Sophia, the youngest of the Bennettes, had indulged her sweet tooth while on a tour of Hotel Chocolat’s cocoa farm, where she shared in the full bean to bar experience with her family. A highlight for them all was the chocolate-making workshop, where Sophia was able to get very hands-on.
Of all three ‘Baby Bennettes’, it’s fair to say that Sophia is the most creative. While her older brothers are at their happiest outside building dens and adorning their once white t-shirts with mud and grass stains, she can be found inside, at her craft table, or stood on a stool in the kitchen playing sous chef for Mummy.
On our latest ‘Big Bennette Break’ to Saint Lucia, we were eager to immerse all three children in activities they would love.
While Max and Luca satisfied their need for adventure snorkelling and rolling in yet more mud at the Sulphur Springs, our littlest Bennette hit the bar — as in the chocolate variety.
Before we came away, I had snuck a quick half an hour at her craft table and made a Willy Wonka-style Golden Ticket, which we presented to her the morning of our Project Chocolat tour, inviting her to join us for a day of chocolatey fun. Her joyful squeaks and squeals of excitement made the gold glitter glue spillage and battle with scissors I’d endured all worthwhile
So, on yet another sunny morning, off we all went into the rainforest on a tasty trail to see where meltingly good magic begins! Our guide was brilliant, his enthusiasm for the whole bean to the bar journey kept the young ones fully entertained, and we even got to taste cacao pulp from a freshly cut pod. It wasn’t what any of us expected, the fruity, sweet, and dare I say even tangy, flavour was nothing like chocolate. It really does need to be tried to be believed.
As much as we loved exploring the groves, the highlight was making our own chocolate. From crushing the cocoa nibs into a paste, adding the butter and sugar, to pouring into a mould, it was a fully involved process, and one that our sweet-toothed Sophia certainly savoured. “Look Mummy, I’ve made chocolate fingers!” she shouted while licking her little hands clean. Naturally, her bar was a good few grams lighter than the rest of ours!
But the taste sensations didn’t end there. On we went for a street-food style feast, serving everything from Cacao Burgers, and Cacao Beer-Battered Fish & Chips, to fresh local produce, and famous soft-serve Ice Cream smothered in chocolate sauce. Kevin and I were also sure to sample the cacao-infused cocktails, for experiential thoroughness of course.
And just like that our tour was over, and away we went with tummies full of treats and our Bennette-made bars of deliciousness that I’m ashamed to say didn’t even survive the journey back to our hotel!
