London's May Fair Hotel gets behind Chocolate Week

The May Fair Hotel​ in London has been announced as venue partner for the sixth Chocolate Week​ and will be serving a six-course chocolate themed menu this Saturday to celebrate.

Running from October 12 to 18, Chocolate Week aims to promotes the exceptional chocolatiers now in the UK, the chocolates they produce and encourages people to visit specialised chocolate shops.

Chefs Tristan Welch of Launceston Place and Maria Elia from Whitechapel Gallery have joined May Fair Hotel's head chef Bert Muhle and chocolatiers Gerard Coleman of Artisan du Chocolat, Bill McCarrick from Sir Hans Sloane and Paul a Young from Paul a Young Fine Chocolates to devise the chocolate menu.

Dishes include Pressed Cob Chicken and Foie Gras, Bitter Chocolate and Mayan Spices and Scottish Pheasant Supreme with Girolles Mushrooms, Pumpkin and Bitter Chocolate infused jus and will be cooked by The May Fair Hotel team.

Restaurants involved in Chocolate week include the Almeida Restaurant, Amba at The May Fair Hotel, The Dartmouth Apprentice in Devon, The Hoxton Apprentice in London and The Podium Restaurant at Hilton Park Lane. The Chocolate Boutique Hotel in Dorset is also getting behind the themed week.

The May Fair Hotel will also be hosting Chocolate Unwrapped​, a dedicated chocolate show with 25 of the best chocolate companies under one roof on 10 and 11 October, and there will be a range of events happening around the country for Chocolate Week, including talks, tastings and demonstrations. For more information visit www.chocolate-week.co.uk​.

Want to take the chocolate tour?​

Barry Callebaut, in conjunction with Restaurant magazine is offering pastry chefs, chefs and restaurateurs the chance to participate in a two day chocolate study tour in Belgium, the home of chocolate!

You will arrive in Brussels via Eurostar on 27 January where you will be met by bus and taken to Bruges. You will spend the afternoon exploring and learning the secrets of some of the hundreds of chocolate shops and patisseries that are nestled within the streets of the city before heading out for dinner at one of the top restaurants in Bruges.

You will stay overnight in a city centre hotel and then depart in the morning to the Barry Callebaut factory in Aalst, the biggest chocolate factory in the world! You will have a guided tour of the factory and after lunch will depart to Brussels to explore its chocolate offering for the afternoon, before heading home on the eurostar.

During this trip you will get unrivalled access to some of the shops and patisseries where you will have the chance to go 'behind the scenes' and speak to some of the owners about their business.

All travel, accommodation and food will be paid for, however you will be required to pay a contributory cost of £100 per person.

If you would like to apply for the chance to participate on this trip and this fabulous opportunity, then please email: editorial@restaurantmagazine.co.uk​ with the subject title 'Chocolate Tour'. Places strictly limited.

To see some of the world's best pastry chefs compete in the ultimate chocolate competition - the World Chocolate Masters - watch this video.