Notes on chocolate: mix and match your favourites

It’s very hard to recommend chocolate for this time of year. If you haven’t bought any for presents, then you really are down to local shops. But that’s no bad thing. Once, a friend bought me a bag of all my childhood favourites from the newsagent’s. I don’t know if it was planned or last minute, but it was a real winner.

This year the number one last-minute question I’ve been asked is: ‘Can you recommend where I can buy a large box of good, assorted chocolates?’ This is where your chocolatier nearby comes in and you’d be surprised how many there are, from Mocha in Yorkshire to Chococo in Dorset and lots in between. It’s fun pointing and saying, ‘that one’ and filling your own box. I’m sure they’d love to see you before Christmas and you can often try before you buy.

My top tip for this year, then, is Rococo. I love the festive selection boxes (especially the idea of buying a big box, because it’s so child-in-a-sweet-shop). Mini boxes start at £3 and holds eight, but the real fun starts with the larger ones. There are three sizes, all £5 each, but they hold 9/16/25 pieces. You make your selection (£2.50 per chocolate) so you could, in theory, have all hard centres, or all soft centres. Whatever you fancy.

It’s too late for Christmas postal ordering, but if you live in London you can visit one of their two shops (Chelsea and Marylebone) in person. And if you want to order for delivery betwixt Christmas and January – because let’s not forget New Year celebrations – then you still can.