Hi. I’m Christina and I’m a chocoholic.
With this in mind you can imagine my delight when, after reading about a fancy new chocolate by Scottish chocolatier Iain Burnett to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday, Mr Daydreamer came home with a box of them!
Well, not exactly. But close enough.
Iain Burnett – AKA The Highland Chocolatier – has indeed created a bespoke chocolate, using blackberries from Her Royal Majesty’s very own gardens at Sandringham as a decadent filling. Mr Daydreamer (who is a photographer for local publisher DC Thomson) went along to take a photo of said fancy chocolate, and afterwards he was allowed to taste it. After a small bite, he joked that he’d take the remaining half home to his chocolate-obsessed wife (who also happens to love the Queen) – the good people at The Highland Chocolatier gave him an entire box of Iain Burnett’s chocolates instead (sadly, Queenie’s choc wasn’t included, but husband did confirm that it was yummy).
I was presented with my super duper chocolates, which were nestled inside a luxurious red box gilded with gold, and embossed with The Highland Chocolatier’s logo. Each chocolate was a feast for the eyes; from filigree gold lettering on dark chocolate to pink floral prints and engraved details, these were chocolates to be ogled before consumption. They were so pretty in all their finery that I had to photograph them to share with you! Of course, immediately afterwards we devoured them with my mum, while laughing at Tatler’s tongue-in-cheek royal supplement magazine.
The chocolates were, of course, delicious. In particular, the dark chocolate was smooth and intense, and the mint chocolate so fresh and strong it reminded us of the mint tea in Morocco. Instead of generic flavouring, Iain Burnett uses real, fresh mint, so the taste is powerful and much more enjoyable. But, of course, The Highland Chocolatier does not do cheap chocolate – you can taste the attention to detail. His work is an art form and they would make a beautiful gift or favour at a special occasion.
I guess it’s obvious why I love chocolate, but you might wonder why I love Queen Elizabeth. Well, I respect her for her sense of duty to her country. She’s 90 – 90! – and has reigned for 64 years, more time than most of us will ever dedicate to work (admittedly, we don’t all have life’s luxuries to help us along the way). What’s more, HRH has never faltered – she has remained dignified and composed despite the difficulties and criticism the royal family has faced. I suppose, for me, she’s a bit of a role model. And, my goodness, she’s a woman who understands the importance of a good handbag.
Really good chocolates for a great Queen, a very timely blog!
Lovely piece for our sovereign. Chocs also look beautiful so I am sure they tasted sublime.
Author 10th May 2016 / 20:24
Did you try one? At mum’s xx