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Hotel Chocolat's Tasting Club chocolate subscription services used to be a way to taste some of the new flavours the company was looking to roll out to its shops nationwide. Over the years, the Everything, Mellow, Tipsy and High Cocoa Tasting Club selections have morphed into a selection box of new and old, and they're a great way to taste a wide assortment of Hotel Chocolat's creations in an economical way.
But as these collections have morphed, and as the Hotel Chocolat product range has grown to include biscuits, chocolate alcohol, chocolate macarons, and more, it's left a gap. A gap where loyal customers can act as a focus group, shaping the Hotel Chocolat product range. A gap that's now filled by their latest subscription service, the Inventing Room Monthly Subscription Box, at £30/month.
The Inventing Room is a secretive area of Hotel Chocolat's Cambridgeshire factory, where recipes are created and refined by the Cacao Innovation Team long before they hit the shelves. It's a place only a select few ever see, and a place Hotel Chocolat chocolate-loving bloggers aspire to visit (wink, wink).
The Inventing Room Monthly Subscription Box taps into fresh and innovative creations straight out of the factory.
What's Inside The Box?
The monthly box will contain an assortment of small-batch products straight out of The Inventing Room. The packaging will be unlike Hotel Chocolat's retails pouches and bags, with brown bags replacing the sleek black and white wrappers. The chocolates won't even have a catchy name. They're simply a preview of things to come.
Hotel Chocolat promises to send you a monthly mystery box of chocolates, biscuits, hot chocolates, chocolate drinks, macarons, brownies, and other innovations yet to be named.
On the website, you'll learn about the inspiration and story behind every recipe featured in your box through video commentary. Membership also comes with the opportunity to access to members-only digital Inventing Room tasting events.
The best bit though (besides the eating part) is that your opinions will directly influence the direction of product development. Collectively as a focus group, your feedback will help determine what sees the light of days on the shop shelves. Now that's power!
How Much Does it Cost?
Hotel Chocolat's website claims the Inventing Room Monthly Subscription Box service has a "limited membership" and "places are available by invitation only". However, it's currently promoted on the home page of their website so I think there's an initial window where any customer can sign up.
By the looks of it, there's also a time-limited launch offer for VIP.me members who can save £10 off their first monthly payment of £30.
You can read about the Inventing Room Monthly Subscription Box service here, or you can find the Everything, Mellow, Tipsy and High Cocoa Tasting Club subscription services here (from £25/month).
Would you prefer the Inventing Room Monthly Subscription Box or Hotel Chocolat's classic subscription boxes? Let me know in the comments below.
