The Chocolate Insider
HeyHey Local Laundry fam, thanks for joining us on tonight's blog! Tonight we have a very special, and tasty, guest blog from our friends at The Violet Chocolate Company! Rebecca is talking with us about her chocolate bizz and how she came to be making these delicious and unique chocolate bars! You're going to want to keep reading cuzzzz you might find a special surprise at the end of the blog (Psst! It may or may not be a discount code!). Keep scrolling and learn about how Rebecca went from working in a traditional kitchen to serving up the best chocolate in Edmonton! Read & enjoy :)
Hello, Local Laundry Crew! We’re very excited to share our story and a few chocolate-insider tips with you as this week’s guest blogger!
My name is Rebecca and I am the owner/founder and chocolatier for The Violet Chocolate Company. We’re a boutique chocolate shop that specializes in uniquely-flavoured bars.
All photos by Ampersand Grey
I trained as a Red Seal Chef and worked in traditional restaurant kitchens before I found my way to chocolate. We briefly touched on chocolate making in Culinary School, but it wasn’t until I took a job at a local chocolate shop that I discovered it was exactly what I wanted to be doing. When the owners decided to close their doors in 2012, I seized the opportunity to start my own business. Five years later, I still make every batch by hand and love to create flavours that take people by surprise. From award-winning flavours like our Honey Rosemary to current favourites like Lemon Espresso (which uses Calgary Heritage Roasters Sumatra Beans); it’s always exciting to push what people expect from chocolate while ensuring they taste only the best quality.
How do you pick out quality chocolate? Here are my top tips to make sure you enjoy every bite:
- Think quality over quantity. A piece of premium chocolate will leave you feeling more satisfied than eating something filled with sugar. High-quality chocolates don’t shy away from listing the cocoa percentage.
- The ingredients should be natural so, if you can’t pronounce them… don’t buy the product.
- Pay attention to the appearance of the chocolate. It will have a nice shine and crisp snap if it has been properly tempered.
- Like wine and coffee, the region where the cocoa is grown changes the natural flavour profile. Have fun and explore! For example, cocoa beans grown in Madagascar have citrus undertones giving even a darker chocolate a bright taste.
- Quality white chocolate won’t actually look white. The butter-like colouring is a sign that it is 100% cocoa butter and does not contain chemicals or hydrogenated fats. It will also taste incredible.
Ready to enjoy one of our bars? You can find them at Greater Goods in Calgary, a number of stockists in Edmonton or online at www.thevioletchocolatecompany.com!
For Local Laundry readers, we’d also like to get you started with a special discount! Use code LocalLaundry for 20% off any online order of $25 or more until July 31, 2017.
Follow our adventures on social media!
Instagram – @thevioletchocolatecompany
Twitter - @VioletChocolat
Facebook - @thevioletchocolatecompany
Back to Kathleen here! New in next Monday to see who we have on the blog next! If you are someone you know would like to be a guest blogger on our blog drop us a line! Chat at chaaa next week Calgary - stay local!
