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Hotel Chocolat Everything Collection Gift Hamper Review

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I recently wrote about my Christmas present of a Hotel Chocolat Patisserie H-Box. Well, it had babies. Not really, but another friend - who also knows me very well - sent me over this chocolate hamper for Christmas.

Hotel Chocolat's Everything Collection Gift Hamper does what it says on the box. This affordable gift box contains a bit of everything from different parts of the range, although it leans heavily towards the sweeter side of things, with a focus on caramel and dessert flavours.

Again, I exercised my willpower long enough to take photos of the treats inside, which you'll find below.


Packaging

Hotel Chocolat does many things right, and creating beautiful-looking packaging is an aspect it nails. This sleek black lidded board box features a window into the contents inside, while a white elasticated bow seals the box closed.

Hotel Chocolat Everything Hamper Review
Hotel Chocolat's Everything Hamper

The products inside sit on a plastic tray that raises the height of them, and keeps them in place during transit. On the plus side, everything stays put while shipping across the country. On the downside, the chunky box is filled with a lot of empty space. Reducing the height of the box would minimise the necessary packaging, but I accept that this would reduce the wow-factor impact of this gift box on recipients.

Inside Hotel Chocolat's Everything Hamper
Inside the Everything Hamper

Inside, there's a selection of products from the range. There's two packs of chocolate buttons (Puddles in Hotel Chocolat speak), two Selector packs with six chocolates inside each, the cutest mini pack of Patisserie chocolates, and three equally cute Nano slabs of chocolate.

Hotel Chocolat's Everything Hamper Products
A variety of milk and dark chocolate treats

These are mostly retail products that are available separately online and in store, although some items look made especially for Hotel Chocolat's gifting range (such as the Patisserie sampler pack). There's something for everyone in here, in a variety of formats so should appeal to a wide section of society.


Hotel Chocolat Everything Collection Gift Hamper Review

Each of the products in the hamper is individually wrapped, meaning you don't have to gobble down the whole lot in one go. You can take your time and savour the flavours.

Some of the products are full retail versions of products, such as the Selector packs. Others, such as the mini pack of Patisserie chocolates, look like they've been produced exclusively for Hotel Chocolat's gift hamper range. In total, there's 444g of chocolate inside this box.

Just so you know, all products may contain allergens, including cereals containing gluten, and may contain traces of tree nuts, peanuts, gluten, wheat, egg, and sesame.


1 Salted Caramel Puddles

75g

Hotel Chocolat Salted Caramel Puddles
Salted Caramel Puddles

Hotel Chocolat Salted Caramel Puddles ingredients:
Cocoa solids (cocoa butter, cocoa mass), sugar, full cream milk powder, caramelised sugar (4%), skimmed milk powder, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), flavourings, salt, natural colour (paprika). Cocoa solids: 36% minimum. Milk solids: 26% minimum.

  • What they say: Caramel chocolate discs with a hint of sea salt.
  • What I say: A sweet buttery aroma wafts from the bag as you break the seal. Notes of butterscotch, caramel and cream dominate both the fragrance and the flavour. The caramelised milk chocolate provides most of the flavour while flecks of crunchy caramel pieces add a textural contrast. I'd prefer disks of caramel milk chocolate without the crunch, but am grateful the salt is low-key in this recipe. These sweet chocolate buttons are especially moreish and you'll find yourself dipping in again and again.

2 Strawberries & Cream Chocolate Puddles

115g

Hotel Chocolat Strawberries & Cream Chocolate Puddles
Strawberries & Cream Chocolate Puddles

Hotel Chocolat Strawberries & Cream Chocolate Puddles ingredients:
Cocoa butter, sugar, full cream milk powder, skimmed milk powder, freeze dried strawberry powder (3%), emulsifier (SOYA lecithin). Cocoa solids: 36% minimum. Milk solids: 27% minimum.

  • What they say: A classic pairing with fruity strawberry and creamy white chocolate in discs.
  • What I say: Quite pale in colour, these large chocolate buttons exhibit the trademark creamy and buttery aroma of white chocolate with just a hint of berries that sits behind. The same can be said for the taste too, as the white chocolate dominates here. The strawberry flavour is subtle but develops more towards the end, where a gentle tang emerges too. The gritty flecks of strawberry hang around in your mouth too. While these buttons evoke the same flavour characteristics as a bowl full of strawberries drenched in fresh cream, the flavour is somewhat muted.

3 A Trio Of Nano Slab

3 x 18g

Hotel Chocolat Milk Chocolate Cookies Nano Slab ingredients:
Cocoa solids (cocoa mass, cocoa butter), sugar, full cream milk powder, dark cocoa biscuits (11%) (wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium, iron, niacin, thiamin), sugar, vegetable oils (palm, rapeseed), cocoa powder, malt blend (glucose syrup, barley syrup, barley malt extract), raising agents (sodium bicarbonate, tartaric acid), salt, flavouring), emulsifier (soya lecithin). Cocoa solids: 50% minimum. Milk solids: 21% minimum.

Hotel Chocolat 70% Dark Fruit & Nut Nano Slab ingredients:
Cocoa solids (cocoa mass, cocoa butter), sugar, hazelnuts (13%), hazelnut paste (8%), golden raisins (6%) (raisins, sunflower oil, preservative (sulphites)), emulsifier (soya lecithin), flavourings. Cocoa solids: 70% minimum.

Hotel Chocolat Salted Caramel Nano Slab ingredients:
Cocoa solids (cocoa butter, cocoa mass), sugar, full cream milk powder, caramelised sugar (sugar, glucose syrup), emulsifier (soya lecithin), sea salt. Cocoa solids: 40% minimum. Milk solids: 20% minimum.

  • What they say: A small slab of 50% milk chocolate with dark cocoa biscuits (Milk Chocolate Cookies); A small slab of 70% dark chocolate with hazelnuts and golden raisins (70% Dark Fruit & Nut); and a small slab of 40% milk chocolate with caramelised sugar and sea salt (Salted Caramel).
  • What I say: The Salted Caramel slab behaves much like the buttons above, albeit in a chunkier format where the salt is considerably more pronounced. Again, I find the crunchy caramel pieces distracting, as well as the extra saltiness. The 50% milk chocolate base sets a creamy foundation for the dark chocolate cookie pieces, which a biscuity-cakey texture and flavour to the mix. There's a touch of salt in the mix, which sits right at the front. This is a very rich slab but again, I find the salt too distracting. The 70% slab serves up notes of coconut in the aroma but it's the hazelnut that dominates in the flavour. The golden raisins add chew while the nuts add crunch. The dark chocolate base adds richness and a slight bitter edge but pairs exceptionally well with the whole hazelnut, and the aftertaste is nicely rounded. For me, this is my favourite of the trio.

4 Billionaire's Shortbread Selector

75g

Hotel Chocolat Billionaire's Shortbread Selector ingredients:
Sweetened hazelnut paste (28%) (hazelnuts, sugar, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin)), cocoa solids (cocoa butter, cocoa mass), sugar, full cream milk powder, shortbread biscuits (2%) (wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oils (palm, rapeseed), golden syrup, tapioca starch, salt, raising agents (sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate)), butter oil, skimmed milk powder, emulsifier (soya lecithin), natural flavours (toffee, caramel, vanilla), caramelised sugar, natural colours (paprika, annatto). Cocoa solids: 40% minimum. Milk solids: 20% minimum.

  • What they say: Six milk chocolate bonbons filled with caramel, cookies, and hazelnut paste.
  • What I say: Hotel Chocolat takes the classic Millionaire's Shortbread and ups the ante with its Billionaire’s Shortbread bonbon! The sweet caramel-biscuit aroma tempts you in, and the flavour matches the aroma to a tee, with the addition of notes of vanilla. The biscuits add crunch and flavour that works well against the caramel and creamy milk chocolate vibes going on here. The hazelnut flavour is especially muted compared to the forcefulness of the caramel, and it's the caramel notes that linger into the aftertaste.

5 Brownie Chocolate Selector

75g

Hotel Chocolat Brownie Chocolate Selector

Hotel Chocolat Brownie Chocolate Selector ingredients:
Cocoa solids (cocoa mass, cocoa butter), sugar, full cream milk powder, pecan nut paste (11%), nibbed pecan nuts (6%), butter oil, skimmed milk powder, emulsifiers (soya lecithin, sunflower lecithin), caramelised sugar, natural flavours (vanilla, caramel), natural colour (paprika). Cocoa solids: 50% minimum. Milk solids: 20% minimum.

  • What they say: Six milk chocolate bonbons filled with dense, cocoa-rich chocolate brownie.
  • What I say: Based on a chocolate brownie, this decadent Selector contains a dense and rich pecan praline. There's a generous quantity of pecan crunch for texture and flavour. Whereas I could happily wolf down several Billionaire's Shortbread Selectors without too much hesitation, just a couple of these punchy little Brownie Selectors at a time is enough for me as they are so rich.

6 Patisserie Mini Selection

50g

Hotel Chocolat Patisserie Mini Selection ingredients:
Cocoa solids (cocoa butter, cocoa mass), sugar, full cream milk powder, sweetened hazelnut paste (hazelnuts, sugar, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin)), caramel half-salted butter (glucose fructose syrup, sweetened condensed milk, half salted butter, sugar, water, salt), vegetable oils (palm, rapeseed), pecan nut paste, butter oil, nibbed pecan nuts, whole milk powder, stabilisers (sorbitol, glycerol), whipping cream (cream, stabiliser (carrageenan)), cocoa biscuits (wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium, iron, niacin, thiamin), sugar, vegetable oils (palm, rapeseed), cocoa powder, malt blend (glucose syrup, barley syrup, barley malt extract), skimmed milk powder, raising agents (sodium bicarbonate, tartaric acid), salt, flavouring), skimmed milk powder, glucose syrup, milk fat, shortcake biscuits (wheat flour (wheat flour (calcium, iron, niacin, thiamin), non-hydrogenated vegetable fat (palm oil, shea, rapeseed oil), sugar, invert sugar syrup, tapioca starch, salt, raising agents (sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate), emulsifier (sunflower lecithin)), organic cocoa butter, yoghurt powder, emulsifiers (soya lecithin, sunflower lecithin), Arabian coffee paste (coffee paste, refined sunflower oil, flavouring, fruit extract, glycerin), flavourings, caramelised sugar, acidity regulators (malic acid, citric acid), natural colours (paprika, annatto). Cocoa solids: 40% minimum (milk chocolate); 50% minimum (milk chocolate). Milk solids: 20% minimum (milk chocolates).

  • What they say: Four samples of classic favourites from the Patisserie chocolate collection.
  • What I say: It's slightly disappointing to see the Billionaire's Shortbread and Brownie bonbons in this cut-down version of the Hotel Chocolat Patisserie H-Box, especially when there's so much choice in the range. They're flanked by Tiramisu and Caramel Cheesecake bonbons but it would have been great to see Carrot Cake and Apple Strudel replace the duplicates. Had the six-pack Selectors not have been in this hamper, this little taster of the Patisserie collection would have been a lovely introduction to it. Veering towards the sweeter side of life, Billionaire's Shortbread serves up its caramel-biscuit charm, while Brownie delivers a richly satisfying experience through its dense pecan praline filling. Caramel Cheesecake also serves up buttery caramel flavours together with a lactic notes from the mascarpone and yoghurt in the recipe. Tiramisu is one of my favourites from the Patisserie collection and it can do no wrong in my eyes. What's not to love about the creaminess of yoghurt and mascarpone paired with a tasty espresso flavour and the gentle bitterness of a dark chocolate shell? It's a tasty Italian tiramisu presented in chocolate form.

Overall, this is a beautifully presented gift hamper with a good range of products from the Hotel Chocolat range to try. While it leans closer to the sweeter, fruitier side of things, there's something in here for everyone and gives a very good first impression of the Hotel Chocolat brand to newbies.

The packaging is ideal for giving as a gift, with a sleek black board box and white elasticated ribbon. I received mine as a Christmas present but this would equally work well as a birthday present, a 'just because' gift, or as an anniversary gift.

Hotel Chocolat Everything Collection Gift Hamper Review

RRP: £27.50 | Hotel Chocolat | Shop now

A beautifully presented hamper of assorted Hotel Chocolat goodies. The contents feel generous for the price point, and span a good selection of the range, with a leaning towards sweeter, fruitier and dessert-based flavours. This is a versatile gift box that is ideal for gifting to friends and families all year round.

Packaging
Appearance
Variety
Value For Money
Score: 4.3

Where to Buy Online

You can buy Hotel Chocolat's The Everything Gift Collection Chocolate Hamper online here or instore (£27.50).

You'll also find a selection of Hotel Chocolat gift collections on Amazon here°. I couldn't spot the Everything Hamper on there but there's a few alternatives that are similar.

Who would you send an Everything Hamper to and why? Let me know in a comment below.

Disclosure: A friend kindly gave me Hotel Chocolat's Everything Hamper as a Christmas present. Clearly, I was not asked for a review but couldn't pass on the opportunity to share my thoughts! My opinions are my own.

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