LONDON LARDER | ALEXEEVA & JONES (W11)

LIKE the perfect chocolate assortment, Alexeeva & Jones is just full of hidden surprises. Owners Gareth and Natalia are trained chocolateurs and their experience, passion and knowledge is everywhere from the design of the store to their selection of award-winning truffles, pralines, ganaches and bars from over twenty-three countries. The staging is exquisite – tantalising displays of chocolate boxes and packaging, ordered lines of truffles and pralines, a small salon for tasting and indulgence. The wonderful Maria will take you on a tour of the different chocolates, highlighting the origin, region, taste and texture of the selection on offer. There are names that you will know such as Valrhona of France and Amedici of Italy but Alexeeva & Jones offers the opportunity to discover new emerging chocolatiers such as Marou. This is Vietnam’s first chocolate artisian specialising in single-origin local beans as well as others such as Duffy’s Chocolates based in Lincolnshire. Sample one of Paul Wayne Gregory’s ganache ingots. More Jackson Pollock than neo-classical, they are instantly recognisable by their flamboyant appeal. There is also Alexeeva & Jones’s own chocolates: the perfected balanced gin and lemon truffle comes highly recommended. Finish your visit with a hot chocolate and then go straight home and join their connoisseur tasting club for your monthly sample of pure indulgence. 
297 Westbourne Grove, W11 2QA. Tel. 0207 229 1199.

Photos courtesy of Alexeeva & Jones 2015.

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