BEHIND THE CRAFT
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Marc de Champagne – did you know…?

You might think that Marc de Champagne truffles contain Champagne.

In fact, Marc de Champagne is a spirit, usually clear, produced by distilling the ‘waste’ seeds and skins from the Champagne or indeed any wine-making process.

Generically called a ‘pomace’ spirit or brandy, pomace meaning ‘by-product’ in French, the creation of a liquor from the waste pressings of wine-making is a common practice in many countries.

Of course, it is the Critical Ingredient in the famous truffle, one of the most popular types in the world, bringing a gentle aroma and distinctive creaminess to the party. But it’s also a drink to be savoured - you might know versions of it such as Orujo in Spain, Bagaco in Portugal and most famously perhaps, Grappa in Italy. Marc de Champagne is of course the variety from the Champagne region in France, where the predominant grape is the white Chardonnay.

FGCH20183

Classic Selection of Luxury Chocolates 105g

Net Weight: 105g

This chocolate gift includes 9 of our luxurious selection of Sea Salt Caramel Dark, Pink Marc de Champagne, and Gianduja Milk Truffles.

The East India Company - Lifestyle

Chocolate

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£18.00
Our classic gift selection of 9 sublime luxury chocolates in three exquisite varieties.

Your loved one will enjoy this small but classical selection of chocolate truffles: intense Sea Salt Caramel Dark Chocolate Truffles; decadent Marc de Champagne Milk Chocolate Truffles; indulgent Gianduja Milk Truffles.

Nine of our best-loved truffles in our beautiful white presentation gift box, subtly featuring gold foiled connection lines taken from historic trading line maps of The East India Company from the 17th and 18th centuries, evoking the spirit of our passionate pioneers.

An understated, but elegant dinner party gift.
Each box contains 3 each of the following chocolates, made by artisan chocolatiers in England.

- Sea Salt Caramel Dark Chocolate Truffle
- Pink Marc de Champagne
- Gianduja Milk Truffles *

* Gianduja is a blend of chocolate and hazelnut paste, invented in Italy in the early 1800s
Our finest East India Company chocolates and truffles have a unique couverture perfected with careful consideration of cacao percentage to express the sweetness and intensity of the chocolate flavour and make the luscious ingredients even better.

Couvertures are single origin from the Cote d’Ivoire and the cacao is traceable to plantation and purchased directly from the farmers’ consortium.
Every product sold by the East India Company contains an element that is the very finest the world has to offer. We call it our "Critical Ingredient".

It may be an ingredient.
It may be a technique.
It may be the skill of the maker.
It may be a small constituent, but it is always the essential one.

It is our dedication to sourcing and selecting these critical ingredients that make our products unique, valuable, and extraordinary.

Our range of chocolates are built upon these critical ingredients – only the highest quality, natural ingredients combined with traditional recipes and innovative artisan skills to create unique tastes. This gives our chocolates their exquisite flavour and sets them apart.

Ingredients

Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Milk Powder, Cocoa Mass, Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin), Dark Chocolate (Cocoa Mass, Cane Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin), White Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Whole Milk Powder, Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavouring), Sea Salt Caramel (Whipping Cream (Milk) Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Water, Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid, Sea Salt, Preservative: Sorbic Acid), Hazelnut Paste, Whipping Cream (Milk) Cocoa Powder, Cocoa Butter, Icing Sugar (Sugar, Raising Agent: Tricalcium Phosphate), Glucose Syrup, Marc De Champagne 1%, Butter (Milk), Humectant: Sorbitol, Beetroot Red (Beetroot Juice Concentrate, Citric Acid), Preservative: Sorbic Acid. Dark chocolate cocoa solids minimum 73%. Milk chocolate cocoa solids minimum 38%. Milk solids minimum 24%.

Allergens

May contain traces of other tree nuts, wheat, and barley. Not Suitable for nut, wheat, and gluten allergy sufferers.

Contains soya, milk, hazelnut



Nutrition

Typical values 100g – Energy: 2243kj/538kcal | Fat: 38.0g, of which saturates: 15.6g | Carbohydrate: 40.5g, of which sugars: 34.8g | Protein: 7.3g | Salt 0.20g



Storage

Store in a cool dry place. Avoid direct sunlight. 15°C to 18°C. Once opened consume within 30 days.

Stories

The London Chocolate Houses

London arrived rather late to the chocolate party... Cocoa was used as a beverage over 2000 years ago by the Mayans, who, like the later Aztecs, used cocoa as a special occasion beverage, to reward brave warriors and as an aphrodisiac. Both empires also used cocoa beans as currency.

Columbus first brought cocoa back to Spain in 1502 to little acclaim but after Cortes conquered Montezuma and the Aztecs, he successfully introduced cocoa, transformed from bitterness with sugar or honey, to the Spanish court, saying “One of this precious drink allows a man to walk a whole day without taking nourishment.”

Chocolate soon arrived in Britain, being first sold in 1657 in The Coffee Mill & Tobacco Roll. It was all things to all people: to some, as with the Aztecs, it was the viagra of the day; to others including Samuel Pepys, a hangover cure.

London Chocolate Houses also became the fashionable meeting places for the elite of London society, as well as being dens of iniquity for the colourful characters of London. The surviving White’s Chocolate House was like all, an all-male establishment, charging a penny for entrance, whilst The Cocoa Tree in Pall Mall saw Tory strategy developed over cups of chocolate.

The East India Company did trade in cocoa, paying 2 shillings in tax per pound of cocoa imported by 1760, the equivalent to one day’s wages, for these beguiling cargoes of cocoa from far off lands, but in truth was more engaged in tea than chocolate. And industrialisation made chocolate a food for the masses around this time and Chocolate Houses soon fell out of fashion.

Our spirit delivers no ordinary products

  • FAQ

    Does the Marc de Champagne truffle contain alcohol, and if so, how much?
    Yes, our Marc de Champagne truffle does contain alcohol, but only a very small amount - too much will spoil the experience completely. In fact, it’s about 2% of the total ingredient, each truffle weighing 10g – so just enough to flavour it delightfully.

    There is a chocolate in the assortment that I don't want. Can I replace it with another?
    Yes - we know the perfect gift has to be perfect all through the box. Leave us a message at the checkout, and we will do our utmost to meet your needs and will contact you if there are any challenges.

  • Delivery & Returns

    UK Standard Delivery: £3.95
    UK Next Day Delivery (mainland UK only): £9.95 (Order before 12pm)
    International Delivery is available, please see our delivery page for details. For more information and Terms & Conditions, please see our Delivery page.

  • Reviews

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