I really like hot chocolate. Sometimes, I even surprise myself at how much hot chocolate I can enjoy in one sitting. Today I was honoured to be invited to judge the Academy of Chocolate drinking chocolate competition. For hours I was served portions of some of the best hot chocolates from craft chocolate makers around the world. When it was all done and dusted, I took the bus straight to Knoops for more.
Knoops is the kind of business I have been asking for for years and I have many times dreamt of starting myself. It now not only exists, but is thriving in the UK where several shops have opened. Jens Knoop, a fellow lover of hot chocolate, opened the first Knoops in Rye, East Sussex in 2013. The idea is simple and genius. First, choose from a wide range of different chocolates. Here I’m not talking about white, milk or dark, I’m taking about a 35% single origin white chocolate from Colombian cacao with floral notes from natural cocoa butter, a 49% dark milk single origin Venezuela with notes of molasses, pecan & coffee etc etc. From here you can choose your liquid which, if you choose a beautiful chocolate, should be something simple to allow the chocolate to shine, but can be any type of dairy or vegan milk one can imagine. Then you can go a bit crazy, adding extra flavors, chill, marshmallows, whipping cream. The sky is the limit.
A little bit of info is shared about the sourcing of their chocolates on their website but not a lot. Apparently they work with a handful of chocolate makers including craft chocolate maker Firetree who make beautiful chocolates made from sustainably sourced beans. I also love how they share the source of their milks and choice of packaging as well as their choices in relation to sustainable materials used in the designs of their shops.
The shops I visited in Kensington was busy, really busy and with no where to sit and enjoy your beautiful hot chocolate served in a paper cup (bah), one must stand and sip it unceremoniously, which is a bit of a shame. Knoops is a fantastic step in putting hot chocolate back in the central spot it once was still deserves to be in the UK and perhaps soon beyond.
Knoops, 80 Kensington High Street, London, UK. Hours: 7:00-22:00. www.knoops.co.uk @knoopschocolate
