For chocolate fans both sides of the channel!

Probably very unfair to all those chocolate lovers, to have these as the subject of a blog. Can't taste them. Can't smell them. Can look at them though!  

Thought I was going to be writing a little snippet about a 120th anniversary that is being celebrated this year, in France. But on delving a little further, found a bigger story that crossed the channel.

The village of Chambéry is the home of the chocolate truffle. Le pâtissier Louis Dufour created the now world-renowned Savoyarde speciality, at the end of the 19th century. The chocolate truffle's arrival was purely by chance when, during a competition Louis Dufour discovered he didn't have enough cocoa. He added crème fraîche, some vanilla to the mix and then rolled the little balls in powdered chocolate. Et voilà, the chocolate truffle was born.

In 1902 Antoine Dufour came to England, opening the first Prestat shop in South Molton Street, London. Another two were opened in Oxford Street and in the City of London. The business was passed to Antoine's son, Tony Dufour, who ran it into the 1950s. Trading difficulties emerging from WW2, saw the company sold on. The company received royal warrants in 1975 to Queen Elizabeth ll and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1999. The current flagship store is in Piccadilly. In 2009 Prestat opened in Harrod's  Chocolate Hall.

Prestate has been owned by brothers Nick Crean and William Keeling since1998.
There wasn't much of the history to be found in terms of documents and packaging. However the two shop managers Peggy Cramer and Dilys Wilson, who combined, have worked for the company for over seventy years, were able to fill in some gaps and supply some information. The brothers have Antoine Dufour's original recipes for chocolate  caramels, coffee caramels, chocolate fudge, Turkish Delight, violet fondant, rose fondant and of course, chocolate truffels.

So London friends, if you haven't already - go check them out, and have one for me!