Festive basket by Miles - age 4
In the run up to Christmas we have been running a Christmas competition via our factory shop. Since November customers far and wide have been picking up baskets from our shop manager Joan, making a donation for each basket, and returning the baskets for judging by our chocolatiers. Now we are proud to announce the lucky winners! Drum roll…
First prize: Eileen Lewis
Second prize: Wilma Goldstone
Third prize: S. McLuckie
We received some adorable kids entries and awarded surprise prizes of handmade chocolate santas to Miles Clarke, Morgan Pitfield and Sandra.
We are pleased to announce we raised £30 for Dorset West Country Hospital’s Boost charity 2011 digital mamography appeal. In addition to this, we have also stayed true to our values to do to the right thing to look after the environment and, rather than send out Christmas cards, we have again this year donated £500 to The Children’s Trust, a national children’s charity that relies entirely on the support of the community to provide the specialist therapy, education and residential care to children who have had a brain injury.
To donate yourself to either of these charities please visit:
Boost http://www.boostdch.co.uk/
The Children’s Trust www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk
Our offices will re-open on 3rd January 2012. Any orders placed through our online shop over the festive period will now be dispatched on 3rd January.
We would like to wish all our customers a very merry Christmas!
Thanks to everyone who made it along to the chocolate tasting at Windsor Farm Shop last week on Friday 9th December and met Laura, our area sales manager. We loved meeting you all and hope you enjoy your Christmas chocolates. If you are passing by don’t forget to drop in to pick up a few of our lovely chocolates http://bit.ly/cpLTRP Alternatively you can also visit our online shop www.hodchoc.com/shop
We were represented last week at the opening of a new Waitrose store by His Royal Highness Prince Charles just round the corner from our factory in Poundbury. Being just a stone’s throw away from our chocolate factory you might imagine that you can also buy a selection of House of Dorchester chocolates there and you would be quite right. At House of Dorchester we are no strangers to Prince Charles as our factory, which he opened in 1998 is on the same Duchy of Cornwall’s land. We also manufacture Duchy Originals chocolates. Prince Charles was accompanied by Mark Price, Waitrose Managing Director.
Today Laura, one of our busy area sales managers, is busy sampling chocolates at the Royal Horticultural Society in Wisley although not all herself – she has plenty to share around. Do pop down and say hello to us (and sample some chocolate delights of course!) if you are in the area. http://bit.ly/tRbz9m
Continuing our good work to promote our scrumptious Chocolate Larder biscuits Joan, our shop manager extraordinaire, visited Waitrose stores in Dorchester and Bridport last week. Our next tasting will be in Gillingham Waitrose store on 3rd November. If you weren’t one of the lucky Waitrose customers to participate in this tasting don’t forget that the Chocolate Larder biscuits are on sale on line, in regional Waitrose stores, as well as in a wide range of fine food stores, delicatessens, independent retailers, farm shops and garden centres. To find your local independent stockist simply visit our website http://www.hodchoc.com/on-the-high-street
Last week Natalie, our marketing executive, visited Waitrose stores to spread the word on our delicious Chocolate Larder biscuits which are stocked regionally in Waitrose. Visiting Wimborne, Parkstone and Winton branches, the biscuits went down a storm with shoppers split down the middle on which biscuit packed the best punch. Orange zest was very popular with chocolate orange fans, oats and honey’s crunchiness was loved by all but shoppers rated pecan and butterscotch as the most decadent and delicious all-rounder to have with a lovely cup of tea… but don’t take our word for it…. try them for yourself!
Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? We have some super organised House of Dorchester employees who are almost finished… But assuming you are still searching for the ultimate Christmas gift, how could you go wrong with a chocolate hamper? That’s what we thought too, so we decided to start selling chocolate hampers on our website. Here’s a picture of Natalie, our Marketing Executive, who recently (rather reluctantly, it has to be said!) posed behind a lifestyle shot of a selection of hampers for a magazine shoot. We hope you enjoy browsing our website and treating your friends and family to a chocolate hamper! http://www.hodchoc.com/hampers
If you were passing by Waitrose in Crewkerne last week you may have been lucky enough to meet Julian, our Business Development Manager, running a sampling session of our scrumptious Chocolate Larder biscuits. Julian will be sampling again in Dorchester and Bridport later this week and Gillingham on 3rd November. Natalie, our Marketing Executive, will also be visiting Waitrose stores in Wimborne, Parkstone and Winton later this week for more tastings so do stop by and say hello. If you miss us you can still buy the biscuits from selected Waitrose stores, as well as from a wide range of fine food stores, delicatessens, independent retailers, farm shops and garden centres. Simply visit http://www.hodchoc.com/on-the-high-street to find your nearest stockist..or you can buy online of course…. Enjoy Chocolate Larder biscuits anytime, or make your afternoon tea extra special!
Anyone for Chocolate Larder biscuits?
Matt at IGD Food Industry Awards 2011
This week we attended the glittering IGD Food Industry Awards ceremony and are very proud to annouce that our very own Willy Wonka otherwise known as Matt Tarran Senior Innovation, Product and Technical Manager won an award for top achievement in his Postgraduate Certificate in Food and Grocery Industry Management. Part of the IGD Academy, and validated by the University of Edinburgh, this qualification is built on food and grocery industry knowledge. Congratulations Matt and keep the wonderful chocolate creations coming!
House of Dorchester supporting the Macmillan World's Biggest Coffee Morning!
