Holdsworth Fiery Stem Ginger Dark Chocolates

A huge thankyou to the lovely Holdsworths Chocolates for today's review; they kindly sent me some of their delicious handmade chocolate range recently including milk and dark varieties. I thought I'd start with the "Fiery Stem Ginger enrobed in Dark Chocolate" first since I'd been avoiding dairy for a while - these contain no dairy and are suitable for vegans. Described as "The finest crystallised stem ginger enrobed in dark chocolate - a spicy exotic treat coupled with the secret powers of ginger", they are available direct from Holdsworths website or from department stores like John Lewis. I believe Waitrose also stock some of their range.

So what sets these apart from other chocolate gingers? Are they worth going out of your way for?

Firstly I have to say I do love the pack design, it looks premium and makes the chocolates feel extra special indeed. These would definitely make a lovely gift, whether for a loved one or all to yourself! The gingers are wrapped in a plastic inner bag, which I carefully opened.

Right away I could tell these were better quality than your average chocolate gingers; the chocolate actually smells like a good quality dark chocolate. I cut one of them open (above) so you get an idea of the ratio of chocolate to ginger.

Taking a bite, I was actually surprised how good these tasted! I usually think of chocolate gingers as an overly sweet snack only suitable at Christmastime, but these proved me very wrong, the ginger tastes warm and spicy but isn't overly sugary like most. It's just sweet enough to be moreish, and paired with the flavoursome dark chocolate it's the perfect balance. A few of these make for a very satisfying and indulgent little snack! And they're warming on a cold, wet day (which we've been having a lot of lately it seems), so you can eat them "for medicinal purposes" if you need an excuse to indluge ;)

As my introduction to Holdsworths Chocolates I have to say I was very impressed with these. The quality is excellent and they taste superb. Are they worth the extra money compared to cheaper brands? Yes, definitely! They're also worth going out of your way for - not only are you supporting a smaller local business, but you will get more enjoyment from these than a cheaper version. Highly recommended especially if you're dairy-free or vegan and need some chocolate variation!

Available from http://www.holdsworthchocolates.co.uk, as well as John Lewis.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate 55% (cocoa mass, cocoa butter, emulsifier soya lecithin, natural vanilla), Ginger 45% (sugar, preservative sulphur dioxide). Cocoa solids 60% minimum. 

8.5 out of 10.