We’re always on the look out for ideas for team building activities and as we can’t resist an opportunity to indulge our sweet tooth we couldn’t wait to find out more about My Chocolate, a leading chocolatier company providing chocolate workshops.
They’ve been described by Time Out as “Delicious Fun” and we couldn’t agree more! We caught up with the founder, Hannah Saxton, to find out more.
Describe My Chocolate in three words.
Fun, delicious and entrepreneurial
What sparked the idea of creating My Chocolate?
A life long obsession with chocolate which started when I used to make cakes with my Grandma as a child – we used to make ‘Alien cakes’ which were very experimental. We would combine chocolates and sweets in to the cakes and then put them in the oven and see what would happen!
Later on, a visit to Amsterdam (they eat the most chocolate in Europe!) and a visit to a chocolate making class in one of the chocolate shops there. This lead me to give up University (I was studying Art at The Slade) and decided to combine art with chocolate and create chocolate making classes for corporate events, hen parties and the public. I used £1000 of the remainder of my student loan to set it up.
We know our clients would love the idea of an indulgent chocolate team building event – what could they expect at one of your workshops?
Our most popular team building package is the Apprentice Chocolate Challenge. Described as “the most delicious bonding experience possible” (from our lovely clients at Merrill Lynch), the Apprentice Chocolate Challenge is our most competitive and hilarious team building activity. Individually tailored to suit your requirements, this fast-paced team building chocolate making workshop is based on the challenge of creating a product, packaging and sales pitch.
The workshop begins with demonstrations by Master Chocolatiers who will teach you how to make delicious chocolates from milk and dark chocolate fudge, giant marshmallows and oodles of decorations. We’ll show you professional chocolate making techniques including marbling and moulding.
Each team receives a brief to create a chocolate product for a specific market segment. It’s a race against the clock as teams define roles and identify their market niche before diving into creating their chocolate product, packaging and sales pitch. To make your masterpieces, there’ll be bowls of melted chocolate, slabs of milk chocolate fudge and decorations including giant marshmallows, caramelised hazelnuts, strawberry curls and white chocolate flakes.
Your creative skills will be put to the test as you present your product, packaging and sales pitch to our chocolate judges. Wigs, feather boas and other such sophisticated props are available to bring a little finesse to these proceedings. Hilarity is pretty much guaranteed! Marks will be given for innovation, teamwork and general chocolate making skills. Chocolatey prizes will be awarded to the winning team, with marks given for innovation, teamwork and general chocolate making genius before you package up your chocolates, ready to take away in ribbon-tied goody bags.
What is the best event you have ever worked on?
We did a 100 person chocolate event one Christmas at The Ritz. In each room we had a different chocolate station with chocolate savoury canapes to sample, chocolate and alcohol tasting along with chocolate fudge cutting, dipping and decorating.
What is your favourite chocolate treat – is it the chocolate cocktails?!
Yes – how did you know? They’re amazing as even the glass is decorated in chocolate!
What is the craziest request you have had for a chocolate gift?
We have been asked to make a chocolate with an engagement ring inside and then the couple came to a private workshop and he proposed (we decided to put the ring next to the chocolate in a box rather than in it for heath and safety reasons! … she said YES!)
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To get more ideas or help on styling your event talk to the team on 020 7610 2808 or email info@evolve-events.com