7 ways to celebrate World Chocolate Day this 7th July

If you needed an excuse to celebrate cacao in all its glory, World Chocolate Day 2022 is around the corner

We're all looking forward to balmy July days, summer walks, and a few days off work. But at Hotel Chocolat, we're also looking forward to mid-summer for another reason: World Chocolate Day.

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What is World Chocolate Day?

World Chocolate Day - otherwise known as International Chocolate Day - is a global celebration of chocolate that takes place every year on the 7th of July. Every year, since 2009, people have been gifting, enjoying, and making chocolate on this day as an ode to the infamous indulgent treat.

Historians believe that this date is the anniversary of the introduction of chocolate to Europe all the way back in 1550. However, it's difficult to know for sure.

You might notice your local cafes and cake shops promoting World Chocolate Day on the 7th of July - either with beautifully decorated chalkboards or special offers. But apart from this, you might not even notice it's a special day!

We'd like to change this…

Why not start celebrating World Chocolate Day yourself this year? There isn't just one correct way to mark the occasion - so you can go big or stay at home. It's up to you to decide how to make the most of this scrumptious day of celebration. Throw a tasting party, treat yourself to some chocolate nibbles, or gift a delectable chocolate box to a loved one.

Need some inspiration?

Ways to celebrate World Chocolate Day 2022

We've curated a list of cacao-themed ways to celebrate World Chocolate Day. Take a peek at these suggestions…

1. Host a chocolate tasting session

World Chocolate Day is a fabulous dinner party theme. Instead of the usual meal and a glass of wine, why not invite your friends over to taste a range of delectable chocolates? Have a glance at our article on how to host a chocolate tasting session for some tips.

Stock up on some unique chocolate flavours for sampling and set the scene. You could even make some chocolate cocktails to serve to your guests - just take a peek at our cacao-infused spirits.

2. Try mindful chocolate eating

If you like the sound of a chocolate tasting but would rather do something more low-key, why not make an effort to enjoy your chocolate mindfully. Choose a few high-quality, indulgent chocolate to sample throughout the day and savour each exquisite morsel.

Mindful eating means taking things slow, nibbling consciously and without distractions. You could even note down your aroma, taste, and texture observations to compare your chosen choccies.

Learn how to enjoy chocolate with all your senses for an engaged, appreciative tasting session.

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3. Treat loved ones to your favourite chocolates

World Chocolate Day is a chance to celebrate chocolate and to share it with your loved ones. Surprise your nearest and dearest with a chocolate box or hamper packed with their favourite chocolate grades and flavours.

After a suggestion? Our Everything Sleekster offers a taste of our most popular recipes. Our Milk to Caramel Sleekster is perfect for milk chocolate lovers. And our Serious Dark Fix Sleekster is sure to please any dark chocolate devotee.

Browse our chocolate gift boxes, chocolate hampers, and chocolate gift sets to find a gift that fits their preferences.

4. Add chocolate to your breakfast

Chocolate for breakfast? Well, if it's World Chocolate Day, why not start your day as you mean to go on?

Add a chocolate spin to your breakfast with a dash of cacao or high-cacao dark chocolate. Opting for a cacao-rich chocolate will give you all the deep, bitter, nuanced chocolate tones, but without the early-morning sugar hit.

We recommend stirring a single 85% Dark Chocolate Baton into your bowl of porridge, sprinkling some cacao nibs over your granola, starting your day with a real hot chocolate, or grabbing a freshly baked Pain Au Chocolat from your local bakery.

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5. Expand your chocolate tastes with unusual flavours

The world of chocolate is vast and diverse. Seize the chance to broaden your confectionary horizons by sampling a few of our more unusual flavours. You might just discover your new favourite chocolate.

Taste our revolutionary new chocolate genre - creamy 65% Supermilk, see how we managed to create a Cocoa Beer, or discover our vegan chocolate genre - 45% hazelnut-based Nutmilk.

You could also embrace floral flavours with our Rose & Violet Cremes Selector, tart apple and walnut with our Apple Strudel Chocolate Selector, and creamy banana with our Banana Smoothie Selector.

Learn more about unusual chocolate flavours with our article on chocolate-coated foods from around the world - some things will surprise you.

6. Enjoy chocolate fondue

Sumptuous, oozing chocolate smothered over cheese, crackers, and fresh fruit sounds like an evening in heaven to us. If you have your own fondue dish, why not make a delectable chocolate dipping spread for dessert this World Chocolate Day?

If you don't have a fondue dish, don't fear. We've created our Large Chocolate Dipping Adventure brimming with a glorious array of chocolate and nibbles - think four dipping pots of our premium white, milk, dark, and caramel chocolate with Brazil nuts, marshmallows, and florentines. It's perfect for sharing with someone special, perhaps in front of a film or after a candlelit dinner with a bottle of red wine.

7. Host a chocolate quiz

If your family members love a bit of friendly rivalry, a chocolate quiz could be the perfect post-dinner activity for World Chocolate Day 2022. Put your chocolate knowledge to the test and compete for points. If you plan ahead, you could get a box of chocolates to present to the winner.

Take a look at our chocolate quiz or have some fun creating your own.

Our favourite World Chocolate day facts

We couldn't write about World Chocolate Day without sharing a few chocolate facts. Feel free to steal them for your chocolate quiz!

• Did you know that the first-ever chocolate bar was made in the UK? It was created by the Bristol-based chocolate company Fry & Sons.
• Drinking chocolate came before solid chocolate - a relatively modern invention! Research the Mayan chocolate drink "Xocolatl".
• Cacao beans were once used as a form of currency by the Mayans.
• A cacao tree can live longer than 100 years - though it won't produce usable cacao beans for this long.
• The French celebrate April Fool's Day with a "Poisson d'Avril" - a chocolate-shaped fish! And we thought our Old Fossil was funny…

Celebrate World Chocolate Day with Hotel Chocolat

We hope you have a fantastic time celebrating World Chocolate Day this year. We're looking forward to it already. If you're based in the UK and would like to celebrate with us, visit us at our Rabot Restaurant in Borough Market, London. You'll be able to sample some creative cacao-infused recipes and relax on our open-air terrace.

Alternatively, take a peek at our exciting Bean to Bar Experiences, where you can learn from our skilled chocolatiers and make your own chocolate bar in London or Leeds.

However you choose to celebrate, enjoy this scrumptious day!

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