Whether searching for gifts or looking to stock up your own cupboards, the festive season is always sweeter with a ready supply of chocolate truffles, nutty pralines and gooey caramels.
Here are 10 chocolatiers across Scotland who are at the top of their game, and crafting handmade alternatives to mass-produced selection boxes that are sure to put a smile on anyone’s face this Christmas.
Bare Bones Chocolate
bareboneschocolate.co.uk
A favourite with Glasgow pastry chefs, Bare Bones produces micro batches of their bean-to-bar chocolate from a small factory in the heart of the city centre.
Bars are made without soya lecithin, vegetable fats, additives or E-numbers and are given two to three weeks to age before going on sale.
Like a fine wine or cheese, this allows the complex flavours time to develop and enrich.
Chocolatia
www.chocolatia.co.uk
Forfar base chocolatier Chloe Oswald took a leap of faith in launching her own business in 2020, after time spent as a pastry chef in some of Scotland’s leading restaurants.
The Great Taste 2023 award-winning pecan pie, hazelnut latte and sea salt caramel flavours are now available to purchase in a nine-piece box that can be pre-ordered in time for Christmas.
Well, it would be rude not to see what all the fuss is about.
Chocolates of Glenshiel
www.chocolatesofglenshiel.com
Finlay Macleod first launched Chocolates of Glenshiel when he was just 16 years old, taking inspiration from Sunday afternoons spent baking scones and cakes with both of his grandmothers.
Chocolates are crafted in a small kitchen on the banks of Loch Duich and are infused with locally sourced ingredients like foraged elderflower and heather honey.
Iain Burnett - The Highland Chocolatier
highlandchocolatier.com
Perhaps best known for his range of award-winning truffles, master chocolatier Iain Burnett works from a world-renowned chocolate kitchen and shop in Perthshire.
It was while growing up on a Scottish island that he first began to combine spices with local ingredients in his father’s kitchen and discovered a passion that would lead him to train Chocolatiers of the French, Belgian and Swiss schools to develop his own signature style.
Lime Tree Larder
limetreelarder.co.uk
The Lime Tree Larder was established in 2004 after the opportunity arose to transform a redundant farm stable into a production unit for handmade chocolates and ice cream.
From dark chocolate coated stem ginger to milk chocolate butter fudge, there’s a treat to suit every taste to be found online or at their Ayrshire farm shop.
The team also offers Chocolate Workshops for small groups of all ages which offer the chance to put your skills to the test.
Cocoa Black
www.cocoablack.com
The Cocoa Black shop in the Scottish borders prides itself as a ‘must-visit stop-off for international chefs, celebrities, royals and blissed-out chocolate lovers from around the world’.
It’s a reputation earned by founder Ruth Hinks, who in 2013 bagged the highest international prize ever won by a UK chocolatier as she was crowned the World Chocolate Master.
The ‘World Chocolate Master’ collection available from Cocoa Black gives a taste of the creations that secured her win from a white Russian ganache to Brazil nut praline.
Arran Chocolate Factory - James of Arran
www.jamesofarran.com
Anyone lucky enough to have holidayed on the Island of Arran is sure to be familiar with the stunning range of sweets on offer at this Brodick chocolate shop.
For over 20 years the team has been producing truffles, pralines and filled chocolates made using no less than 54% cocoa solids with a selection of limited edition Christmas tins now included in their online shop.
Chocolate Tree
www.choctree.co.uk
Chocolate Tree founders Alistair and Friederike first met at a Scottish music festival, and soon set out to sell a range of hot chocolate, bakes and bars at events across the country.
They are committed to both making a positive impact on the planet and producing great-tasting organic craft chocolate that’s made with agro-forested cacao.
If you’re searching for a quirky stocking filler, look no further than a ‘haggis spice bar’ of dark chocolate infused with flavours of pepper, coriander and nutmeg.
Islay Cocoa
islaycocoa.co.uk
Emma Goudie left behind a career in hospitality to start Islay Cocoa from her Laphroaig home with a view to working alongside and celebrating Scotland’s many artisan producers.
Chocolate bars are made using locally sourced ingredients like toasted sourdough pieces from the Island Bakehouse on Jura or sea salt from Islay’s Orsay Sea Salt.
Cocoa Mountain
www.cocoamountain.co.uk
Cocoa Mountain was founded with the simple aim of producing “the most delicious, fresh, and innovative chocolates on the planet”.
Champagne truffles, salted butter caramels and organic chocolate shards packed with peanuts and raisins are just some of the handmade sweets on offer, although it’s difficult to resist the temptation of a mammoth double-layer box containing an assortment of 40 milk chocolates.
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