a gap, I could have just decided to remove the blog and never return to writing. The good people at Penguin, share some tips for writers block here. My blog contains plenty of chocolate knowledge, that I love to share with other enthusiasts, life and business lessons and I feel I’ve put a lot of effort and energy into my blog and business, so it’s worth me just dusting myself off and getting back on the blog train. In all honesty, we can all often know the right thing to do, and be great and giving good advice to others that we should be giving to ourselves!

It’s good to be back

I’ve got some lovely foodie trips and travels to share over the coming weeks.

After a mad Easter week at Standalone Farm (where I delivered workshops for 200 little ones and their parents/carers), there were some fabulous lessons learned in prepping for such a lot of events that I would love to pass on. I wrote about this before and I will have some updates to add.

In chocolate news, we are seeing prices continue to rise and I would like to share a bit more about what’s going on in the chocolate world and how I have been trying to manage increasing costs within my business.

Anything, in particular, you would like me to cover (that’s in my scope of knowledge)? Please feel free to pop over to my Facebook page and say and I will do my best to accommodate.

Thank you for your patience. It was very welcome.

10 Reasons to Book a Chocolate Workshop

Posted on 1 June 20231 June 2023 by Dawn Fry

There is one main reason that you would want to book a chocolate workshop obviously, because of the star of the show, chocolate!

There are other reasons too, and some might just inspire you.

Here are my 10 reasons to book a chocolate workshop:

The Chocolate

Of course, it’s top of the list and has already been mentioned in the intro. Chocolate at one of my workshops is not just any old chocolate, it’s quality Belgium chocolate, with a higher cocoa content. There is a whole VAT of molten Belgium chocolate too, which contains up to eight kilos. We are talking quantity as well as quality.

Variety is the Spice of Life

Not only will you be working with a VAT of delicious chocolate, but you will also be tasting lots of other couverture chocolate. What’s couverture chocolate I hear you ask, well that would be telling.

Come along and find out about a variety of different chocolates, flavours, and cocoa content, and learn what chocolatiers work with to make all the magic happen.

A Cosy Environment

Come and visit the summerhouse at the end of my garden. It’s a quiet little chocolate oasis, that is warm and welcoming as well as filled with the aroma of chocolate. We’re waiting for you.

Spend Quality Time

It’s good for you to escape from everyday life and do something creative and tasty. Whether you attend on your own, with a friend, or as part of a group, this is a shared experience where the time is just for you to focus on the job in hand, nothing else. You juggle so many balls and sometimes it really helps to put them all aside and just be able to think about one thing – making delicious chocolates to take away and enjoy. If you do attend with loved ones, it provides the perfect opportunity to spend quality time together and create memories to cherish.

De-stress

Quality time out helps you to de-stress and forget about all your other commitments for just a couple of hours. The act of dipping, making, smelling, and concentrating on your chocolate-making will ensure that the chocolate is able to work its magic and help you separate from all the worries in your life (even if just for a short time). Here are some other ideas. Workshops are really a bit of chocolate therapy and what better therapy could you think of than the chocolate variety?

Improve your Chocolate Knowledge

We pop into the shops and buy chocolate whenever we feel like it. Where is a grown? How is it processed? Learn something you didn’t know about chocolate when we cover the bean-to-bar story at your workshop. Here’s a little history for you too.

Learn a New Skill

Have you ever worked with chocolate before? Having a go at a new skill can be a little daunting, but the workshops are light, fun, and accessible for all. You will learn about tempering chocolate, dipping fillings, and finishing techniques, as well as hand-piping. Maybe you would like to take some of these skills home to use in your kitchen. Learning something is good for you, it boosts your confidence and is life-affirming.

Have Some Fun

Fun is important, and so often life gets in the way. It’s my job to ensure that all the ingredients are present for you to be able to have fun at my workshops. Whether that’s meeting new people, learning new skills, or enjoying the making, tasting, or even packaging process. Everyone is made very welcome and looked after to the best of my ability. My aim is to be your hostess with the mostess (chocolate too of course)!

Chocolate is Good for You

OK, admittedly, not all chocolate is good for you. The good people at Cocoa Runners have covered some of the research here. The darker the better (and we get to sample some of the dark side in a workshop). You also get to taste some real cacao. 100% cocoa in the form of cacao nibs. Not sure if they will replace your treats at the cinema, but I love them. Why not come and try them for yourself and see if they take your fancy too?

A Sense of Achievement

Enjoy the fruits of your labour. You took time to make lovely chocolates and now you are going to take them away, admire and enjoy them (and most likely share them with others). Many of the roles we do now, don’t result in us using our own hands to create something. We are at screens all the time. Making something from scratch gives you a sense of achievement. Now that feels so much better than buying a box of chocolates, doesn’t it?

If my 10 reasons to book a chocolate workshop has made up your mind, you can find a date to suit you here.

A Day in My Chocolate Shoes

Posted on 19 May 202319 May 2023 by Dawn Fry

I was intending to call this blog ‘A Day in the Life of a Chocolatier’ having previously penned ‘A Day in the Life of a Blacksmith’ about my hubby. That doesn’t really cut it for what I do. I am a chocolatier (how fab it feels to say that) but I don’t make chocolates to sell, I offer workshops and create experiences in chocolate.

So, instead, here’s a day in my chocolate shoes……

Daily Rituals

As a business owner, you need to have daily disciplines! Every morning, over coffee, I’ll go over emails and messages and get back to people.

I might be processing bookings (yippee), which I do for blacksmithing and chocolate, or answering questions and queries. A bit of marketing, writing, and/or social media, and any admin that needs seeing to will also be on the agenda.

I check back in throughout the day (except when I’m delivering a workshop) to ensure I maintain rapid responses. If someone has decided they are interested in what we have to offer, I try and get back to them as soon as possible, no one wants to be left hanging when they have decided on something exciting that they are interested in doing! It’s common sense of course, but the amount of time we have won business because I got back to people quicker than the competition has been mentioned many times to me. Why would anyone want to leave business on the table?

Planning, planning, planning

The chocolate tanks take a couple of days to really come up to temperature. This involves melting a few kilos of chocolate callets to a certain point so it’s ready for me to temper ahead of a workshop.

I need to keep a constant eye on the stock to ensure I have all the relevant ingredients and materials and order as necessary. Aprons need to be laundered and the summerhouse, mats, and utensils cleaned and ready for guests.

Everything has to be done and planned in advance, I quite like this element of my business, and find it fairly straightforward, if you are someone that struggles to stay on top you may need to find some tools to help and plot reminders to your calendar.

Prepping for a workshop

People will come along and enjoy a couple of hours of chocolate fun, but as mentioned above, a lot goes into the planning and preparation before you arrive.

Experience has taught me to do as much prep as you can do beforehand, this will lead to a smooth and seamless workshop! This process is now down to a fine art! I actually enjoy counting out all the goodies you are going to dip into the chocolate and ensuring everything is ready and on hand for your magical chocolate time. Prep is always done the day before a group arrives, I prefer to go to bed knowing I’m ready for you all. If something else crops up, then I know I have my workshop all ready to receive my guests, whatever else I might be called to do.

Half an hour before my group arrives, I will head to the summerhouse and start tempering the chocolate.

Delivering a workshop

This is the bit I love the most – meeting you and having fun with chocolate together. All sorts of people walk through my door and it’s an honour and privilege to work with you and enjoy your company for a couple of hours.

Instead of going through each element of what we get up to at a workshop, you can pop and see for yourself.

Have you identified your own superpower yet? What you are known for, what comes easily and naturally that you are really good at?

Well, without I hope, sounding big-headed, hosting is my superpower. I love it, whether it’s for chocolate fun at my workshops or a dinner party with friends and family, it’s my thing. Feeding, encouraging, teaching, demonstrating, sharing, and enjoying your company. It’s a sweet experience!

Clean & Re-set

When you’ve all left the cleaning begins, I pop on the music and get the job done. Usually, there is another workshop coming in, so I will clean and then prep for the next event so I’m ahead of the game!

The summerhouse is a special space for me. It’s calming and relaxing, down the end of my garden, like a little chocolate oasis.

An escape from home, but at home at the same time, heaven.

And Finally

When I return to the house, I’ll carry on with some business admin, walk the dog, play tennis, get the dinner ready (I’m always the cook in our family) go out or chill in front of the TV.

Events vary, while most are workshops at the end of my garden, I also cater for corporates and schools so I might be designing new events, or prepping for something bespoke, huge, or both.

Research might take me to a new chocolate shop, attend a chocolate event, or try some new products – the research for this job is pretty tough, but someone has to do it!

Being my own boss and in particular working with you and chocolate has been the best move I ever made.

If you are inspired by a world of chocolate, you might like to read my free e-book ‘7 Big Benefits of Running a Chocolate Business’ Please follow the link to grab your copy.

I’m off to slip off those chocolate shoes for now, see you at the chocolate tanks very soon!

Best Bunny Buys this Easter

Posted on 3 April 20233 April 2023 by Dawn Fry

The Easter Bunny made some recommendations last year, including eggs, hunts, hot cross buns, and lunch. It’s that time of year again and therefore time for an update. https://makechocolates.co.uk/?s=the+easter+bunny+recommends

What are the best bunny buys this Easter?

Waitrose Food Magazine

There are some great ideas in the Easter Edition.

A round-up of hot cross buns from Cheddar and Stout to White Chocolate and Lemon – the flavour combos of these delights get ever more inventive.

Devilled eggs – including beetroot and horseradish, green eggs and ham, and sun-dried tomato and harissa (obviously not everything has to contain chocolate!)

A look at Easter symbolic treats from around the world.

My favourite recipe was an easy no-cook pudding simnel-spiced fridge cake – adding marzipan, ginger nuts, dried apricots, and spices into the chocolate mix, then topped with a circle of Maltesers as a nod to a traditional cake.

Best Easter Egg Buys for 2023

Someone has always done the hard work for us – taste-tested lots of chocolate treats to recommend the best buys.

This year I’ve gone with Delish magazine, who offer us 12 options.

Top of the taste list was Sainsbury’s Milk Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding Egg.

No. 2 was M & S Hot Cross Bun Egg

No. 3 an Aldi White Chocolate Strawberry Sundae topped with filled eggs

I will let you discover the others on the list – they all sound a little too sweet for me (No 6 sounded more up my street – what would your fav be?)

How Crafty are You?

Good Housekeeping has come up with 80 (!) Easter crafts for kids and adults to celebrate spring. Now that should keep some entertained for a while.

BBC Good Food also has some good craft inspiration including making bird feeders and salt dough decorations.

Easter Lunch Inspiration

I’ve opted for a more budget Easter lunch this year and will be serving up Shepherd’s Pie instead of a leg of lamb (it’s made and in the freezer). I did buy the mince from the farm shop and was happy to pay more for a good quality ingredient. Here’s a recipe from Mary Berry as shared on Lovefood.com.

Making this with lentils is just as tasty and even more cost-effective as well as being veggie (or vegan) friendly.

If you would like more Easter lunch inspiration, then have a look at these options via BBC Good Food. Do come and share your menu with us, I love talking food!

Always a good moment to share some chocolate recipe inspiration too.

Have a very good long weekend, whether you celebrate Easter or not, I hope it’s spent with loved ones and lots of chocolate!

What makes the best hen party experience?

Posted on 16 February 202316 February 2023 by Dawn Fry

The hens are coming…..you may think it’s time for rah, rah, rah, noise, and full-on energy. Remember, not all hens are created equal!

After many years of welcoming hens to my workshops, here’s what I think makes the best hen party experience:

Chief Organiser

You have been put in charge of the hen party celebrations. It may be that you know the whole group, and what they like and it’s all pretty straightforward. Possibly, you don’t know everyone, and you are catering for different ages, people you don’t know at all, and trying to come up with something to please everyone.

Maybe you are somewhere in between?

Whatever the scenario, you feel responsible to ensure that arrangements go smoothly and the whole group has a good time. That’s quite an undertaking!

Here ‘s a list of hen parties hates compiled by Hitched (so you know what to avoid).

When choosing or booking an event with a company, you really need to trust that they will look after you all properly.

Here to Help

One thing I preach to anyone going into business is the importance of customer service.

It’s not just what you do when you have people in front of you, it’s the whole customer journey that’s so important.

Imagine how much pressure the organiser feels to get this right, their reputation is on the line. Demonstrate to them that you have really thought about what they might be going through. Reassure them that you will do your utmost to look after everyone and give them a good time to the best of your ability.

Communicate clearly and in a timely fashion. Always do what you say you will, even if something goes awry, keep in touch and let them know what’s going on.

It’s time to hand over any worries and concerns and leave them with me.

Why a chocolate workshop?

You may think that’s a silly question. Usually, you are onto a winner if you are adding chocolate to an event, however, it’s the inclusivity of the workshop that makes it ideal for mixed ages and abilities.

It’s not a drink-fest (although you can byo for break-time if you like a little fizz with your chocolate) and that makes it ideal for younger participants or those that don’t like that sort of thing.

If you are a group that likes to party on into the early hours and don your dancing shoes, that is something you can arrange for after the workshop. Nan, mum, and/or auntie can come along and join you all later, or head home for an early night!

Everyone gets to be creative, make and taste delicious treats and go home with bags of goodies that they have made. A shared experience is something that remains in the memory banks for many years to come.

It’s the perfect way for everyone to get to know each other better ahead of the big day.

At the chocolate tanks

You’ve all arrived and it’s my turn to make your visit as memorable as possible. What sort of group are you?

A group is usually an interesting mixture of personalities. There will be louder ones, who really spark up proceedings and are game on for anything. That’s great, but how does it feel for the quieter ones? They matter too, so it’s my job to balance the group dynamics and ensure that the quiet ones feel just as comfortable in the group and don’t get swamped.

Some groups find the whole ‘hen party’ vibe a bit too much, and just wish to quietly create some chocolates together and have a nice time. Other groups are up for the full monty! Everyone is welcome to be what is best for them.

The Lollipops

If I want to gauge how a chocolate hen party is going to play out, then the lollipops that each creates would give it all away. Each attendee designs and pipes their own lollipop onto a stick using a piping bag of molten chocolate. Hearts and flowers are popular and, yes, you’ve guessed it, lots of ruder versions too!

I always like to tell everyone that they can’t shock me, I’ve seen it all (and I think I have)!

One of the best creations was made by a former hen party attendee, who did the bride-to-be!

Get Ahead

Diaries get busy for everyone attending and the person delivering the experience especially if it’s hen party season.

Make contact as soon as possible – you can always hold a date provisionally while you check with the group.

Action creates momentum.

If you have been discussing options for ages, but not coming up with a consensus, making a booking with something you think will appeal to everyone will galvanise the decision process.

Hope to see you at the chocolate tanks soon. Stags and Stens are very welcome too.

Fire Up February

Posted on 1 February 20231 February 2023 by Dawn Fry

We’ve made it, the long dark days of January are behind us and we can look forward to lighter days.

I mentioned ditching the resolutions in January, it’s too long and dark, and difficult. Instead, I encouraged you to adopt a word for the New Year instead of resolutions. Mine was BALANCE (and I’ve found it a great help already).

However, I did mention a rather good idea I saw of adopting new practices from 1st February (instead of 1st January) if you did wish to focus on some positive changes for the year ahead.

What will you Fire up February with?

Take Stock

In business, we are encouraged to review the year just gone and review it in great detail. What went well, what needs more focus, what did we learn, and what goals do we want to achieve for the year ahead? If you are a small business owner, someone I recommend following for this sort of insight is Gemma Gilbert. She’s a brilliant coach and mentor and has transformed her business offering over the past year. She share’s her journey and learnings each year. You can read about it here.

What about personally though?

January is such a bad month to start something new, try and get on top of healthy eating, drinking, and exercising habits and we can often be left feeling like a failure. Let’s put all that behind us. Let’s instead Fire Up February and see what we can achieve (a much shorter, brighter month that seems so much easier to commit to).

What went well for you last year?

Take a moment to really think about the highlights of 2022. Perhaps write them down. It can be the smallest thing that can make a positive difference and it’s easy to forget the little things.

How did you manage to achieve positive results in 2022?

Do you want more of that in 2023? Are there steps you can take to make sure the good stuff happens again?

What was difficult for you last year?

Is there anything you can do to mitigate circumstances to avoid it happening again?

What did you learn from the things that didn’t go so well?

How did you react to any difficulties?

It’s a continuing tough time for many people at the moment. Worry and anxiety can become overwhelming in the face of personal and world challenges.

Try and allow some time to think about your worries, concerns, and what didn’t go so well. It will allow you time to reflect, process and hopefully take steps to improve your situation.

Do you have some goals that you would like to achieve in 2023?

It is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture, especially in the current climate. Simple survival feels like the best option at times.

Thinking about personal/life goals is a way of focusing on the future, getting excited about prospects and opportunities, and working towards a goal.

What do you want to achieve/do/be in 2023?

How will you tackle your goals?

Dare you include a big hairy goal and really push that comfort zone?

Lady holding a mug that says like a boss

One of the biggest changes I ever made was to become my own boss. There was so much I wasn’t expecting about embarking on this journey, in a really good, personal growth sort of way. If you want a big hairy goal for 2023, considering starting your own business (and even possibly running a chocolate business) is highly recommended.

I’m determined to make the most of my chocolate business this year (and hopefully for many more to come). I want to welcome as many as possible to the chocolate tanks in 2023 and give you the best experience possible. In between, I want to spend quality time with my family, enjoy holidays and improve my tennis!

Please come and share your wins/goals and ideas and inspiration that will help us all Fire Up February.

Brown Thursday

Posted on 19 January 20234 April 2023 by Dawn Fry

In the week that we survived Blue Monday, I thought we might celebrate Brown Thursday!

chocolate heart in melting chocolate puddle

A PR guru I follow said that Blue Monday had been dreamt up by the travel industry to promote holiday bookings. Last year I shared how I beat the January blues by focusing on my holiday plans for the year ahead, so they must be on to something.

It got me thinking, why not promote Brown Thursday this week. Let’s celebrate all things chocolate (you must be over your Christmas chocolate indulgence by now)?

Chocolate is Good for You

“Definitely chocolate is my kind of healthy plant! If over 70 percent cacao and good quality with no more than 4 ingredients.” Tim Spector, Professor of Genetics and Author. Prof Spector studies and researches the microbiome, the large community of microbes that live in our gut, skin, and body.

A small amount of good quality dark chocolate eaten each day has been proven to be good for you. If you are not yet a fan of the dark side, why not start with something not too strong? You can build up your cocoa content over time. I now prefer chocolate over 80% cocoa. The everyday chocolate that I grew up on tastes more like a sweetie to me now. Once you get used to the dark side, there’s no going back!

Chocolate Makes you Feel Better

There are chemicals in chocolate that are mood enhancers as well as a form of caffeine. It really does feel like it ‘picks you up’ and can be just the treat you need.

The people at Cocoa Runners (a great gourmet mail-order chocolate company) have written an interesting article about whether the claims about chocolate are too good to be true. It includes an interview with Prof Tim Spector (mentioned above).

Enjoy cooking with chocolate

The smell in the kitchen, the satisfaction of creating something tasty, and the delicious treat to share with friends/family. Cooking with chocolate always feels good.

Christmas cake with chocolate icing and sprinkles topped with holly

If you want to make some chocolates at home, here are my tips on how to temper your chocolate – the key to success.

I have some of my favourite chocolate recipes to share with you too. Let us know what you made, and maybe come and share a picture on social media.

Feeling a bit chilly and not up to cooking too much? How about making yourself a hot chocolate follow the link for inspiration!

Treat yourself

Why not treat yourself to some posh chocolate and go gourmet? There may be some good stuff to buy in the sales if you are quick.

Some good sites to visit: Fortnum & Mason, Chococo, Cocoa Runners, Hotel Chocolat

Once you’ve invested in some good stuff, you may want some tips on how to taste it properly!

Chocolate Therapy

Last, but not least, why not come along and try a chocolate workshop experience here at The Melting Pot?

It really is chocolate therapy.

There’s a large vat of molten chocolate, the smell is incredible, and there are like-minded people enjoying the experience with you. Then you have the making element, dipping fillings into the tank, tasting chocolate, and taking all your creations home to share and/or enjoy.

Escape from the usual trials and tribulations of life and immerse yourself in the world of chocolate for a couple of hours.

Hope to see you at the chocolate tanks very soon.

Happy Brown Thursday.

Just One Word

Posted on 11 January 202311 January 2023 by Dawn Fry

2023 written with lights and bubbles surrounding the numbers

I suspect many New Year’s resolutions are already on the wane.

If I could encourage you to do something really simple and easy this January, how about thinking up just one word that you would like to live by this year?

Just one word. What would yours be?

Resolutions Don’t Work

Only about 16% of people are able to stick to their New Year resolutions according to research. So often a resolution is about what you think you should do, and not necessarily what you want to do.

Let’s face it, we traditionally set our resolutions at the beginning of a New Year. In the heart of winter, in one of the longest, gloomiest months of the year. We’ve usually eaten and drunk too much over the festive season, and we are feeling guilty and a bit pigged out.

I wonder if you decided on a resolution just for the month of February, it would be easier to stick to?

The month is shorter, and as the month progresses, there is more light with the days drawing out and spring is around the corner. Just a thought.

However, this blog is not about setting any resolutions, it’s about choosing a word for the year.

What’s this all about?

The concept behind choosing a word for you and your year is that it will act as a gentle reminder about your priorities. The simple act of choosing just one word will help you refocus and remind you what your intentions were/are: a driving factor, but not a goal.

Let one word replace New Year’s resolutions. Allow your word to permeate your life, and notice how it might change your reactions to others or how you care for yourself.

Word of the Year (WOTY) became a German tradition in 1971. Since 1990 the American Dialect Society has been designating a word of the year. See the full list here.

Which word?

At a dinner party recently, we went around the table and asked everyone what their word for 2023 would be. These were our choices:

Fun

Stoic

Time

Kind

Change

Balance

Revolution

Spontaneity

If you would like some help choosing your word, then this blog post from Dawn of Wild Simply Joy may provide some good inspiration.

Let a word bubble up and become just right for you.

Once chosen, Dawn advocates that we should be able to see our word every day. Pop on your screensaver, or stick it to your pc or diary.

Here’s a word chocolate – now that conquers up some lovely images while you ponder your word for the year.

I’ve linked it to one of my favourite recipes in case you need to mull some more with a cuppa and something tasty.

Please let us know about your word to live by.

Happy New Year.

5 Reasons an Experience Makes a Better Gift

Posted on 24 November 20224 April 2023 by Dawn Fry

It’s the season to pull your hair out trying to think of a suitable gift for all the people you buy pressies for. If you want to get ahead on this front, then you may find my previous blog useful – 7 tips to make Christmas a Cracker!

Two ladies sitting with chocolate cocktails at the table — Chocolate cocktail anyone?

What about going one step better and considering an experience as a gift this year?

Here are 5 reasons an experience makes a better gift:

It’s more memorable

Buy a gift and it’s opened, used, eaten, and forgotten about by early Jan. An experience is something that needs to be booked up, planned, looked forward to, and then enjoyed. It stays with the recipient far longer and memories are created.

Most experiences are creative – they will likely be learning a new skill, such as cooking or cocktail-making, or making something from scratch to bring home and cherish. They physically get involved in the process and hopefully enjoy doing so. It’s so much more engaging and energising doing something fun/creative/different than just unwrapping a gift.

It’s uniquely yours

Imagine the connection they have to the object they made by hand, rather than receiving the something made by someone else.

They achieved that – however rustic it may look, their time, effort and newfound skills went into making the item and that’s something for them to be proud of.

The experience could be for you but benefit others. As you know I offer chocolate workshop experiences. Imagine handing round chocolates this Christmas made by you. People who attend my workshops really appreciate the time and effort that goes into hand-dipping and decorating delicious creations. It’s not from the factory, you poured some love and energy into those. It makes all the difference. The making process is fun and therapeutic and giving gifts made by you is totally satisfying.

It costs more than a box of chocolates because it’s so much more than a box (or several bags) of chocolates!

Spend quality time and make connections

When they take part in their experience they will likely meet new people and make new connections. Spend some quality time with the tutor and/or other attendees and enjoy a shared experience.

It may be that the friend or family member (you) that purchased the experience has decided to join in too.

This enables you both to spend some real quality time together, creating lasting memories, laughs, and hopefully something to take away and treasure.

Maybe they are learning an ancient craft or skill and also feel connected to all those that honed that craft in the past.

Escape from real life

An experience enables the person some time away from commitments. It creates some proper me-time away from everything, engaging in the activity, and the chance to forget those worries and woes for a bit of time at least.

My hubby offers experiences for budding blacksmiths. No previous experience is necessary, turn up to the forge and he will teach some blacksmithing basics. Everyone will come away with something wonderful made from scratch.

Surely, there is nothing like hammering hot metal on the anvil to de-stress from the trials of life.

Boost your confidence

Learning a new skill is good for the brain. It excites and stimulates and we need this to stop us from becoming stale and stuck.

I found this quote in a toilet wallpaper in Shoreditch, London: “Your comfort zone will kill you.”

We all like a little comfort and familiarity but if we never challenge ourselves or try new things, it all becomes a little stale and boring. Maybe you never use your hands at work, and you really would love the chance to get creative again.

Doing an experience will give you a buzz and in turn, be great for your confidence.

Maybe there is someone you know who would really benefit from a little confidence boost this Christmas?

YES PLEASE, I WANT TO BUY AN EXPERIENCE!

Hopefully, the above five reasons have made you decide to ignore all the things you can buy and concentrate on buying experiences for loved ones instead.

Craftspeople are often small business owners, who love what they do and would love to share some of that love with others. Supporting small businesses makes the world of difference to them and I believe is a satisfying feeling for the purchaser too (I hope).

If you fancy purchasing a chocolate experience for a loved one, my gift vouchers last for six months (post-dated to Christmas). You can book for one person or organise a private group, or join in with others and come as a pair. Please drop me a line and let me know what you would like, I will forward all the purchase details and that’s another gift sorted.

For the budding blacksmith, my hubby’s gift vouchers last for one year from purchase (also post-dated to Christmas), and for more information on these, please visit his website.

Other experiences are of course available. We’ve found The Indytute have some good options to choose from with lots of different price points!

I hope you are the lucky recipient of an experience this Christmas – enjoy and have fun!