Ok so I lied. In the review of the Butler’s Chocolate Cafe of Dublin post, I said there was nothing like that in the UK. Soon there will be and it looks like it will be even better.
A few weeks ago I was on an emergency mission to Bluewater, Kent when I came across a hoarding saying “Cadbury’s Cocoa House” and went into similar state as Mowgli meeting the snake in The Jungle Book. I contacted their PR company to find out more.
It turns out that a trio of entrepreneurs, under a licensing deal from Cadbury’s, are opening a chain of cafes. Bluewater will be first and no doubt a great success with all those shoppers desperate to put their feet up. Several London openings are scheduled for 2011 with UK wide roll out expected within five years. The creators have backgrounds in Harrods, Starbucks and At Home catering so it would appear that ambitions to bring Cadbury’s Cocoa House to high streets nationwide are serious.
There will be an ice cream bar, chocolate-coloured leather booths studded with faux chocolate buttons and fire places to create a cosy living room vibe. How I hope they include some Dairy Milk purple in the decor! On the menu will be hot and chilled chocolate drinks, knicker bocker glories, cakes, afternoon teas, “choctails” and, get this – champagne.
All produce on the menu is going to be ethically sourced and supplied by British producers. Chef Mark Hix is contributing a dish and a “choctail” of the month to the menu. Music played will take inspiration from the big bands, British tea dance and classics like Putting on the Ritz. “Hot Chocolate” as sung by Tom Hanks in Polar Express will be played on the hour (this will drive the staff nuts).
Cadbury’s may be a less sophisticated choice to chocolate toffs (of which this lover of Wispa Gold is definitely not one) but I’ll always have a soft spot for them as I went to art college in Bournville where the smell of chocolate hung in the air all the time. John Cadbury opened his first cocoa shop in my home town Birmingham in 1824. I shall be skipping straight into the 21st century version soon after it opens at Bluewater on 19th October.
The first 100 people to sign up for the Cadbury’s Cocoa House loyalty scheme will receive £10 credit on their cards so go jump quick before everyone else hears about it.
All images courtesy of Cadbury’s Cocoa House.
looks good – I’ll give them a try when I’m in the area. yum
This looks fantastic, I cant wait to go see. Excellent post, as always
Oooh, this looks like its going to be fun 😀
*kisses* HH
I wonder if they will be doing any preview events *waves at Cadburys/Focus PR*
Oooh wish I lived near one of those. Sounds so great – and will definitely outdo Starbucks! Lucky you.
Now I’m feeling pretty sorry for myself that we don’t have somewhere fabulous like this near where I live!
The PR / Preview photos look pretty good. It will be interesting to see what it is actually ike when they get going.
I went at the weekend and would definatly recommend going!!!
Food is amazing and the chocolate drinks… Mmmmmmm Very yummy!!!
Went yesterday – appalling! Way overpriced, abysmal service from miserable staff and the food and hot chocolate is neither that tasty nor hot. Oh and all the crockery is chipped. Don’t get sucked into it, you get far better at a real cafe.
Went there last weekend… terrible, I am a lovely of the tea room/cream tea and thought this was going to be a nice bright version of that, what with promises of afternoon tea etc. However we were greeted by staff who seemed bored with their jobs and every cup and saucer we had was chipped top and bottom. There is no need for that when you are charging higher prices. I dont get chipped cups in costa !!!
As a treat my friend and I thought we would visit Cabury’s tea room. What a huge disappointment, luke warm coffee,old coffee cups. rock hard cake that was not fresh just pulled out of the freezer daily, no presentation, lack in wow factor and EXTREMLY over priced…… I will never go again. better off in one of the other coffe shops better value and nicer food.
Went there a few weeks ago and wash shocked at how expensive it was ! £6.95 for a sandwich and £6.75 for a small portion of welsh rarebit with a couple of cherry tomatoes on. We ended up just going for a drink each and went elsewhere for food .The coco tasted ok…only Luke warm with no cream or flake and it was £3.50. For a small mug.
Well we’ve been ther done that and won’t be returning .
Sounds like the Cocoa House has turned out to be a big disappointment for a lot of people. I’ve only walked past so far, not managed to eat or drink there. I had been looking forward to going but I’m kind of put off now!
Went there today (Bluewater Branch) and ordered hot chocolate and tea. Absolutely appalling – poor service, surly disinterested staff and vastly overpriced. Not even a chocolate in sight (other than in jars at the till). Wish that we had walked out prior to ordering and gone elsewhere. Avoid!!
Truly terrible. Chips soggy and cold, dirty tea cup, tea came in a small brown pot, did not match china.Mushrooms on toast was served on a wooden board with large cracks, not hygienic. But worst of all a young mum slipped with her very new babe in arms on a wet floor.
Glad it wasn’t just me who was disappointed. Over priced small portions – Cafe Rouge at Bluewater is far superior. I’m not sure they’ll be there that much longer! They could do so much more!
Went in for pudding with friends after a nice meal in Carluccios, expecting a Cadbury extravaganza… after looking at the torn and dirty menu we decided on Chocolate Fudge cake thinking it would come warm with cream or iceceam… nope. So i asked was it Cadburys cake? nope. The waitress informed us that the company owned the right to use the name but not even the hot chocolate was Cadburys! I was so disappointed and much to one friends embarrassment we left without ordering. I felt like id been conned, the nearest this place gets the Cadburys is the odd chocolate bar it uses to garnish its iceream sundaes.
Imthemoon67
Actually I think you’ll find that it was cadbury’s I am former worker there and we always used cadbury products whilst I was there even the ice cream was cadburys so whatever waitress told you that was lying and as for torn and dirty menus they get cleaned daily and none of them were torn the whole time I was working there
Michael
The brown pots havent got matching mugs with them! The bigger pot of tea did have matching mugs you just quite clearly did not think about that. And as for it being ‘unhygienic’ it quite clearly wasnt if it passed the health and safety requirements. If anything we had a lot of praise for using the wodden plates because it made it look pretty and presentable. That was one of the main things that we got praised for and small portions its only a snack place we dont do big meals. The chips are cook fresh so unless you left them last to eat then I don’t know what happened there. And again smallportions the scampi and chips we use half a bag of scampi for one portion.
Mark
All staff members of that place were always smiley maybe they was just disinterested in annoying customers that pick at every little thing in sight we have chocolates all around the restuarant so unless your blind you must of not been looking.
D – Are you sure you are talking about the same place, what an attitude no wonder it shut down! your staff are liars? your customers are liars and annoying? good riddance i say
My oh was in bluwater today and it looks like the cadburys cocoa house is no more as it was closed . I did want to go there as a treat but glad i never bothered now.
So now what an I supposed to do about the vouchers for afternoon tea at Cadbury Cafe at Bluewater that we gave a xmas that haven’t been used yet?!!
Imthemoon67
No we’re talking about the same place. Seeing as there is only one cadbury cocca house in bluewater. And attitude. Maybe I’m just sticking up for the place I worked at the people in there made me feel like one of them apart of the family! I felt like that the first day I started until the very end! maybe you was just a shit customer. We had a lot of regular customers! One of which came in every Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, so it can’t of been that bad could it. And for your information I said that they must of been lying abouyt the products. Not liars in general! So please put a sock in it.
khaskings
I’m not to sure about that one. It is rumoured to be re-opening under new management and under a new name if so they may take the voucher there. If not I’d go up to bluewater and ask at the help desk!x