Last week I did something so cool that I just had to blog about it. I went on a tour of a chocolate factory.
Not just any chocolate factory though. Thorntons chocolate factory.
Now I've been round Cadbury's and I even did the York Chocolate Story tour last year, but this was like nothing I've ever seen before, it was amazing.
I'm sure you're all wondering why on earth they let a fatty around their factory but it was actually for work (I know right, hard day at the office!).
I was part of a team who arranged a blogger tour to promote their new CGI Easter Factory, and well, I kind of got swept up in it all and ended up acting like a blogger myself, rather than the cool, totes profesh girl I usually am...(says the girl sitting in work wearing her Disney Vans... whatcha gonna do?)
I was part of a team who arranged a blogger tour to promote their new CGI Easter Factory, and well, I kind of got swept up in it all and ended up acting like a blogger myself, rather than the cool, totes profesh girl I usually am...(says the girl sitting in work wearing her Disney Vans... whatcha gonna do?)
I ended up Snapchatting the day (username: fattybiscuit - I'm obsessed with Snapchat atm) Instagramming it, Tweeting about it and I even posted it to my personal Facebook page (that's when you know shiz is getting real.)
I had such a fabulous day, and it's such a rare experience to tour a proper factory that I thought I'd share some of the pictures from the day! Basically because I've told everyone else in my actual life about the day (even my dentist) and I'm still not over it.
We began the tour learning about the process they go through to make their hollow eggs and characters. Basically they fill a mold up with chocolate and then put it on these magnetic rotating spinny things until it's all evenly filled.
I was quite mesmerised by the whole thing - in case you can't tell.
I was also wondering when I'd get to eat one.
I was also wondering when I'd get to eat one.
We then went on to watch the toffee being poured. Something else I could watch (and smell for hours.)
The guy has to pour the above machine at a certain speed and time to make sure it all sets evenly, without burning himself. The trays or on cooling platforms which help it all set nicely. The OCD in me loves how cool it looks.
Again, I was itching at the bit to try some!
A personal highlight for me was watching the creation of the Vanilla Truffles. We got to witness the whole process from start to finish.
They start as a chocolate mound, then are formed into little balls, coated in dark chocolate, then white and then all of a sudden a crowd of people with these funky forks gather round and hand finish each one.
A definite sight to behold.
After the tour it was tasting time, and as the photos show. I was more than happy by that part.
After the tour (and the most amazing lunch ever) we had a decorating masterclass from Nathan.
So many of Thorntons products can be customised and personalised and it is all done by hand! If you order online it'll be done in the factory where it will be written on in melted chocolate, however if you go into store it'll most likely be done in icing. Which is what we got to play with.
It was hard. Very hard.
After saying goodbye to Nathan we headed to the test kitchen and met Jane who helped us create our own chocolates.
After a bit of an altercation with a piping back (oops) my final chocolates were pretty fantastic.... (at least taste wise they were.
So yeah, not your average day at work, but a pretty darn fun one.
I hope the scales don't hold it against me too much...
Again, I went on this tour as part of work, however I was not asked to post about this, I just wanted to share. All thoughts opinions etc. are my own :)
