Taste test: posh chocs

KOSHER chocolate’s image in the UK isn’t posh — apart from the ubiquitous Bendicks bittermints. Other than that, it’s all American or Israeli sugar-filled slabs.

Well, JC staff always like a challenge. So we tested some kosher brands that are definitely more upmarket.

Kennard’s (https://desire4food. com) award-winning artisan chocolates are not just certified kosher, but vegan too. The company was set up specifically to address the question of why it was so hard to get good quality kosher chocolates.

Our taste-testers tried a box of 16 assorted “premium” chocolates (£17) and generally thought they were delicious, with a great variety of fillings, from raspberry flower to smooth caramel. The peanut butter truffle was a particular winner. Our in-house plain chocolate expert thought they were a little sweet, but was generally out-voted.

Cocoa

Runners

(https:// cocoarunners.

A bar of Taza com)are another artisan chocolate specialist. The company say they have tasted over 5,000 different bars from different makers and that they only sell the bars they love. The packaging is all very hipster —and looks great.

We tried a number of bars including Bonnat Madagascar (£10.95), Taza “stone ground” from Belize (£7.95) and Askinosie, 77 per cent dark from the Philippines.

Our dark chocolate expert was torn between the Taza and Askinosie for his favourite, while almost everyone else picked the Bonnat as the most delicious. The Taza was certainly different, with a rough texture, while the Askinosie tasted the most “normal”. All would appeal to people who like the dark stuff to be strong and pure.

Finally, Shoshana Gertner runs Yum Artisanal Chocolate which makes honeycomb crunch, peanut butter rocky road, sweet and salty pretzel (utterly delicious) and fruit and nut. These are sold by the box at £12 and the jar for £15. Contact yumchoc@hotmail. com