Chocolate Festival or Choc Star stole the show!

“ …and far too much chocolate than any normal human body can take will do to you. I am most definitely suffering from a chocolate-induced hangover now; I've just eaten a slice of bread in an attempt to get the taste out of my mouth. I can only hope I recover in time for the chocolate festival this weekend! I was intending to go tomorrow to beat the crowds, but I doubt I'll be in any fit shape to go.’’

A quote from one of my favourite bloggers. Little Miss Random, I just had to with this excerpt of yours, it appropriates this post like nothing else I could think of. Thank you in advance.

My partiality towards chocolates only came about five months ago when I stopped smoking. No I’m no chocoholic but I do appreciate the finer aspects of it, and rather like fine wine (erm, I no longer drink as well) I can exploit them with the near photographic memory of my taste buds. London’s first Chocolate Festival at the Southbank Centre was grapevined at the indispensable London Eating blog.

A near perfect spring afternoon, albeit hazy. The Southbank Centre whether you like or not, is part of a carbuncle alley zone that is proving to be gratingly endearing over the years.

What's the point?

Personally I think the close proximity to Thamesy helps, otherwise the whole place would’ve been totally bulldozed without much sympathy.I reckoned there were probably within twenty stalls at the festival, in essence a smallish but perfectly organised event. Just as well I came today as I shudder to think what the crowd’s going to be like on Saturday and Sunday instead.

Righty oh, best let the pix do the talking-

William Curley

Amedei

Something keeps distracting one of my four eyes

Damian Allsop Chocolates

Cocoapod

Ooh La La Chocolate

It's there again!

Outsider Tart

Outsider Tart
thanks Sue!

Bean & Gone

Cropped up once again!

Groovy Chick from Choc Chick

Yup, this woman was responsible for distracting me from the rest of the show. Petra Barran is her name and she's dudette.
Her beguilement was my highlight of the day!

That van of hers is simply magnetic for all the wrong reasons!

Spoilt for choice? Just go for the lot like I nearly did!

'High Rise' Millionaire's shortbread and Choc Star Hot Chocolate Float

Choc Star Hot Chocolate Float
And yes it's got a dollop of vanilla ice cream in it as well!

Strawberry and Cream

Ultra Fudge Brownie

White Chocolate Blondie

All choc-ed up, dazed and confused, disorientated and kerfuffled, I could've sworn I saw a pig on a leash!

www.chocstar.co.uk

Fernandez & Wells, St. Anne's Court

04/06/09

Popped in for a quicky cuppa with Mr Lo

Finally got to meet Juan (the chap below) and Angel (contender for one of the classiest baristi in London and also the tall lanky chap as described on the bottom of the post). Guys thanks for making F&W such a pleasure to venture in.

Flawless

30/05/09

Iced Latte
A perfect remedy for my semi disastrous lunch at the sister restaurant.

14/05/09

Met this dude outside F&W. He's Robbie Humphries from a two dudes band known as The Cash Cows. Please visit their site, they're amazing!
Thumbs up for their rendition of Talking Heads' Psycho Killer

Another dude from F&W. One of the very rare and friendly humans in London's progressively growing coffee culture.

Flattie and Stumpy
Both A** grades!
For every FW there are three shots of ristretto, an F&W standard. No more excuses for siesta breaks after this!

30/04/09

Coffee break with KC.
My stumpy in the middle was excellent, basically a latte for real men.

An empanada pretending to look like a Cornish Pasty

Chicken, egg and olive filling. Drenched with spicy and garlicky chilli sauce, pure lunch heaven!

17/04/09

Flat White- brilliant as per usual. It doesn't matter who makes the coffee here, F&W have got it all sorted- their staff are trained well!

Doughnut with a hint of lemon

Folks or those who only fell to earth recently, this is a drinking tap, don't have a facial here please!

07/04/09

Can't get away from this place that easily!Let's get some food and drink nowDon't blame him if he's holding up the queue, a decision just cannot be made within a few seconds!Poilâne bread with white beans and anchovy
So good, it deserved a different perspectiveCaramel slice- not just any type but a rather upmarket oneExcellent Flat White

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For a chain (well there are 3 shops) these guys are so very good! I feel very much at home here, gawd knows what will happen if Sr.Fernandez left a bed here!

F&W are most certainly going places.

Sweet little milk cart

The baby sibling to the other two was delivered by a stork and planted in a thoroughfare linking Dean Street and Wardour Street in Soho.
As ever the fair knight that yours truly is, this news was courtesy of Lameen.
Popped in to confirm that the DNA in evidence was indeed that of F&W. Let it be known that Fernandez & Wells are an Anglo Spanish outfit.
I only found out about it when one of the guys told me as I was a little perturbed with the likes of Flat White, Short this and Long that, missing from their drinks blackboard. The interior as you can see is the tried and tested formula of drab chic. The wonderful thing with this kind of rustic approach to shop fitting is that it can be adapted to any other kind of business thereafter, from estate agents to a Moldavian mini-mart.Despite not evidently on the menu, I ordered a Flat White. Well, what do you think? It’s F&W, if they were to set up a shop in La Paz; it’ll still be grade ‘A’. I’m impressed with these guys.
No doubt I shall be back for the munchies and more caffeine hits. In the meantime welcome to the fold, F&W, yet again. Recommended beyond the realms.

NB There’s this tall lanky fellow that most of you would’ve recognised from the other two operations, I tell you he’ll go a long way. That dude knows a thing or two about hospitality, Michael Winner would soon adopt him as a son he never had!




16A St Anne’s Court
Soho, London W1

www.fernandezandwells.com

I can't start a day without...

...a couple of filter cups. The beans I go for tend to be single estate and strong (strengths 4 or 5). Shown below is Blue Sumatra from the Algerian Coffee Stores. I shall be trying out some of the blends from Square Mile et al in due course.

The above grinder is vintage Bodum (17 years old)
Coffee machine used is a cheap Argos, despite being abused by London's ultra hard water, it's still ticking along.

The cup that readies me for Flat Whites later in the day.

Like caffeine, I need music as well. I can't have my cuppa first thing in the morning without it.

What I'm snacking on #2

Everyone knows that the pig in its entirety is completely edible. So here we go. If you're squeamish (which you shouldn’t be as there are no blood and bogey to see), be off then! I believe the snout is the cheapest part of the pig, less so than the bollocks.This snout came from a pedigree Middle White porker, I paid 89p for it from a very posh butcher in Mayfair. There’s no recipe to speak of, I just steam it slowly for an hour and a half with the rice cooker and eat it with a dipping bowl of sweet dark rice vinegar (it helps with reducing boar taint). That’s it, très simple.
It’s pure snacking fodder, doesn’t taste of much, I think it must be the texture that appeals to me. If you imagine unctuous thick skin, you’re nearly there.

NB Oh there’s one downside, it took me at least two hours to clean the snout. If you’re serious about eating this part of the pig, go and invest in some nose trimmers, you’ll thank me for that.

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TI'm still very much a child at heart