Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Fortnum & Mason – Afternoon Tea Review

September 2, 2024 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Afternoon Tea is one of those fabulousl treats that I love to indulge in. For anyone as obsessed with tea as I am, it is absoutely unmissable experience. And after you have been to a few, I guranatee you will turn into a proper addict (not the scary type I assure you, but the pleasant tea-loving, mild one that loves a sugar hit worth its entry into My Fitness Pal IFYKYK 😉 Hummm)

One of my friends is a master planner and when she suggests a plan I blindly agree because I know it will be fun! (I highly recommend we all have at least one such friend in our lives, espeically if you are as brillinat (not) as I am with planning meet-up’s…..mutiple overlapping meet-up promises with the same two people more than twice, yes…Guilty as charged! Ha)

So that’s how our plan to meet up on the second day of a brand new year, over a fancy Afternoon Tea, came to pass.

Also, I have always wanted to try the Afternoon Tea at F&M especially, after years of visiting them on the same floor for their fabulous Christmas in July events. But before we dive into the experience itself though, I think it is customary to have a little insight into the history of the fabulous Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum & Mason.

Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum & Mason

Inaugurated by none other Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth in 2012, she was also accompanied by the now Queen and current Princess of Wales. What makes it truly special for me though is knowing that this Tea Salon started its life as an apartment for the Fortnum family and took on many forms thereafter, ranging from various store departments to a fine dining resturant before becoming the now celebrated institution. Over 300 years of rich tradition and history come together every day to serve up a truly unique experience here.

You will experience the trademark F&M service as soon as you walk through the doors and go up the lift to the Tea salon.

I arrived a bit earlier than my group of lovely friends and was shown to a cosy seating area. A few days into a brand new year meant all the stunning Christmas decor was still in place. A pianist playing soft tunes added to the whole atmosphere and without even realising I was transported to a warm and cosy almost magical world, far removed from the long commute, the winter chill and the sinking feeling that the holidays were well and truly over.

Once my master planner and dear friend arrived, we were shown to our table in the tea salon. Huge tables on the corners were heaving with beautiful cakes and gorgeous tableware all set for the guests that seemed to keep arrive in a steady streams.

One thing that really impresses is the beautiful teal colour theme that is present throught the store, from the upholstery to the pretty paper boxes, everything has that iconic F&M style echoing throughout.

Our table was all set and looksed cosy and inviting. Absolutely loved the pressed white tablecloth and all the beautiful tableware and gold-themed table decor that kept reminding us of the festive season (and that in a few short hours we would have to go back to work, gah!)

Once all of us were seated at the table our attentive and gracious hostess retruned to take our orders and I was immediately drawn to the Savoury Afternoon Tea menu. Don’t get me wrong, I do have a sweet tooth but give me savoury treats over sweet any day!

Savoury Afternoon Tea

Because we were meeting after light years and were all still firmly stuck in holiday mode, we decided that bubbles were an absolute must. We chose a blush F&M Brut Rose’ and once again our hostess graciously obliged while I clicked pictures. (Yes, us bloggers, super obsessed with clicking photos of everything all the time time! But don’t worry my close friends and family are all well trained by now and patiently pose and wait – well, most of the time they do)

While we immersed ourselves in a long overdue catch-up, our treats arrived, plated onto a gorgeous three-tiered stand. Set on gold-rimmed plates, the food looked so appetising and the colour theme continued to impress us.

Savoury Pâtisseries

I would have loved to have carried my little notepad and scribbled down notes about each little treat because my brain fog and memory that rivals a Goldfish mean if I do not write stuff down, it is probaly lost forever…But this particular afternoon was dedicated to feeling warm and fuzzy in the glow of friendly chatter and embraces, to stealing a few precious moments from our timelines before getting swept up in the silent but never-ending steady flow of daily life. So my trusty little notepad was left behind at home.

Although, I do remember some of the names simply because they were my favourites and I would always want seconds ( or thirds, greedy glutton, I know…)

Oeufs Drumkilbo

This rather exotic sounding savoury treat is a nod to the late Queen Mother. After her passing the royal kitchens have supposedly stopped serving this treat. This quintessentially British dish is said to have been invented in the kitchens of Drumkilbo House in Pertshire. Oeufs, French for eggs is aptly therefore served in a carved out egg shell and a decadent lobster mousse is piped into it, garnished with caviar. Sigh.

Trout and Dill Eclair with Fennel and Goats curd

This savoury eclair was definitely unique and a delicious twist over the original recipe. Am sure its chocolately cousin would approve.

The other three equally delicious and beautifully presented patisseries disappeared down the hatch faster than the finger sandwiches. ( No, I have zero regrets admitting to speed eating *cheeky grin*)

Finger Sandwiches

To me a good finger sandwich (and the scones) are the true test by which I rate an Afternoon Tea offering and F&M certainly did deliver!

My sandwich platter included the usual fare but with a touch of flair and decadence one would expect from F&M. The sandwiches included were a Cucumber and Minted Pea, a rare breed blue shell egg mayo sandwich, Coronation Chicken, Cured Ham and English Mustard and my absolutle favourite the smoked trout and flavoured cream cheese sandwich. Our hostess ensured that I had more of these on the table, before I was done wolfing down what was on my plate. Brilliant service throughout.

Savoury Scones

Once you have tasted these savoury scones there really is no going back. Pea and Mint is like a flavour combination that is like marriage made in heaven, while the cheese and Worchestershire sauce one is now my firm fav. I personally think a dash of Worchestershire sauce makes any drab dish interesting 😉

At this point, while I will not attempt to stir-up any debate that hints at the Jam first or Cream first, I will also ….neither confirm or deny that – I have tried both the Cornish way and the Devonian way. Also, cannot confirm or deny that maybe, just maybe, I have always liked my scones one of these ways, slightly more than the other. Ssshhhhhh

One of the fab things about going in a group is that we usually do end up sharing our sweet treats and this time around was no different. Here is a look at some of the yummies we sampled, again no details about their cute names because no notepad with me, remember? Also,no time to scribble notes while having so much fun, right?

Our hostess suprised us by getting us this adorable treat for one of my friends who has just celebarted her birthday. Just another example for their attentive and outstanding service.

I would suggest walking down the stairs after your are done. Definitely helps with starting to digest all that food and you get to admire the store decor and this beautiful staircase too.

This has definitely gone down as one of my most memorable experiences overall. Definitely hope to be back again just as much for decadent offerings on their brilliant Afternoon Tea menu, as the amazing service.

Curious to explore more options for Afternoon Tea in London? Why not browse through my blog posts to know what I thought of some very unique and some quirky experiences:

*Not sponsored. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Hampton Court Palace Food Festival – Review

August 21, 2024 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Of all the food festivals that I have been invited to in the past, this one has always been the most with the most dramatic backdrop. Spread over 60 acres this is only the formal garden acerage of this histroic palace. It also includes a staggering 750 acres of parkland.

The very first time I was invited a couple of years ago it was probably the wettest day of the year! So grateful then that this time around the weather gods decided to bless us! And thankfully so as I had my parents along wit me 🙂 It really was fun showing them around the palace and all the stalls and am so glad that my folks are so sporting and such big foodies too.

There is so much to look forward to at this festival with a large number of cool food and drink producers coming down for the weekend. There is a live music stand with local bands playing, street-food pop-up’s, Bar pop-up’s , loads of shopping to be done, tons of options for Family fun and a long list of great activities to keep the little ones entertained.

I don’t know about you but from my past not so well-planned festival visits and I have been to quite a lot of them belive me you, I think it is wise to have a game plan beforehand. Download your Hampton Court Palace Food Festival 2024 Map here

Top tips to have the best food festival experience

I would strongly suggest that you make your way through to the food stalls that you are intrested in meeting the producers and having a little chat before you may buy something. Meanwhile, keep in mind that live Kitchen demo’s by famous chefs are also something to look forward to.

2. Buy your live-demo tickets well in time once you are inside and about 30 minutes before check out the stalls closest to the demo tent, thank me later!

3. There is a special VIP Upgrade available and is available to buy, there is an additional cost to this over and above the ticket price. Even Members need to purchase this upgrade. If you have the moolah, I would strongly suggest go for it. It gives you access to the VIP tent in addition to other perks and it does help that this VIP tent is placed near the Bandstand.

Image Courtesy: HRP Festivals

4.Coming with kids?At the food festival itself there is face-painting, art and craft events and more. Fancy a horse- ride? You can even book your little ones in for a fun ride around the grounds. Wait, it does not stop here! You also have access to the fantastic 17th century Maze made up entirely from hedges. If that isn’t enough there is a brilliant Magic Garden with lots of places for climbing , running around and really have a whale of a time. Be sure to carry their swimsuits so they can fully enoy the wet play and massive sandy play area with a huge dragon to add drama and effect. Just make sure you head to the Maze and Magic Garden so you can then bundle your tired bunnies and get them home 🙂

5. Your food festival ticket allows you entry into the Palace. Wander around this 500-year old royal palace and the home King Henry VIII.

6. Once you are done browsing and sightseeing, settle down with some yummy food from one of the food stalls and a posh cocktail from one of the cool pop-up bars. If you are going in a group you can try more than a few yummy dishes by buying from different vendors, always a huge plus. We like to settle down and enjoy the live music and just really soak in the atmosphere.

6. Keep an eye out for cool offers where you can order multiple dishes and get deals.

Make the most of the Summer Break

I think this particular food festival sort of marks the end of summer and a return to school for children too so the timing is just perfect. So if you are looking for something fun to do this Bank Holiday Weekend in August of 2024, do go ahead and book yourselves into the Hampton Court Food Festival. Members go free but needy to pre-book for Saturday and are given a time-slot for entry but can stay in as long as they like.

Facilities, Parking and other fun stuff

Another huge plus for this venue is the huge availability of parking slots. Everything is really well-organised and because the palace grounds are so mahoosive the layout of the festival food tents and food vans is so chilled with so many fab opens spaces to sit down and enjoy your food and drink while soaking up the sun!

There are lots of toilets available inside too.

Memories

This was one of those amazing memories that stayed with me during the lockdown as it was the year before the pandemic hit that so much changed for me in my life and I was really missing out on all the amazingevents, outdoor blogger-do’s and all other fun invites to events that I have enjoyed over the years.

I cannot wait to go again this weekend! Will I see you there? Let me know in your comments.

*With thanks to the PR agency for the invite. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No monetary compensation was offered. All images with my blog name watermark are clicked by me, any other images used are credited as per their source.

Lordington Lavender Farm Visit

July 16, 2024 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Summer, Glorious Summer is here!

We have had our first heatwavetoo, with the mercury hitting a sorching 30 degree’s celcius. Now though that might not seem much to my family and friends back in Mumbai and Pune but here in the Northern Hemipshere the effcet of temperateures reaching 30 degrees are comparable to a socrhing Indian Summer.

But no matter what, am truly garteful for the sunshine, longer days and everything else that summer brings with it is a welcome change.

Of all the lovely outdoorsy things to do over summer, visiting a Lavender Farm is a great idea.

A few years ago, my friends and I visited Lordington Lavender and to date I cherish the memory of that beautiful sunny day. Spread across 10 acres in the South Downs, these fields grow a french Provencal variety called Mailette Lavender. Home to a family business that is known for their fragrant lavender essential oil they also produce a whole range of products. This wildlife haven supports wildlife and follows fertilizer and pesticide free farming.

By the end of our visit, I was comfortable enough walking in the lavender fields to relax (read ”lie down and doze off” – Yes that happend) and not mind the cute bees buzzing around. Don’t get me wrong, I love bees and will never ever think of hurting any cute creepy crawly or any other living being, but I do have a proper fear of being stung! That’s just ol’ me! Does anyone else relate?

The year we visited, the website for Lordington Lavender had a lady with a lovely red umbrella posing amongst the stunning fields. Luckily, I had a cute red umbrella that needed a bit of fixing. So off we went and used the umbrella as a prop for our photos and trust me when I say this we did click too many of them! By the end of it all though, my poor red umbrella had taken a beating and was in no shape or form ever going to be useful to serve it’s primary purpose. Sigh… I know, eye roll moment…

Visiting Lordington Lavender Fields

Every year they announce their open days on their website and there is a very nominal fee for visiting. People are encouraged to come and enjoy tehmselves, click pictures, enjoy a picnic and have a really wholesome day against the stunning backdrop of the beautiful lavender and the buzzing bees. They also have live music events and the venue can be booked for private events and weddings and private photo shoots too.

Getting There:

Living in Surrey, made it a very quick car drive for us. Lordington Farm is very close to Chichester.

Parking, Accessibility, Toilets

Parking is in a huge field close to the lavender fields and there is an accessible car park too. Blue Badge holders are assisted by the staff on site.

Toilets are available on site. Baby change facilities and accessible toilet is in the car park area.

Freebies

There is a free tractor ride available from the car park to the fields and is highly recommended if you have little ones with you! Even more fun is the free Hay Play. Adults can join in for twice daily free Lavender talks.

Photography

Camera’s are welcome and most people make the most of their visit by clicking away. You can also hire a professional photographer when visiting during the open days

Dogs are welcome too!

It is a wonderful experince for everyone if you are going with freinds or with family and even for the elderly.

To those who cannot make it to Lordington Lavender on their open days fear not there are other locations to go and enjoy equally breathtaking views.

There are many beautiful lavender fields around Surrey, Hampshire, Kent and Hertfordshire that you can choose to visit. All these farms are not too far from the capital city and offer a great opportunity for a summer’s day out admiring these vibrant blossoms.

London also has it’s very own gardens where these bee-friendly plants thrive and bloom. Amongst them Kew Gardens and Vauxhall Park are very popular destinations with peole thronging to admire the lavender during peak season. Kennington Park too has it own little spot where you can go admire this seasonal bloom.

*Not sponsored. As always all opinions are always my own. Unless otherwise stated all photographs are clicked and processed by me. Kindly do not replicate any text and/or images/photographs from this post or my website without my express written constent.

Why we are in Love with Lisbon, Portugal

April 8, 2024 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Every place I visit, changes me in a small way – forever. Some places have a bigger impact on me than others and definitely Lisbon is one of them. Tropical weather, coastal vibes, remiiniscent of old Goa and the Portuguese quarters of Pondicherry in India, Lisbon feels new and old all at once.

Things we loved most about Lisbon

I loved the salty sea breeze and warm coastal air. And I can never forget the abundance of citrus trees everywhere, all laden with juicy ripe fruit, just begging to be plucked and savoured right then and there, oh how hard it was to resist!

The abundance of fresh seafood! I am a coastal girl at heart and though I grew up in the island city of Mumbai, my heart belongs to the western coast of India in Konkan. Suffice to say, we ate seafood night and day and didn’t tire of it one bit.

Fairytale Castles, Pastel de Nata’s, a Dreamy Coastline, Azulejos, Tram rides and an absolute abundance of citrus trees everywhere!

Affordable food and drink an abundance of cafes and small eateries. You cannot go wrong with the smaller eateries especially the ones that sit close to each other in the tiny lanes that line the beaches. So much like Goa used to be! The catch of the day, a huge pile of freshly cooked rice – what more could you ask for?

Tram rides, Pastel de nata’s and Dreamy Castles – Portugal has all this to offer and more!

This trip too, like all the other places hubby and I have travelled to, together, we did our thing and just boarded a random bus and went right up to the last stop. The driver looked perplexed as he dropped us off at a very remote residential stop, at the end of a quiet street. That it was almost getting dark didn’t help my anxiety but being a tourist and taking this crazy bus ride gave us just that little buzz. As we sat waiting for the next bus back into the main city, a group of local teens stared at us with curiosity, as we looked so obviously out of place. Luckily the same bus driver from before returned from what seemed like a tiny depot no far away and I secretly sighed with relief, escaping an imaginary unsafe situation, possibly but relishing the thrill from doing something utterly silly! I can never forget the looks we got from the locals who boarded the bus from the next stop until we got to the first toursit destination on the route – some totally shocked, many indifferent but some definitely disgusted, wondering am sure that we were just another stupid tourist couple who have lost our way and were fumbling our way back into the city… Cheap Thrills, well, why not, and that too for the price of cheap return bus tickets, heck I would do it all over again!

For more tips check out the official Tourist websites for Lisbon and Portugal.

If it isn’t yet obvious then I just have to come out and say this out aloud … I LOVE travelling. I dream of exploring the food and old crumbling buildings, of meeting locals and speaking a few words in the local language with some. I dream of bustling bazaar’s and alluring spice souks. I wish I could walk along the mosts tunning beaches and enjoy the fresh catch of the day with a fabulous local wine while watching the waves crash on golden sandy beaches. I yearn for the feeling of waking up to glorious sunsets in a pictureque location and of going to bed with the image of a stunning sunset forever imprinted on my mind’s eye.

I have only just started and I have so many more places to discover. But of the few places I have been to, I love sharing my experiences here with all of you. So if you are looking for any inspiration or just want to indulge in some arm chair travel, then dive right in!

LOOKING FOR TRAVEL INSPIRATION WITHIN THE U.K? HAVE A LOOK AT MY OTHER POSTS:

Meanwhile, why not read some of my other travel adventures including my experience of a local London walking tour?

* I planned this entire trip on my own and have paid in full everywhere I have stayed at and eaten at, also for all tourist attractions. As always all opinions expressed are as always my own.

Brown’s Brasserie and Bar celebrates 50th Anniversary with Covent Garden Grand re-opening

April 30, 2023 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

We have always been familiar with Brown’s and frequent their lovely rivreside location in our neck of the woods at Kingston Upon Thames.

So when I was invited to celerated their 50th Anniversary at their newly refurbished Covent Graden establishment, I knew it would be a fun evening.

With a half a million pound investment into refurbishing the grand Grade II Westend former courthouse building, this grand re-opening of Brown’s Coent Garden venue was celebrated with much pomp and fanfare.

The Grade II listed building has been transformed beautifully to highlight some of it stunning original features like the high ceilings and court cells turned into wine cellars.

The main dining area gives off a retro-mordern vibe with it’s art deco makeover. Original features like courtrooms and the judges chambers have been converted to cosy private dining rooms, all oozing an old-world charm.

The cocktails for this grand re-opning party, also paid homage to the 1920’s and 30’s.

We also enjoyed a steady stream of delicious bite-sized snacks throughout the evening to the sound of live musical performances. I thoroughly enjoyed the face-painiting part because the retro theme was maintained there to with symmetrical patterns done in shades of black and gold.

Brown’s Covent Garden is perfecly located right in the West-End and a stone’s throw away from both Leivester Square and Civent Garden tube stations. It is open late and they do an everything from an Afternoon Tea to a great Pre-theatre menu, all against the backdrop of a stunningly refurbished historic building. To Book click here

*With thanks to the PR agency and Browns Brasserie for the invite. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No monetary compensation was offered.

Easy Spinach and Pea Soup

January 28, 2023 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Spinach – Love or Hate?

I have always loved spinach and green peas in equal measure but when it comes to the hubster, well… let us just say that I have put in a lot of hard work to cultivate a growing love affair with spinach! This soup is great for fussy eaters and especially for those who do not enjoy the flavour of spinach. The gorgeous smoky bacon beautifully masks the taste of spinach by adding strong bursts of flavour. Adding oak-smoked garlic packs an additional punch and gives the soup a lovely layer of flavour.

This Spinach and Green pea soup with smoky bacon is not just healthy and wholesome, it’s really easy to make. It’s the kind that will leave those who are not spinach aficionados playing a guessing game with their taste buds!

I could almost imagine my husband in a cartoon strip with those little conversation bubbles over his head with each conversation bubble having a different ingredient scrawled inside, as all those wonderful flavours enveloped his palate one after the other!

Of all the meats out there, I really think pork is very succulent and has the capacity to really alter the taste of a dish and add a whole new dimension. I also firmly believe that simplicity is the key to creating something really tasty. Therefore, the use of everyday stuff like red onions and garlic to quickly make this soup appeals to my midweek lazy self as it can really fill you up. On the weekend though I would serve this soup with a generous portion of white fish, with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, chives and some dried herbs and a big squeeze of lime with a side of rocket dressed with olive oil and honey mustard dressing. Accompanied by a crisp white wine it is a complete meal and one that is not just quick and easy to put together but a great way to eat healthily and keep the guilt conscience at bay. Much needed after a period of indulgence I say, of course with no compromise on taste!

Spinach and Pea Soup

Hearty, flavourful soup loaded with all the good stuff from spinach, perfect to batch cook, great for cold nights in.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Fusion

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

350 gm Spinach baby leaves washed cleaned and roughly chopped
250 gm Fresh Green Peas
3/4th Onion finely chopped
5 Smoked Bacon medallions chopped roughly into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp Chives – chopped roughly
300 ml Chicken Stock
400 ml Water
2 tsp Oil
3 cloves Smoked black garlic
Salt to taste
Few sprigs Spring onions chopped fine for garnishing the soup
Handful Herby Bread Croutons

Equipment

1 Saucepan
1 Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Hand blender or food processor

Method

In a large saucepan sautee’ the finely chopped oak-smoked garlic till it begins to sweat. Then add the red onion finely chopped and cook till it turns pink and juicy.
Reduce the flame to a minimum and add the bite-sized pieces of smoked bacon medallions.
Stir now and then to ensure that the bacon doesn’t stick to the saucepan and become too crisp, it must cook to a nice chewy yummy consistency and not get too crisp. Cook without a lid at this stage.
When the bacon has cooked completely and is almost turning crisp, remove this mixture into a bowl as we will use the same saucepan for preparing the rest of the ingredients of the soup so as to retain the beautiful juicy goodness that is in the pan and that also ensures we don’t use anymore extra oil.
Wash the baby spinach leaves and the green peas and add them into the saucepan along with the finely chopped chives and chicken stock. In case you are using stock cubes, I would say use the reduced salt variety because the smoked bacon is very salty already.
Add 300ml water and cook with lid on a medium flame for 25 minutes.
Puree the soup with a hand blender and add a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper and some sea salt – I am stingy with the salt because I like to keep the salt to minimum when I am cooking anything withba bacon as an ingredient.
When the soup has been pureed, don’t fuss if a fewstray green peas escape the blender blades, it just makes the soup that muchmore wholesome and chewy while eating.
Now add in the garlic, red onion and bacon mixture and cook for another 7- 10 minutes.
Serve hot topped with a big spoon of chopped spring onion and herby croutons.
Perfect for an early supper with crusty bread and even better with a grilled white fish and white wine for a weekend meal.

Spinach and Pea soup ingredients close-up

Make it Vegan!

Go ahead and make this recipe vegan!

Swap Smoked bacon with smoked tempeh or pan-fried chestnut mushrooms for an earthy flavour, and throw in some cooked chestnuts for good measure.
Swap chicken stock for vegetable stock

Recipe Notes

Smoked Garlic and smoked bacon add layers of flavour to this humble but earthy soup.
Make the soup as per the recipe, leaving out the part with the onions, garlic, and bacon, this part with the greens and stock can be cooked in a large batch and frozen in batches, neatly labelled.
For a milder flavour use white onion instead of red onions or Bombay Onions.
Need a fridge tray clear-out? All your greens going mangy can be used up – think broccoli, kale, coriander steams, cavolo nero, chard, celery sticks, a small piece of fennel, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, a small portion of cabbage leaves on their last legs – give all of these greens a new lease on life! I have even added in some boiled potatoes and half an egg yolk into my soups to use up ingredients, ummm they taste sooo fab in soup!
Tart green apples also work wonderfully well in this soup.

Easy Swaps

Swap fresh green peas for frozen or canned ones.
Swap smoked bacon medallions smoked for bacon lardons.

WHILE YOU ARE HERE, BROWSE THROUGH MY OTHER SOUP RECIPES

Grenada Chocolate Festival – Festive Giveaway

December 12, 2022 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Hello and welcome back to my happy space in the virtual world. I am so excited to share some festive excitement with all of you with a fabulous new festive Giveaway and a delicious chocolate-themed cocktail recipe too! Woohooo! But first, lets take a deep dive into all things Grenada and Chocolate!

Grenada Chocolate Festival 10th anniversary festive Giveaway

What is the Grenada Chocolate Festival all about?

The sunny Caribbean island of Grenada is home to cocoa plantations and many other spices. For years now the island has been supplying cocoa to chocolate factories across Europe and North America. It was back in 1999 that the first ever local modern tree-to-bar fine chocolate factory was founded in Grenada by the late Mott Green and partners.

During the Christmas of 2013 Magdalena Fielden, a local resort owner and the founder of the Grenada Chocolate festival invited Mott over to share his wealth of knowldege about all things chocolate with her guest and tourists. Mott had never before been invited to talk about his work and share his passion but the response shown by the guests to Mott’s story was very encouraging. After Mott’s passing later that year, Magdalena created the first ever chocolate festival to honour his extraordinary journey and to highlight the contribution and hardwork of the local farmers and producers .

The festival is now litreally a movement of social change and has only gone from strength to strength. Now a very well-attended event that attracts global attention , this has also given birth to a whole host enterpreneurs and businesses revolving around locally grown cocoa.

When is the Grenada Chocolate festival happening next?

Grenada Chocolate Fest will celebrate it’s 10th Anniversary next year from the 17th to the 21st of May 2023. The highlight of the 10th anniversary is a twin celebration of local chocolate and local rum.

In adddition to the annual events that include popular activities like being a cocoa farmer for a day and a chocolate medidation event, next years 10th anniversary special events include has exciting new activiries planned like the learning how to make ‘under the counter’ cocoa infused Grenadian rum and much more!

For details about the festival, the various events and more, check out their website here.

True Blue Bay Boutique Resort

Magdalena and her family own and manage the sustainability award-wining water-front True Blue Bay Boutique resort on the south coast of Grenada. The resort is the host hotel for the festival and guests will have free access to some of the exciting events happening next year. The festival is open to everyone and welcomes all tourists visiting Grenada.

The resort hosts some amazing local food and drink experiences including a True Blue Farm-to-fork experience, Chocolate and Rum experiences, Grenadian cultural experience and more.

To Book your stay at True Blue Boutique resort check out availability here

Festive Chocolate Goody Bag Instagram Giveaway

Now that you know the amazing story behind the wonderful Grenada Chocolate festival and how it was created, you are ready to truly appreciate and enjoy a whole host of fine tree to bar chocolates all the way from Grenada and some great quality cocoa products – all for free (for one lucky winner) in the comfort of your own home! How? Well read on for details of participating in my Instagram giveaway!

Festive Giveaway – Chocolate Goody Bag from Grenada Chocolate Festival – image courtesy Grenada Chocolate Fest

Win a fabulous cloth goody bag stuffed with chocolatey goodies courtesy Grenada Chocolate Festival

How to enter my festive Instagram Giveaway courtesy Grenada Chocolate Fest:

Head to my Instagram Account and check out my giveaway post.
To enter, follow my account on Instagram and follow Grenada Chocolate Fest on Instagram, then like my Instagram giveaway post and add a comment while tagging any two friends. Each Tag counts as an entry. This step is mandatory.
To increase your chances of winning, all participants can comment and share my post to their stories by tagging my Instagram account and Grenada Chocolate Fest, this can be done daily until the giveaway ends to increase your chances of winning. This daily step is optional. Sharing to story is a bonus entry
I retain the right to DISQUALIFY any entrant who does not complete all the mandatory steps mentioned above.
Accounts that follow me on Instagram just for the festive giveaway and unfollow me later will be banned from participating in any future giveaways – it is simply bad form to do this – kindly avoid, please? 🙂
One lucky winner will be picked at random at the end of the giveaway period.
The winner will be announced by me, the day after the giveaway ends – I will share the name and tag the winner on my Instagram story.
The winner has to ensure they check their messages on Instagram for a message from me congratulating them on winning.
The winner agrees to share their email with me so that it can be shared with Grenada Chocolate Fest who will arrange for the Goody Bag to be sent to the winner.

Chocolate treats come with this beautiful cotton Bag courtesy Grenada Chocolate Festival – – image courtesy Grenada Chocolate Fest

Please have a read through the Terms and Conditions below:

One lucky reader who enters my Instagram Festive Giveaway and follows all the rules will win a goody bag with Chocolate courtesy of the Grenada Chocolate Festival. (This festive giveaway is hosted by me on my Instagram account and Instagram is in no way associated with this giveaway. I have made no monetary or other gains in kind by way of associating with this giveaway whatsoever)
One lucky winner will be picked at random at the end of the giveaway period.
My Instagram festive giveaway will run from 12th Dec 2022 Monday until midnight GMT on 25th of Dec’2022 Sunday.
Entry is open only to residents of the U.K, except Scotland and Ireland.
All entrants must be 18 years old and above.
The winner agrees to share their email id with me and allows me to share it with the Grenada Chocolate festival who will then send them the goody bag directly. This means they will have to share their address with the festival.
The giveaway prize comes packed in a complimentary beautiful sturdy re-usable eco-friendly cloth bag.
The contents of the goody bag include Two Crayfish Bay Organic Chocolate 75%, Two Crayfish Bay Organic Coconut Cream, a Selection of individual squares of Crayfish Bay Organic Chocolate 75%, two traditional Grenadian cocoa balls, a Pack of roasted cocoa beans and a Pack of cocoa nibs.
The prize is as stated: it is non-transferable, and cash alternatives or any other alternatives are NOT available.
The winner will be notified on the 23rd Dec 2022 Friday via my Instagram account and here on my blog post too.
If the winner fails to respond within 7 days after their name has been announced, then another winner will be chosen at Random. Please allow for 15 days after this process for the goody bag to reach you.

This is what one lucky winner will WIN!

Grenada Chocolate Festival 10th anniversary festive Giveaway – image courtesy Grenada Chocolate Fest

Tips to enjoy your treats from Grenada Chocolate Festival like a Pro!

The selection of individual squares of Crayfish Bay Organic Chocolate 75% are the perfect after-dinner treat.
Grenadian cocoa balls are made from cocoa beans that have been pot-roasted, ground with a pestle and mortar, blended with various locally grown spices, and hand-rolled into balls. They are perfect for making traditional Grenadian cocoa tea, hot chocolate, or grated over a cappuccino.
The roasted cocoa beans will have a bitter taste and are a healthy snack as they are said to benefit heart health. The beans have been hand-harvested, sweated, sun-dried, and pot-roasted on the sunny Caribbean island of Grenada. To use remove the shell and eat or add to breakfast cereal or yoghurt.
Cocoa nibs are broken pieces of cocoa beans and are perfect as a snack or added to cakes or other dishes for added crunch and a chocolatey flavour.

You are welcome to add your own creative touch and enjoy your treats in any way you like!

Chocolate Martini Recipe

As promised earlier in my post, here is some bonus festive content.

No celebration is complete without an element of chocolate. And what better way to celebrate the spirit of the festive season and the Caribbean than with a Caribbean-themed cocktail?

This Chocolate Martini recipe is very easy to put together and a real celebration of all the things that the island is famous for – fresh spices, delicious chocolate made using local cocoa beans, and all things fun.

Decorate with grated nutmeg and ginger on top and as you sip on this fab cocktail, imagine how much fun it would be to enjoy this cocktail and so much more on the island of Grenada while sitting on a lovely soft sand beach with the warm sea breeze for company and the soft lapping of waves in the background …..sighhh…sounds positively heavenly to me!