It took me some time to recover from my first Chocolate Triathlon in October. Fortunately I am in good shape again and I can tell you about my experiences. The three parts were: Chocolate Unwrapped in London, The Single Origin Event in Amsterdam and Le Salon du Chocolat in Paris. Now up to London!

This was my first visit to Chocolate Unwrapped. The event was held in Vinopolis near Borough Market, a beautiful location. I helped both days at the booth of Original Beans. A lot of people visited the event and showed interest in our chocolate. I often heard: very delicious chocolate! Besides the bars we had something very special: freshly made chocolates by Geert Vercruysse. Cream-based ganaches with our Piura Porcelana, Beni Wild Harvest and Cru Virunga. Damian Allsop made water-based ganaches with the Piura and Virunga. It is very interesting to taste what happens if you add cream or water to these two chocolates. A completely different experience!

The very top British chocolatiers and chocolate companies were at the show: Duffy, William Curley, Paul A Young, Rococo, Paul Wayne Gregory, Lauden, Hotel Chocolat, Melt, Artisan du Chocolat, Sir Hans Sloane and Baruzzo. Also chocolate makers from France, Switzerland Hungary, Grenada, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Ecuador: Valrhona, Akessons, Idilio, Rzsavlgyi, Szanto, The Grenada Chocolate Company, Amedei, C-Amaro, Benot Nihant, Oialla, Friis Holm, Pacari and Kallari.

Of course I did some shopping myself. It was very nice to meet the Idilio-guys Niklaus and Pascal. I love their chocolate and I guess I was their best customer. I invited them to become member of The Chocolate Life and to tell us more about their company. So hopefully we hear more of them very soon. Someone who is already on this site but I didnt met before is Benot Nihant from Belgium. He and his wife were very proud to present their first bean to bars chocolate. My new-coming favourite of this event is Rasmus Bo Bojesen with his Wild Bolivian Oialla. This chocolate has a very mild and delicate taste. Take a look at:

http://www.oialla.dk I also enjoyed the presentation of Friis Holm. We tasted his new dark-milk chocolate that in my opinion doesnt taste like a traditional dark-milk. This one is very fruity: melon! Hungarian Rzsavlgyi won a few awards by the Academy of Chocolate this year so of course I must have these bars! His Principe I like most. The wrappings are lovely, they look like very special little gifts.

It was very nice to meet with and talk to all those chocolate minded people. Alex and Martin of Seventy Percent Club and Dom of Chocablog used the opportunity to taste our new Organic Piura. I had a few samples with me. Their first impression: they like this one more then the former recipe!

The most amazing lady was our neighbour: Lauden. http://www.laudenchocolate.com/

She makes gorgeous fresh fruit-based chocolates. What energy she has! She completely sold out in just one day!