Hotel Chocolat Valentine’s Day Chocolate Review and Giveaway
Well, so much for the detox and diet. Those lovely people at Hotel Chocolat have sent me another box of chocolates to review for Valentine’s Day.
The Head over Heels collection was my choice to sample – it’s a pretty, circular box which I will keep and use for odds and ends once all the chocolates have gone. And, quite a few of the chocolates inside are heart shaped. It came nicely packaged up with a card from a mystery man! When I’d opened the outer wrapping I tried to open it to check the content and pulled the ribbon bow on the top, only to find it was decorative. It’s sort of back together now, but if you are planning to get a box of these as a valentine gift please don’t try yourself unless you are very good at tying bows!
I had a friend round for dinner on Friday night (you can read about it here) so we decided to sample some of the box. The idea was to eat one or two. Hotel Chocolat make very lovely but rich chocolates and usually I can be quite well behaved. BUT, under the influence of some wine and,of course, my badly behaved friend we managed to scoff about 2/3rd of the box. Our excuse – well we kept trying them and finding that the truffles were not all what we both think of as truffles.
The Champagne truffles were just what they said on the tin. And to be honest, I’ve had them before and I very nearly asked for a full box to review (any lurking suitors who want to send me valentine chocolates, I’d be very happy with THESE). But, I think all the fruit ones were actually filled with a fruit cream rather than flavoured chocolate ganache. Not unpleasant, but not what we were expecting.
I’m afraid, true to form, my favourites all involved alcohol of some sort. A full box of Amaretto Amour would also suit me perfectly!
This box of chocolates retails at £25. You don’t get a lot of chocolate, but these are luxury products and come really beautifully packaged. And, I have to say, it’s almost the perfect size for two to eat after a romantic dinner and perhaps share the leftovers in bed the next morning!
If you’d like the chance to win one of these boxes please enter my giveaway below. I am closing it on 10th February, although I can’t guarantee that the chocolates will arrive in time for Valentine’s Day. If you want to be sure – you just need to go to the Hotel Chocolat site and order your Valentine’s Day gifts there. They have quite an extensive range of gifts, with plenty of little treats if you don’t want to buy a full box! And, they even have a next day delivery service if you leave things till the last minute.
My favourite are the really old fashioned rose and violet creams.
My mum used to love these.Can you still buy them?
wild flowers from my children are my best Valentine’s surprise!
I just love receiving a card each year with a lovely message inside
x
A Me to You teddy from my 2 gorgeous daughters x
My husband bought me a beautiful lemon tree which was in bloom and smelt divine – I still have it 5 years on so much better than any bunch of flowers.
A pair of shoes I had my eye on for a while ; )
Just flowers!
Sad as it may be I have never had a valentines surprise!
My favourite valentines gift is a ceramic Juicy Couture watch. It’s something I hope will last for years and I love wearing it.
I got an orchid a couple of years ago, and it is still looking beautiful.
I love receiving chocolates on Valentines day and think I’d be disappointed if I got anything else instead.
I tell you Fiona…it would be a huge surprise if I ever got anything for Valentines! We decided early on that it was a huge commercial rip off so after we got married we didn’t send cards or give gifts. 30 years later, seems to have worked!
my god daughter told me today that she got a valentine last year from an unknown boy. And, I think that’s rather sweet. I think it’s every bit as romantic to agree you don’t need to do anything though!
Flowers but it was a good while ago.
My best Valentine’s surprise was last year when my boyfriend of three months whisked me away to Rome – I knew we were going somewhere as he’d told me to take 2 days off work and bring my passport but I didn’t know where we were going- it was amazing! We even got a free upgrade in the hotel to the penthouse suite, so all in all a perfect weekend. And one year later and I’m taking him somewhere as a surprise – and funnily enough it involves a lot of chocolate!
My partner bought me a Chow Chow puppy one year, that’s the best present I ever got.
Ooh, my best valentine’s surprise? A tidy bedroom.
..Of course, flowers and chocolate don’t go amiss, either!
Choccies! Mmmmmmm
My wife once bought me tickets to watch Coldplay, awesome present
They all know my favourite surprise is violet creams. Funnily enough they were my mum’s favourites too. About one of the only things in life we ever agreed upon. x
a kiss from my loved one
Only surprise I’ve ever received was a bunch of lillies
engagement ring
My husband bought a rose bush for our first Valentine’s together and it’s still in the garden growing beautifully.
Bucks Fizz and breakfast in bed with roses
a meal out
Finding out I was pregnant :0)
An unsigned card but I know who it was from I think
chocolates……..even us men like to be remembered!
Champagne and chocolates ♥
Ambushing my chap’s workplace at lunchhour, while I was wearing basque/fishnets/high heels, wrapped in a fur coat (a particularly freezing February 14th that year) and biting on a red rose. I had a generous boss who extended my lunch hour for the occasion! Too old and porky to do that now….
One year, a long long time ago, I had 3 seperate bunches of flowers – delivered! Made me feel very special.
My one and only Valetines card ever (how sad!) when I was about seven from a boy in my class. It was the sweetest card I’d ever got but you can bet I was blushing furiously at the time.
These days I’d probably be happy with a bottle of wine and a nice night in with a DVD and some chocolate.
I have never had much in the way of a Valentines surprise! Though I once received a bunch of bright red roses when I was at school and I never found out who sent them. But no, it wasn’t my parents.
Was an engagement ring one year.
My first bottle of pink champagne ! I (begrudgingly) shared it with the gentlemen in question !
x
chocolates and roses
A three course meal cooked by my then boyfriend. Only problem was he couldn’t cook and I ended up having to gut the trout – nice!
My husband arriving home from work half-day with a huge bunch of flowers!
just a card was a surprise!
A lovely Me to You Teddy from my other half – he knows me so well:)
A lovely meal cooked for me
Flowers delivered at work and then came home to more flowers and candletlit dinner! awww!
A gorgeous gold ring from my very first boyfriend. He had made out that he got me nothing and then surprised me with a lovely ring!
Red roses deliver to my door.
Homemade heart shaped everything! I don’t try to make anything red though… makes everything look a bit bloody and fleshy!!
Hotel Chocolat products are delicious, I do love the champagne truffles.
A surprise visit from the man
My best Valentines surprise was a trip to Amsterdam. Ok, his back was subjecting him to abject pain by the time we arrived, it was freezing and he could hardly stand, much less walk around … but they say its the thought that counts and I truly appreeciated the effort he put into organising it and keeping it a secret
I love these chocs. They are very special and decadent
my husband always takes me out for a nice meal out which is a lovely treat as we dont get out often! Last year I came home to a nice balloon tied to the door for me and my daughter – lovely surprise!
I’ve never had one, so I should clearly win some delicious chocolate
@caro_mad x
My husband (then boyfriend) left notes around the house like a treasure hunt and the last clue was stuck to the tv remote and it said press play and Romeo & Juliet came on the tv!
My best Valentine surprise is if my husband gets me a gift! We have a mutual agreement that we don’t do Valentine’s Day, but every now and then he’ll get me what he always calls a ‘late extra Birthday present’ (my birthday is a fortnight before Valentine’s Day!) and leave it on my pillow when I go downstairs on Valentine’s morning to make our morning coffees! This probably happens once every three or four years, so it is always a nice surprise!
A helicopter!
(OK, so it was one of those little radio controlled ones!…)
That would be my **** feeding me **** dressed in ****
I’ll let you fill in the blanks…
only flowers im afraid nothing out of the normal
My favourite valentines surprise is a home -made cake: Im still waiting for it no matter how many hints I drop! I love hand made cards though and my fella usually makes me one which is lovely. I treasure them so much! xx
A romantic trip to Paris!
I met my wife on Valentine’s Day!
Lovely flowers
Flowers before we got married, nothing since ;-(
never really been spoilt on valentines because my birthday 4 days after and my ex always said he could not afford to spoil me twice but I have a lovely new boyfriend so maybe things will change lol
would love to be spoilt on valentines these would be just fantastic as l dont normally get much off my partner as not got lots money to spend on luxuarys great comp
I can’t remember having a surprise on Valentines Day although I have had surprises at other times.
It would be a surprise to have a mystery card as I have only ever had cards from both my husbands (I have been widowed twice).
I don’t think I’ve ever really had a surprise on V day!
The card my son made in nursery when he was three
The most enormous card, stuck to my front door as it was too large to fit through the letter box, when I was about 16! I never did find out who it was from!
WOULD LOVE THESE AS A GREAT SURPRIZE ON VALENTINES DAY NORMALLY END UP WITH A BOX MALTESERS AS MONEY BIT TIGHT.
Pink champagne
A couple of years ago the postman delivered a dozen red roses which were such a lovely surprise, and a surprise to my fiance too as they weren’t from him! I’d won them from The Sun!lol
A marriage proposal!!!
Hubbie and I don’t celebrate Valentines as it’s so close to my Birthday so I’m still waiting for a surprise!!!
A lovely meal at one of my favourite restaurants and a surprise trip!
Weekend in Paris
Me and OH dont bother with Valentines day,we not into all the hype
I just love a lovely big cuddle.
just a card is good enough and a nice text message
Valentines Day is a bit of a thing in my house – Basically I make it a thing – I declare Valentines Day to be whenever I feel like I need some tlc!! so every so often I tell my lovely husband “tomorrow is valentines day’ and bless him he just gives me that little bit extra attention, we can’t afford gives but time out together is special to me!
A silver heart necklace from my children:)
The man of my dreams asked me to marry him in one of my favorite places on a beach in malta and i really never expected it it was amazing we had dinner on the beach and watched the sunset to me it was like a fairytale
well i can never have any better than that lol
Yum, I love Hotel Chocolat and these would take my mind off being single at this time of year!!! Thank you for the chance to win.
I am happy if Valentine’s Day gets remembered and I get a card
My best surprise was my other half whisking me away to Paris which I knew nothing about!
I just had to say that chocolates from Hotel Chocolat are just divine
I was lucky enough to receive a box from them as a present from my daughter and i can honestly say that they were the best chocolates i had ever tasted
I’M STILL WAITING FOR IT (UNROMANTIC HUSBAND)
a surprise card
Half-price sale on engagement rings
I’ve never had a Valentine’s surprise and now that I’m single, actually getting a Valentine would be a massive surprise.
It’s got to be chocolates in a box as it’s something i would never buy myself!
A mug and teddy from poundland I was very surprised and horrified lol I must say since then they have been perfect!!
A lovely bunch of flowers
my kiddys
a big box of chocs
A dozen tea roses waiting for me when I got home
Before we were married my husband booked me the day off work in secret, turned off my alarm before he went to sleep and then woke me up with breakfast in bed. That was the day I knew I had found THE ONE!
a surprise night awayin a country pub
Suprise theatre tickets to my favourite musical!
A surprise for me would be getting a gift at all! Sad isn’t it – I can feel the violins coming out!!
Falling pregnant with Roo
@littleboo_21
A voucher for a helicopter ride over London-it was fantastic!
sadly i dont know what a valentine surprise looks like
2 years ago, my boyfriend roped in a number of my colleagues to assist him in breaking out into a song during our lunch hour. I didn’t expect him to make an appearance singing a song, so I was very pleasantly surprised but I truly felt like I was in a dream when my colleagues started singing and tapping their feet. It was a Wednesday. I’ll never, never forget that Valentine’s Day.
When I was a student, I found a single red rose on my pillow – still don’t know who put it there, but it made me smile and still intrigues me many years later
Chocolates every time!
An unexpected romantic meal out!
I proposed to my now wife on valentines day after a lovely meal.
Breakfast in bed with a new DVD to watch, and regular tea refills
It’s my hubbies birthday just before Valentine’s day, so it is usually a bit of an anticlimax. However, one year we were away celebrating his birthday in Cuba. He secretly arranged a lovely meal out in a local restaurant, and I was serenaded. It was a lovely surprise and very romantic
Ohh it would have to be my engagement ring
twitter – @mummybird_
Fab comp
A hot bath, glass of bubbly and chocolates, bed covered in rosepetals
I just love receiving a card and some choccies and flowers on Valentine’s Day. I’m easily pleased!
Wild Flowers from my grandchildren are my favourite.
It would be a surprise day off work with my Hubby and no children
a bacon butty in bed would be nice…!
I woke one Valentine’s to find that my then boyfriend had been to new Covent Garden and filled his car with flowers, these were then laid on the path to my house in a heart shape.
Hotel, champagne and chocolate
My four children made me a homemade Valentines cake last year and even created and decorated the gift box too! I am a single mum and don’t have a partner!
It would be a surprise to get one!
a ‘babysitting’ voucher from hubby along with a spa day voucher
Any gift is nice from my other half lol
A bunch of red roses delivered to work from a hugely unromantic boyfriend!
When I was in hospital & my husband had roses delivered to me
our son making me a valentines day card at nursery school!!
flowers from my other half
A safari holiday to Kenya – was amazing!
when he told me he couldnt spend the day with me but turned up when i finished work and showed me with small gifts i love
Kind thoughts and words …
do we really have to share these?
no of course not, entering is entirely optional;)
I love a hand made card and a wee box of choccies!
A surprise visit
A new job – meant we could think about buying a house together.
Sprang a surprise on my girlfriend by having the whole thing early to avoid all the commercial malarky.
An offer to wash the dishes!
just be lovely to get some flowers!!
breakfast in bed
A bottle of port, some cheese and a mankini – that was some night
A card would be a surprise lol
We don’t do the whole Valentines day thing.
A kiss and a cup of coffee in the morning is good enough for me.
It’s the little things he does all year round that make me happy, not following the crowd and buying cards and flowers.
A lovely card and a bar of Green & Blacks very dark chocolate.
To be whisked away for a romantic overnight break
I haven’t had a good surprise yet, but as my husband’s in Afghanistan for another 5 weeks, getting him home for Valentines would be an amazing (if slightly unrealistic!) surprise!
I hope you get him home safely! Even if not in time for Valentine’s day;)
A lovely homecooked dinner – good effort!
I’ve never had one. I was be completely surprised if I got a valentine card this year though
I remember getting a huge card back in my school days, but I think it was my Dad that had sent it!!! I always seemed to get valentines cards from my Dad and my Granny
A very posh restaurant meal
A bouquet of red roses delivered to my door many moons ago!!
We have been married for 35 years this year and the only valentine I’ve had was 3 years ago when my hubby sent me a valentine text. I was so shocked I cried!
im suprised if i even get a card!
my beautiful Daughter was born on Valentine’s Day, so an extra special day for us!
My boyfriend saying ‘I love you’ on our first valentines day together.
Boxes of Chocolate which I still don’t know who it was from
My hubby put a red rose on my car windscreen when we were dating – that was really unexpected!
i got surprised with a trip to paris last year! wow
was amazing lol
having a romantic meal cooked for me because I’d never expect it
Being taken out for dinner when I said to my new bf I’d never done Valentine’s before – I wasn’t expecting anything!
Sadly I never get anything for valentines we agreed we wouldn’t from day 1 but sometimes I just wish he’d be even a little romantic!
A bed covered in all my favourite things!
My favourite meal at home – its nothing fancy I just enjoy it!
just a nicely run bubble bath and a glass of cold champagne
My best valentine surprise was my teddy, chocs & flowers from my then boyfriend, now husband!
A red rose and a heart-shaped chocolate from the most unromantic man ever!
I once got a card from my wife and I can assure you that was a surprise….she never remembers to get cards.
A love song written by my boyfriend!
my hubby buying me a big pink love heart pillow, i still love it now!
A gorgeously complied mix tape – old school but still very sweet!
Best surprise…that I’m actually off on valentines and able to spend it with my Mr. Normally I’m working a late shift!
The best surprise would be to actually be with hubby on Valentines Day as he’s always travelling for work… however there are plenty of other days in the year to be together!
A bouquet of flowers delivered by a florist
my best ever valentines surprise was when my husband bought us a lobster for our romantic meal, I’m a huge seafood lover, lobster most of all
My husband took me out for dinner last year – fish and chips and then left me 2 weeks later!!!!
My wife proposed to me. I was so shocked I initially said no.
A trip to Paris
Finding out that my rabbit was pregnant.
A homecooked meal!
My boyfriend isn’t one for big surprises but he always gives me a card and flowers and cooks us a lovely dinner so I definitely don’t mind.
Tiffany Bracelet from my husband
Being taken away for the night to a country B&B.
A weekend trip to Paris, France with our little daughter. <3
Every year I get a red rose delivered, my Husband always denies it’s from him but I know him too well for him to be able to fool me.
Ain’t got it yet, but I know I got a very expensive Pandora bracelet, Hey I got access to his bank account.
Best valentine’s surprise was a bouquet of roses off my husband with a dinner reservation inside!
A Venetian cruise
roses from my hubbie were my best surprise
a trip to venice was my valentines treat from my husband, hes a real romantic on valentines day and spoils me rotten.
a bouquet of roses and some lush bath stuff : )
An engagement ring, followed by eating loads of cheesecake. I’m not sure which I preferred…
A last Rolo – cheesy but sweet
A bouquet of roses – surprising as my husband isn’t a flower-buying man!
chocolates
One year my hubby sent me a valentines card with a poem inside. This poem was meant to lead me to a necklace that he had hid for me. But I didnt realise when I was reading it that the poem was clues. So it was a surprise when my hubby came home from work and told me
best surprise was when I thought husband was still working abroad but he turned up for valentine’s day.
A nice cooked meal x
Flowers all the time for me
oh,I’d love to win, perfect any time, these chocs are not just for Valentines,they are for all year!
Candlelit dinner for two
Hubby will leave me in bed while he does the school run !! Best pressie ever having a day in bed !! x
My best valentines surprise was a bouquet of roses and a bottle of pink champagne!
I would love to get a lovely bouquet of flowers and some chocolates
my best valentines treat would be for my husband to be at home. He works away and it would be fab to have him home mid-week for valentines.
my best surprise on valentines day would be a day off work
I received an enormous bunch of flowers from an unknown admirer once.
Unfortunately they arrived just as I was about to go away for a long weekend so got plunged into a large bucket of water and left… they didn’t look quite so good by the time I got back
@00annabellee00
My best surprise so far was to be given lots of bunches of flowers all in one go! And when I ran out of vases, I opened the cupboard and I’d been given one of those too!
My boyfriend said I could learn to drive in his brand new car (I should have known it was strange as he loved that car and would not let anybody drive it let alone a learner) so we went to the local park where we spent a fun (!) filled hour of stalling and bunny hopping – how he kept his temper I will never know! Anyway we had to swap seats so he could drive us home so as I passed the back of the car he had fallen so I went to help him up only for him to say “get off me, I’m trying to propose u idiot!” – well I was sooooo flattered (ahem!) who could say no? And I did still have to help him up as his back had gone LOL Married 8 months later and here we are after almost 13 years – love him to bits xx
Sadly I’ve never really had a surprise – just the standard card, chocolates & flowers.
Best valentine’s surprise was actually receiving a card from my boyfriend at the time, as he usually forgot!
Went on the Orient Express but it was a very badly kept secret.Great fun x
My ‘best’ valentines surprise was paying to take my then boyf to Paris on Eurostar, Valentines night we went to the pink Eiffel tower and I gave him an aged scroll I had made with a poem I had written proposing to him.
The surprise? He said No!
Now I realise how good that was (but not at the time)
My best surprise was waking up to a cup of tea in bed, followed by flowers and chocolate!
Unexpected card
a simple kiss aand cuddle off the hubby x
holiday to paris
my best valentine surprise was a brooch that i hinted i wanted and i actually got it on the big day!!!!1
an old treadle sewing machine table for my electric/treadle sewing machine
we made a pact not to spend money on presents for valentines day. our view is that we dont need a set day to show each other we love each other. we’ve been together 13 years and the nicest way for us is to cook a nice meal when the kids are in bed, share a bottle of wine and have a laugh. much better than a pressie any day
Last year my husband arranged for a cleaning company to spring clean the house from top to bottom while I was out shopping. With two kids and working it had been getting on top of me and getting me down… Best Surprise EVER.
a couple of years ago we spent valentines day and our wedding anniversary in australia. On the day, hubby has secretly arranged with the resort to set up a secluded table for two on the beach at sunset where we had a gorgeous meal and bottle of bubbly. He set very high standards that year and so far hasn’t been able to top it
Never had a valentine day ‘surprise’ or present of any kind, so to recieve some Chocolat chocolates would be fantastic
A weekend in London. A total surprise.
a rose
a spa break!
My best one was when I arrived home from work to find my first boyfriend had decorated my bedroom with flowers all over and heart shaped balloons hanging from the ceiling, and was waiting for me with a rose in his teeth! We are no longer together, but I will always remember that!
My husband actually buying me a card and flowers, he usually forgets
A few years ago my now husband bought me the most beautiful Elle McPherson underwear, it was the right size and simply gorgeous, I was very impressed!
my partner once surprised me by taking me away for a romantic weekend he had managed to book me time off work and packed a case, i knew nothing about it until i arrived at the posh hotel.
It would be a surprise for me if my husband even knew when valentines day was
A trip to paris
chocolate heaven
My HUbby proposing 16 years ago
Best valentines surprise was when my boyfriend of the time not only remembered(!) but got me a model steam locomotive. Wow
(yes I’m serious – I thought it was great, still got it too!)
Any sort of chocolate covered toffee does it for me!
Just to wake up next to the woman I love
Love chocolates, fingers crossed for Valentines Day, have a good one everyone
My Best surprise is nothing
LOL
Thanks
my best surprise, i dont like surprises so none
To get anything would be a big surprise this year!
A Dior handbag
A hug and a kiss
champagne and chocolates
A huge box of flowers from my husband when he was away with work on Valentines Day – the only problem was I was about to drive to my sisters with the children to stay for half -term, spent the afternoon when we arrived trying to locate vases or bottles to put them all in – they were lovely though!
My husband proposed a week after we met, we were married within twelve weeks and are now celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary – he was definitely my best Valentine surprise and still continues to be more so with every year that passes.
A gorgeous card from my boyfriend when I had only known him a couple of weeks, I didnt get him anything !
I once came home to the cleanest house you have ever seen. I was over the moon (even if I later found out that it was because cleaners had been hired rather than true labour of love!).
a nice item of jewellery
My best surprise was my boyfriend actually remembering and making the effort x
Unexpected flowers when we were only dating and there were thousands of miles between us!
An engagement ring.
Best Valentine’s suprise? Spelling surprise with the correct amount of r’s
A cheque from my now Hubby for £1000 towards driving lessons and a car
cornwwall getaway
an engagement ring!!!!
Surprised me from work with a bottle of champagne, dinner reservation at quo vadis and some stand up comedy tickets – that was really a great evening
Sorry, messaged above but email was incorrect, have corrected now!
My husband making me an indoor evening candlelit picnic on the living room floor
Rose and violet creams. x
We haven’t “done” Valentine’s for years so anything would be a surprise for me! We decided that it was a commercial and highly exploitative occasion and keep well away from it. At times we’ve had a lovely meal or flowers etc the week after all the hype has died down!