A great many years ago, I accompanied my cousin, in Italy, on a school trip to the seaside. Two very memorable things happened: I could barely stay awake, drugged by the sea air; and when I was awake I was so focused by hunger, I have a buried-by-shame memory of stealing one of the schoolchildren’s panini with Parma ham in it.
I am back by the sea, but this time in Dorset and the sea is once again like salty Mogadon: stupifying and lulling. You can, and should, lose hours to staring out to sea. In order to wake up I take an open-topped bus all the way to Swanage, on a windy day. Bracing. Down a very small alleyway I find Chococo, which sells all manner of chocolate products. I’ll be honest, the filled chocolate selection, £12.50, aren’t my favourite. Where things start to happen is with the bars, £4.50/60g. The 45% Venezuelan milk with roasted coffee pieces is standout. I love the 65% Madagascar Mega Milk bar with just 8% added sugar and the caramelised white with cocoa nibs is an inspired pairing – delicious.
Then on to a little café called Love Cake, and they do: the cakes are big, making me feel like a small child in the 1950s. I meet a customer called Brenda who gently laments she can never find a good gluten-free scone (any tips, write in). By the counter are big, colourful slabs of Stach chocolate. The staff aren’t sure what they taste like so I buy a bar and they buy a bar and we have a mini tasting session. My bar is Milk Peanutbutter Popcorn, £4.95/130g. ‘It’s super sweet,’ we all say. By evening it’s all gone.
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