Chocolate
Hotel Chocolat Tasting Club
A long-running chocolate club from a major British brand, now owned by Mars
- Status
- Operating
- Best for
- UK chocolate lovers who want a dependable, familiar brand
Ownership. Hotel Chocolat was bought by Mars, Inc. for £534m in a deal that closed in January 2024, and its subscriptions are still offered.
What's in the box: A box usually holds a selection of Hotel Chocolat's own chocolates, often with tasting notes to guide you through each piece.
Hotel Chocolat is one of the best known British chocolate brands, and its Tasting Club is the subscription the company grew out of in the late 1990s. The idea is simple: boxes of the brand's chocolates arrive on a regular schedule, usually with tasting notes so you can compare and rate what you eat. The brand leans on high-cacao recipes and a wide range that includes vegan chocolates, truffles and liqueur chocolates, so a rotating box has plenty of variety to draw from.
You should know the business has changed hands. Mars, Inc. bought Hotel Chocolat in a deal that closed in January 2024, and the subscription is still offered. The brand identity looks intact so far, but long-time fans may want to watch for changes to recipes or to the club itself.
The website's front page is built mainly around gifting, advent calendars and the Velvetiser hot chocolate machine. The Tasting Club is not the headline act, and you may need to search for it. Check the box frequency, contents and cancellation terms before you sign up. There is also a free VIP.ME membership scheme with its own perks, and it is separate from the subscription. If you want a reliable chocolate treat from a familiar UK name, this is a safe choice rather than an adventurous one.
