It's going to get very, very messy. The Brits and Americans are set to battle it out on Saturday, Nov 21st, when the London Food Co. on Bloomfield Ave will hold its first Chocolate Off, confident in its belief that British chocolate is superior to its American counterpart, and prepared to prove it.
Says Samantha Codling, owner of LFC, "British Chocolate is so much creamier and tastier than American chocolate. I cannot eat Cadbury bars made by Hershey USA. I think that we (British) make some of the best chocolate in the world."
Hershey has a license to produce Cadbury chocolate in the US, although it uses a different recipe from the UK Cadbury.
Coddling could be on to something. I regularly spend $20 at LFC on nothing but Cadburys and 'British KitKat' as my kids call it. And others have found some bittersweet truth, too, to the store's claim.
The Wall St Journal found some Americans spurning US-made Cadbury bars because they had tasted of the originals made in the UK, described by the NYT as home of "The World's Best Candy Bars."
Cadbury, which already rejected a hostile bid by US food giant Kraft worth about $16.5 billion, is today reported to be pursued by Italy's Ferrero and Hershey of the US.
So, if you're ready for a showdown, the LFC will, on Saturday between 11.00am and 4.00pm, offer customers a taste of UK and US-made chocolate bars and ask which ones they prefer. The contenders are Cadburys Hershey's vs British Cadbury's, Rowntrees (USA) KitKat vs Nestle (UK) Kitkat and Mounds (USA) vs Bounty (UK). Customers will be able to vote which one is their favorite, UK chocolate, or US.
LFC will award a free chocolate bar to the first 30 customers if British Chocolate wins the Chocolate Off.
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Comments (16)
Does LFC carry Caramilk, made by Cadburys Canada? If so, I'll be there tomorrow!
Hopefully they have Hedley and Wyche toothpaste available for the post-contest brushing.
Click and Clack of "Car Talk" (Saturdays at 10:00 AM on WNYC) have a department wherein they peddle their wares called the "Shameless Commerce Department." If Baristanet had such a department, this story would fit right in.
(At least I said before Cathar screamed out "SLOW NEWS DAY!")
100% British Cadbury's is better than the USA version. I used to work with Nestle UK, and know a lot about Uk chocolate recipes. The taste Brits love is the milk powder - in a much higher percentage to the US formula. sugar and cocoa about the same... hence the taste is milkier.
My fav Brit choc is Areo, or Wispa (but after 2 you feel sick!!!!)
I think I may come down saturday, especially as I need to buy some Cadbury flake for my Thanks Giving trifle!!!! Yummy!
I'm with Conan on this one--at least file it under "and now a word for our sponsors." I went there this week after the big write-up about all their new stuff--and there wasn't much new stuff. But I heard more is coming soon....
Give me dark chocolate 70%+ fair trade. The rest {US & UK} IS JUST J-V.
I'll take a Kinderegg please.
Chrikkies! And I'm going to be in Miami. Dammit!
European chocolate is ten times better than the watered down, American chocolate. I was in Europe a month ago and someone brought me British KitKats, and they were wonderful!! I hate the KitKats in America because the chocolate is such poor quality...but the British chocolate was rich, creamy, and smooth. Even without tasting anything on Saturday, my vote goes to the Brits!
Ditto, ditto and ditto! British--and imported chocolate in general---is soooo much superior to the American counterparts. I rarely eat American chocolate anymore. I think part of the problem--and my British and Canadian friends back me up on this--is that Americans allow all sorts of junk and byproducts to be processed into their chocolate. One of the biggest offenders is high fructose corn syrup which not only tastes nasty but it's downright bad for you.
And someone mentioned 70% cocoa. I prefer dark chocolates and 70% cocoa or better. Lindt makes a 99% cocoa bar and it's getting harder to find but they're still out there.
Like chocolate? Check out Lillibelle farms in Oregon. They ship to Baristaville.
www.lilliebellefarms.com
The owner is a friend of mine, and his chocolate is really amazing.
I have to stop reading this thread..It makes me want to run to the candy machine.
Lindt dark, mmmm. The really good exception on the milk chocolate front, from England, is Cadbury Flake.
I gained 5 lbs just reading this thread.
I am so consumed by chocolate that I recently bought the LG Chocolate Touch phone.
Anyone want to join me for a Kit Kat?
Chocolate is spelt this wqy >> DOVE !