All for the Love of Hot Chocolate Concludes…
My search for Maidstone’s best Hot Chocolate concludes!
My love of hot chocolate has been indulged once again. Last month I sampled four hot chocolates from different cafes around Maidstone with Fortify Café coming out on top for taste, this month I have been out and about again and with Easter approaching I think it’s important that we know where to get a decent hot chocolate in Maidstone. So here are my latest finds…
White Rabbit
Sandling Road, Maidstone ME14 2RF12. Tel: 0845 112 6103
Regular sized £2.10 they use Breaks Hot Chocolate Brand.
Taste 3 stars
Smooth and easy to drink
Look 3.5 stars
Presented to me in a tall, clear glass – a similar look to Harper’s Café from last month.
Sweetness 3 stars
The smoothness of the hot chocolate balanced the sweetness.
Temperature 3 stars
A little cool for my liking – I had to drink it in haste instead of being able to savour the drink.
Bottom 3 stars – No sludge but a few grains…
Costa
Found in King Street, Waterstone’s Fremlin Walk, costa Safe Fremlin Walk and Leeds Castle.
£2.95 Belgium Hot Chocolate. Regular size.
Taste 4 Stars
I could taste cocoa instead of just sugar! A satisfying chocolate fix.
Look 3.5 stars
A tall glass with ‘Costa’ blazoned on the side. This scores higher than other ‘tall glass’ presentation due to the small saucer it came with that allows you to rest your spoon somewhere without getting hot chocolate all over the table tops.
Sweetness 4 stars
Not sickly at all.
Temperature 5 stars
I had time to enjoy the drink rather than race to drink it before it got cold.
Bottom 2 stars
A little bit of sludge – my pet hate!
Mote Park Cafe
Mote Park, Willow Way, Maidstone, ME15 8NQ. Tel: 01622 764431
£1.80 Regular size Cadbury hot Chocolate.
Taste 2 Stars
It is a basic hot chocolate.
Look 2.5 stars
Crinkly brown cardboard take away cup. Handy for walking around the park with but not very attractive.
Sweetness 2 stars
This is a good hot chocolate for those who like their sugar – not my favourite.
Temperature 5 stars
A good temperature – kept warm for my walk!
Bottom 3 stars
A ‘slight sludge’ due to no spoons!
So my hunt for the perfect hot chocolate has come to an end. I didn’t have the time, money or stomach to try every café in Maidstone (although I’m sure that will happen!) so there could be a hidden gem out there, however, there is a clear winner of my two month Hot Chocolate Hunt and that winner is Fortify Café which was awarded 23 out of a possible 25 stars!
I was surprised just how many places serve Cadbury Hot chocolate and there is definitely scope for cafes to branch out and offer different types of hot chocolate. Costa have just ‘innovated’ and offer ‘Belgium’ hot chocolate so why are our independents not offering something a little more daring than Cadbury’s?
The results of my opinions of the hot chocolate in other cafes are below in order:-
1. Fortify Café- 23/25 stars
2. Harper’s Gift Shop Café 19/25 stars
3. Pop’s Café 18.5/25 stars (joint 3rd)
3. Costa Coffee 18.5/25 stars (joint 3rd)
4. White Rabbit 15.5/25 stars
5. Mote Park Café 14.5/25 stars
6. Mr. Beans Café 12.5/26 stars