The Chocolate Post

Welcome to the June edition of the Chocolate Post. 

After a busy Easter-time we are looking forward to an ice cream-filled summer and a new shop in the autumn which – we can now confirm – will be located on Ebury Street, Pimlico Green. 

It continues to be a rewarding time for our talented young team and we are very proud to announce that Lucie Bennett, who has been working with us for over two years, has won the prestigious Academy of Culinary Arts Award of Excellence in Pastry. Well done Lucie! 

With best wishes, 
William & Suzue

Ebury Street

We are pleased to announce that our new shop will be located on Ebury Street, Pimlico Green. It will feature our current offerings as well as a specially designed Dessert area where customers can choose from a chocolate- inspired menu. 
Ebury Street is located in the area unofficially known as ‘Mozart Square’. This brings to mind what writer Bruce Palling remarked about our warm chocolate tart, served with Kyoto green-tea ice cream and raspberry compote: 
 “I tried one: the complexity and chocolate intensity was like hearing opera after a month of musicals.”  - The Economist Intelligent Life Magazine
We look forward to creating a symphony of taste this autumn, near the street where Mozart lived! 

Father’s Day

Pamper your dad this Father’s Day, 21st June - treat him to real chocolate from Curley creations. 
Award winning House Dark Chocolate Truffles are a true winner for the best of dads. Or if you would like to have a little twist, Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky Truffles will give good credit to your gift. 

Summer Market and Slow Food Market

If you are unable to make it to our shop in Richmond, why not pay us a visit us at the Summer Market on Thursday 18th June or the Slow Food Market 3-5th July
We’ve recently been involved in a few markets which offer an abundance of artisan producers. This is an exciting new venture for us, bringing what we do to an even wider audience. 
Our range of chocolates will be available to buy, including a new range of Nougat Montalimars: Classic, Cassis, Coffee & Walnut and chocolate & hazelnut. As well as all our couture chocolates & truffles, bars and of course a selection of our cakes and biscuits. 
We hope to see you there!

Summer Market : Thursday 18th June, 10.00am – 4.00pm
New Street Square, Holborn EC4
Nearest station: Chancery Lane, City Thameslink Rail

Slow Food Market : 3-5th July, Fri & Sat 11.00am – 8.00pm, Sun 11.00am – 6.00pm
Southbank Centre Square, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX
Nearest station: Waterloo

The Summer scoop

In addition to our popular classic and Japanese range of ice creams, this summer we are pleased to offer a delicious new ‘Coupe Menu’ at our shop in Richmond. Ice cream desserts topped with a variety of fruit, nuts and sauces. We also looking forward to serving a refreshing chilled chocolate mint drink, topped with Crème Chantilly.

 -Coupe Menu-
  Tahitian vanilla & Piedmont hazelnut
  Sicilian pistachio ice cream with marinated cherries
  Spicy pineapple Creole

Our ice creams have been recommended by Time Out and The Independent. The core Classic range includes: Tahitian Vanilla, Toscano 70% Chocolate, Sea Salted Caramel, Orange & Yogurt and Raspberry Sorbet. Our core Japanese range includes: Kyoto Green Tea, Toasted Sesame and Golden Chestnut.

Spotlight

  At William Curley we have a growing number of talented young chefs. As a business we take education and training very seriously. In conjunction with Thames Valley University and Westminster College, we strive to develop the next generation of chocolatiers and patissiers.

  This month we feature Lucie Bennett, who joined our team in 2007 after completing a Patisserie Scholarship at Westminster College.

  We are very proud to announce that in April Lucie was awarded The Academy of Culinary Arts Award of Excellence in Pastry, judged this year by top chefs including Heston Blumenthal. This prestigious award required Lucie to create a chocolate centrepiece, a Gateau Opera and traditional Hot Cross Buns – all in a five hour practical exam.

William says: “This is a great award for a young chef, showing excellent development and rounded skills. This achievement is a credit to the depth of Lucie’s work. In particular, her Opera – which is all about precision – was outstanding.” 
Suzue says: “Lucie’s work is consistent and shows a keen eye and touch; to have both is something very special. Lucie runs many of our Chocolate Course which is a measure of her skills, level of learning and ability to convey those to others.” 

What first got you into cooking?
Growing up in rural West Sussex, close to fresh produce, I was encouraged by all my family (especially my Mum) to take an interest in cooking. After finishing school, I studied Art at college and found that Pastry, being a highly visual element of haute cuisine, gave me a unique opportunity to use my artistic skills.

What were you first steps into the industry like?
I quickly realised that if you want to learn, you really have to push yourself. I trained at The Grand Hotel in Brighton and, after a year, at Jeremy’s Restaurant in Haywards Heath. Then a former classmate recommended I meet William Curley.

Why did you choose William Curley?

I wanted to learn more about patisserie and chocolate and I’d never seen or tasted anything quite like what William and Suzue had to offer. The first thing I tried was their Mont Blanc and it just blew me away.

What are your own personal ambitions?
My ambition is to one day open a patisserie and chocolate shop of my own in Brighton.  I also long to travel and would love to see the cocoa plantations in Madagascar or Venezuela. For now, I still have much to learn from William and Suzue and look forward to the many new challenges ahead.

What would you recommend to someone on their first visit to William Curley? 
For chocolate, I would recommend our four times Gold Award winning ‘Chuao’. For patisserie, I would suggest a Petit Four selection (with a Mille-Feuille of Chocolate, Cherry Choux Bun, Raspberry Mousse and mini Fruit Tart) – that way you get to try  four desserts at once!

Lucie’s Award of Excellence will be recognised at a Presentation Dinner at Langham Hotel on Tuesday 14th July.

Chocolate Shots

How chocolate is made

Cocoa makes quite a journey from bean to bar. Here are its key stages:

Cocoa pods are cut straight from the tree and the beans removed for fermentation. This can mean either covering the cocoa beans in banana leaves for up to 6 days, or storing them in boxes with holes in the bottom to drain the liquid away. The beans are dried in the sun for about a week before being stored in jute bags (which allow for natural ventilation).

On arrival at the factory the beans are cleaned, then roasted to bring out their aroma and crushed to remove their husks. They are ground to a paste (cocoa liquor).

Purified cocoa butter(this is made by the beans being squeezed by hydraulic presses to extract the cocoa butter, which is then filtered) is now added back to the cocoa paste  along with sugar to sweeten.  Milk powder is added for milk chocolate, while white chocolate is simply cocoa butter, sugar and milk powder. The mixture is kneaded together and put through rollers before being heated and rolled back and forth for up to 72 hours – this process is called conching  which helps give the chocolate a smooth round finish.

Finally, the chocolate is ready to be tempered. This ensures the chocolate has a good shine and the right consistency for filling moulds. Last, it is cooled into bars and blocks called couverture – this is what chocolatiers use to make their filled-chocolates and desserts.

What the Papers Say…

Is London now the world capital of chocolate? 

The Daily Telegraph - April 2009
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/5090233/Easter-2009-Is-London-now-the-world-capital-of-chocolate.html

William Curley's chocolate heaven in Richmond 

Surrey Life – April 2009 
http://www.surreylife.co.uk/main-menu-surrey-celebrities-and-people-william-curley's-chocolate-heaven-in-richmond--150944

Recipe

400 ml Water
90 g Caster Sugar
50 g Cocoa powder
120 g Dark chocolate (finely chopped)

METHOD

Boil together the water and caster sugar. 
Add the cocoa powder and continue to cook over a low heat for two minutes. 
Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, mix well. 
Strain through a fine sieve and cool rapidly. 
Churn in an ice cream machine.