Wiltshire

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lowdown">THE LOWDOWN</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs.jpg" alt="Holly Garner" class="wp-image-31865" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Holly Garner has a stellar pedigree when it comes to chocolate. Originally a chemical engineer by trade, she honed her craft at none other than Cadbury, where she was responsible for the all-important bubble size in our fave Wispa bars. She later oversaw Cadbury’s Caramel, with such success that she was envoyed to Australia to oversee production down under.&nbsp;



More recently, she’s set her sights on running her own chocolate business and, luckily for us, it’s right here in Wilts. At her shop near Devizes, Holly handcrafts around 2,000 artisan chocs a day, in addition to running The Beanery Café and masterclasses in everything from pralines to truffles and even chocolate handbags.



To say Hollychocs is a success would be an understatement &#8211; it has bagged over 30 industry awards, is deemed a Great Taste Producer by the Guild of Fine Food and is currently the county’s independent food producer of the year. Meanwhile masterclasses are a hands-on affair, in true Willy Wonka style. Chocs away, we’re going in&#8230;&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE LOCATION</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-beanery.jpg" alt="Hollychocs Beanery café Wiltshire" class="wp-image-31868" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-beanery.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-beanery-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-beanery-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-beanery-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-beanery-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



My praline masterclass took place at <a href="https://www.hollychocs.com/pages/beanery-cafe">The Beanery</a>, Holly’s café and shop. Tucked away next to Poulshot Farm Shop, it’s just ten minutes from Devizes and is a relaxed space, where all the décor pays homage to chocolate. Here, the undisputable stars of the show are a glittering array of chocs, and these are by no means your average treat. With row upon row lined up neaty up behind a counter, they look like tiny works of art.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE VIBE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="2000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2847.jpg" alt="Hollychocs" class="wp-image-31879" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2847.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2847-600x800.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2847-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2847-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2847-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2847-394x525.jpg 394w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



Fun, friendly and thoroughly unpretentious. Classes include just 10 people and on arrival we found our names scribed on our places (in liquid chocolate, natch). Workshops can be a tricky balance and our co-conspirators ranged in age from tweens to retirees, but Holly’s down to earth approach set everyone instantly at ease. With great gusto she also introduced us to Mario and Luigi, her two vast chocolate melting machines &#8211; in true Willy Wonka style, they ooze rivers of chocolate out of a pair of taps.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO EXPECT?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="750" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2858-750x1000.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-31881" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2858-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2858-600x800.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2858-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2858-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2858-394x525.jpg 394w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2858.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></figure>



For starters, one of the best hot chocolates you’ll ever taste, just to get you in the mood. The tough part is choosing from the Beanery’s menu, which has 12 different flavours &#8211; we opted for a 35% cocoa blend and a 43% single origin, both of which were divine.&nbsp;



The workshop was a praline masterclass and over the course of two hours we learnt to do everything from making glassy slabs of caramel and soft, nutty praline, to lining and filling our chocolate moulds, and dusting them with edible gold. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="750" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2903-750x1000.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-31882" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2903-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2903-600x800.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2903-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2903-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2903-394x525.jpg 394w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2903.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="750" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2909-750x1000.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-31883" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2909-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2909-600x800.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2909-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2909-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2909-394x525.jpg 394w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2909.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></figure>



There were also loads of opportunities to taste along the way &#8211; a true chocoholic, at one point I was literally scooping praline out of a bowl on a golden spoon. I’m not known for my lightness of touch but, ultimately, we all turned out a very impressive array of gleaming chocs, which we piled into gold boxes. They can keep for weeks, but needless to say ours had been scoffed within a few days of taking them home. 



Holly is clearly a master of her art, and the entire session was peppered with useful hints and tips. We learned a huge amount, from why you should always use a metal whisk to stir caramel, to why dark brown sugar is an absolute no-no (it contains too much moisture). If you fancy trying your hand at making pralines at home, a cool marble surface is your friend &#8211; you can buy inexpensive slabs online. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2918.jpg" alt="Chocolates at Hollychocs" class="wp-image-31884" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2918.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2918-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2918-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2918-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wilts/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/10/Hollychocs-review-IMG_2918-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



Good for:&nbsp;Choccie lovers, obvs. But Holly’s masterclasses are also great for anyone who likes being hands-on in the kitchen or learning foodie craft. My 13-year-old adored it every bit as much as I did, and it also makes for a fab alternative night out with friends.&nbsp;



Not for: Praline isn’t for people who are nut allergic &#8211; although many of Holly’s other masterclasses are nut-free. If you have allergies, check in with the team before you book.&nbsp;



What’s the damage? Incredibly good value. The praline, truffle and champagne truffle masterclasses are all £60 – a bargain when you think you come away with a sizeable box of your own chocs, get to guzzle an artisan hot chocolate and learn a heap of insider intel.&nbsp;



Hollychocs’ upcoming <a href="https://www.hollychocs.com/collections/chocolate-masterclasses">workshops</a> include festive truffles (15 December, £60), a Christmas family workshop (22 December, £70), chocolate truffles (19 January, £60), champagne truffles (9 February, £60) and a chocolate handbag workshop (8 March, £60).&nbsp;

Sweet like chocolate! Muddy makes pralines with Hollychocs

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