Hotel Chocolat still laying golden eggs for owners

HOTEL Chocolat sales double every week in the run-up to Easter, as customers splash out on festive eggs, such as the best-selling Rocky Road Extra Thick, the Vegan Hamper or even the £80 Ostrich Egg, which is as big as the genuine article.

The company has even given away 500,000 mini chocolate bunnies to tempt customers in search of Easter bounty.

All this is good news for shareholders, helping the business deliver strong sales and profits this year and acquire enthusiastic new customers for the future.

Midas recommended Hotel Chocolat shares in December 2016 when they were at 264¼p. Today, the stock is 345p and brokers believe the price could top 400p over the next 12 months.

Hotel Chocolat prides itself on making and selling top quality chocolate.

The group has its own factory in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, there are more than 100 Hotel Chocolat stores and about 25 per cent of sales are generated through the Hotel Chocolat website.

Amazon and Ocado have recently begun to stock the group’s products and there are plans to add online partnerships overseas in time.

Brokers predict an 11 per cent increase in profits to £12.4 million for the year to June 30, accompanied by a 6 per cent rise in the dividend to 1.7p with even stronger gains pencilled in for next year. Midas verdict: Hotel Chocolat has made good progress, under chief executive and co-founder Angus Thirlwell. He and co-founder Peter Harris still own two-thirds of the shares, a strong sign of their commitment and enthusiasm. The stock should continue to deliver for investors.