Hotel Chocolat to sell desserts fit for the stars

IT’S won a devoted following for its high-end chocolates and cafes....and now Hotel Chocolat is branching out in to puddings.

The firm is to sell desserts, after perfecting them for dinners at the Bafta awards this week ( pictured).

Hotel Chocolat, the official sponsor for the film awards, prepared the chocolate mousse for guests including Oscar-winning actress and filmmaker Angelina Jolie and Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence.

It created the mousse using its low-sugar milk chocolate and served with a sesame and nigella seed brittle and salted caramel chocolate sauce. Hotel Chocolat will make the dessert available to customers this weekend at its Borough Market store in London for £10.

The upmarket chocolatier announced the new menu after it revealed a 15pc jump in sales to £71.7m over the 26 weeks to December 31. Angus Thirlwell, co-founder and chief executive of Hotel Chocolat, said there was strong demand for its Valentine’s chocolate which would be reflected in its next results.

Profits also surged 15pc to £12.9m and the company opened ten new stores over the period.