A brand new messy and indulgent hot chocolate experience is coming to Manchester - and I was one of the first to try it out ahead of its launch this weekend. Cocoa Cabana, which has branches in Didsbury and Ancoats, went viral on social media this week as they teased their latest addition to the menu.
The chocolate-loving cafe and bar shared a video of their ‘Augustus Gloop hot chocolate experience’ on TikTok in midweek, quickly racking up nearly half a million views.
Inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the hot chocolate is made with three different kinds of melted chocolate, poured into - and all over - a teacup, served up with an array of toppings.
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It’s certainly not for the faint hearted, and seems to have divided viewers on the video sharing app.
Some people are all for the chocolatey experience, with one commenter writing: “You bet I’ll be licking that mug and plate clean. I ain’t wasting no chocolate.” While another added: “I can’t wait to come and try this looks INSANE.”
Others couldn’t help but point out the ‘mess’, with another user writing: “There’s more outside the cup than inside the cup!” And another commenting: “Trying to eat something this messy would give me anxiety. I'd opt for it inside the mug.”
Like Federal’s French toast and Fuwa Fuwa’s fluffy pancakes, TikTok is going to be responsible for queues down Murray Street this weekend.
Inside the Ancoats venue, it immediately feels like a party, with disco lights and floral arrangements bringing weekend vibes to the city on a wet Wednesday morning in Manchester. The Instagrammable venue opened in 2019 following a successful debut in Didsbury, which first opened its doors in 2012.
Owner Sarah Gallacher said: “Cocoa Cabana is all about experiences. We’re about extravagance, over the top indulgence and if you want a real treat, you come to us. We’ve got a range of amazing loaded hot chocolates already but we wanted to offer something really different where people can get messy and have fun.”
And messy and fun is exactly what the Augustus Gloop hot chocolate experience is all about. It’s safe to say that I was excited to try it for myself. I was hoping to be the very first but alas, the huge social media response saw people asking for it the very next day. Never ones to disappoint, Cocoa Cabana have been dishing out the odd one ahead of it’s official launch tomorrow (Saturday, October 22).
Sarah added: “The response from TikTok has blown us away, people have already been in and asked for it. We bought the new machine which provides the melted chocolate, and it stays melted for quite a long time after, too.”
The new equipment, proudly displayed front of house so you can watch everything being made, contains dark, milk and white chocolate. Customers can opt for a single flavour, or the ultimate mix of all three for a flat rate of £7.
This is a hot chocolate unlike any other, made with pure melted chocolate for a totally extravagant and luxury treat. I watched the team make my order, pouring chocolate in and all over the dainty teacup. It really did feel like the scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when Augustus Gloop dives in the river - so wrong, but oh so right.
After filling the cup with chocolate, it was stuffed with biscotti biscuits, giant marshmallows and chocolate coins.
At my table, chocolate was dripping from the saucer, making a right royal mess, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for whoever’s responsible for washing the dishes. However, my anxieties were quickly forgotten when I bit into one of the fluffy marshmallows smothered in the chocolate blend.
It’s less like a traditional hot chocolate - although there are plenty of those on the menu - and more like a chocolate fondue, where you can dip your marshmallows and scoop up chocolate with your biscuits.
I tried my absolute best to finish it, but was defeated near the end. It’s dirty in the most delicious and decadent way, and a must-try for any chocolate lover.
If you don’t fancy trying the Augustus Gloop hot chocolate experience, you can have the melted chocolate drizzled on top of any order, including their cakes and brownies.
The viral TikTok hot choc launches tomorrow at bothe the Didsbury and Ancoats branches, and we’re expecting people to be queuing down the street for it. And let me tell you, it’s 100 per cent worth it.
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