News and Press
Chocolate Maker Willie Lands Golden Ticket With Top Supermarket Deal
25 Mar 2008
Chocolate Maker Willie Harcourt-Couze
William Harcourt-Cooze, a self-styled Willy Wonka, launches what is thought to be the strongest chocolate on sale in any UK supermarket. With a 100 per cent cacao content, the chocolate has such a powerful kick that it's more suited for recipes than for nibbling.
Willie's unique Venezuelan Black will hit Waitrose shelves this weekend after he impressed buyers with his passion and commitment to crafting the ultimate chocolate .
This super strong chocolate is so powerful it's better suited for recipes than for nibbling - Willie recommends its use in truffles, chocolate marinated steak and soup.
Willie's life long quest to find the perfect chocolate and get it on to supermarket shelves is a labour of love that has lasted more than a decade. But his passion for Venezuela goes back even further to a twist of fate nearly 20 years ago when his boat blew up off the coast of the South American country. He instantly fell in love with the country and its chocolate, which is regarded as the world's finest and is prized by chocolate lovers worldwide.
Eleven years ago he purchased his own land in Venezuela and planted 10,000 cacao trees at the Hacienda El Tesoro below the cloud forests of the Henri Pittlier National Park. Soon afterwards he set up a small chocolate factory in Devon and in his search for perfection he even tracked down antique Spanish chocolate making machinery. And with a successful cacao harvest behind him, Willie is finally poised to make his chocolate dream a reality.
'Chocolate is Willie's life and his passion shows in the high quality of Venezuelan Black' says Waitrose Home Baking Buyer Christopher Moore. 'Against all the odds he has come up with a chocolate that takes your breath away.'
'Willie's cacao will inspire cooks to think about using chocolate in a different way. 100% pure cacao is as perfect grated into gravy as it is for making the ultimate chocolate pud.'
'A chocolate with a 100% cacao content is something we haven't offered our customers before. The strongest chocolate we currently offer is 85%. Venezuelan Black at 100% cacao certainly packs a punch and isn't for the faint hearted.'
Willie said: "Many people who knew me thought this was a madcap scheme, but for me it's a passion and I've never been more serious about anything in my life.
" I've seen my Bank Manager more often than my wife in the last couple of years. But seeing the results of my labour on the supermarket shelves will be like a dream come true."
Waitrose will be stocking all three cacao bars from Venezuelan Black. Single estate Hacienda El Tesoro is made with beans farmed at Willie's own plantation. Rio Caribe Superior and Carenero Superior are both from a single bean origin and sourced by Willie during his extensive travels of Venezuela. All three chocolate bars are £5.99 for 180g. The chocolate is sold in drum shapes rather than conventional rectangular bars in order to make it easier to grate.
Notes to Editors
• Willie's quest for the perfect chocolate has been followed by the current Channel 4 Documentary Willie's Wonky Chocolate Factory.
• Cacao is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a multitude of ways, from enriching and thickening gravy, casseroles and sauces to grating on your cappuccino.
For further information or photos please contact Giselle Dye e: Giselle.dye@pagodapr.com Pagoda PR, 0131 556 0770 or mobile 07739 085023
or Karla Graves, Press Officer, Consumer t:01344 82 5204 e: karla_graves@waitrose.co.uk
Recipes
Truffles
180g grated cacao
250ml double cream
150g caster sugar
Heat cream and sugar until almost boiling. Add grated cacao. Stir and remove from heat. Refrigerate until firm. Roll the mixture into balls and dust.
Traditional Venezuelan Hot Chocolate
1 part of grated cacao
3 parts of water (or 2 parts water and 1 part milk)
Bring to the boil until thickened. Add honey or sugar to taste.
