THE best way to sweeten someone up this Valentine’s Day is with a box of chocs.
But how much can you ensure getting the most desirable and delicious treats?
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Here, Julia Etherington puts the big-name boxes to the test
for cost, taste and romance, with scores out of ten.
Tesco Finest – 5/10
15 chocolates, £6.10 (40p per choc) Calories per 100g: 532
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ON the surface top marks for variety as every one of the chocolates looks different and the whole array is impressive.
The sweets in this Belgian Chocolate Selection are good quality, but delve a little deeper into the flavours and the variety is not that great because seven of them are hazelnut-based.
On the plus side, I did enjoy the addition of the coconut truffle in dark chocolate – not something you find in every box.
But at 40p a pop, I feel Tesco has overpriced this product.
Thorntons Continental – 7/10
47 chocolates, £25 (53p per choc) Calories per 100g: 550
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EXTRA brownie points for the attractive heart-shaped packaging – perfect for Valentine’s Day.
When Thornton’s created these high-end chocs, they certainly cranked up their creativity a notch by adding a European twist to the dark, milk and white offerings.
The tasting card reads like a romance novel: nuts and caramel are mixed with flavours such as Sicilian lemon, Seville orange and Viennese deluxe milk chocolate.
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These are for the hardened rich chocolate lover, and it’s reflected in the hefty price.
Lindt Master Collection – 6/10
18 chocolates, £7 (39p per choc) Calories per 100g: 535
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THE Swiss “master chocolatiers” certainly put their heart and soul into this fancy array of chocs. They look delightful.
The perfect piping makes this collection look as elegant as possible, while the flavours are pleasingly smooth without being overly rich.
On the variety of flavours, there is a little bit of a nut-overload, with more than half of the ten flavours containing nuts.
Perhaps the master chocolatiers could think outside the box a little more?
Cadbury Milk Tray – 10/10
34 chocolates, £3.50 (10p per choc) Calories per 100g: 527
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YOU really can’t go wrong with Cadbury’s chocolate.
Milk Tray is one of the most popular gifts when it comes to chocolate boxes.
The message on the pack says “lots of love” and it’s covered in hearts. The contents have been revamped.
The strawberry fondant has been updated with a raspberry and cream choc, and there’s a new honey crunch with honeycomb.
This is quality at a great price, with ten different chocolates to tantalise the tastebuds.
No wonder it’s so well loved.
Nestle’s Black Magic – 7/10
36 chocolates, £4 (11p per choc) Calories per 100g: 465
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IT feels a bit like revisiting the 1980s biting into some of the usual chocolate box tastes of nuts, caramel and fruity fondant flavours, but there’s something deliciously pleasing about this wonderful cult classic.
The dark chocolate is only 40 per cent, so it’s not tip-top quality.
But sometimes it’s the simple pleasures in life that make your heart flutter.
They are also only 11p each, so if you like dark chocolate wrapped around a sweet inner filling, these are a bit of a no-brainer.
Lily O’Brien’s Desserts – 7/10
16 chocolates, £7 (43p per choc) Calories per 100g: 536
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THE popularity of Lily’s dessert chocolates has encouraged stores like Aldi to come up with their own version of a cross between afters and chocolates.
Inspired by some of the poshest puds around the globe, the flavour is well- balanced – not too sweet with a decent layer of chocolate encasing each filling, which gives a good crunch.
Some of the flavours are a little unusual, like the key lime pie.
All in all, a nice- looking box with a whole lot of taste.
Aldi’s Desserts – 6/10
13 chocolates, £3.49 (27p per choc) Calories per 100g: 539
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THIS down-to-earth version of Lily O’Brien’s dessert collection by Aldi offers more British pudding inspiration with its chocolate concoctions.
The eight flavours include our favourite sugary treats Jam Roly Poly, Jaffa Cake, Rhubarb And Custard and Salted Caramel Brownie.
The chocolate itself is creamy and tasty, but some of the flavours, such as Cinnamon Bun, are a little too quirky – and they are each just a penny less than Lily’s.
Aldi Extra Special – 5/10
20 chocolates, £7 (35p per choc) Calories per 100g: 520
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THERE’S a lack of romance in the packaging of this Luxury Belgian Collection of milk, white and dark chocs, but there’s plenty of imagination on the inside.
Forerunners include dark chocolate with cocoa nibs to crunch on, a caramel cup with caramelised hazelnut topping and a vanilla mousse.
I think the raspberry ganache might be pushing the chocolate boundaries a little far, and while the box is okay, it’s not leaving me overwhelmed with love.
Sainsbury’s Classic – 6/10
13 chocolates, £6 (46p per choc) Calories per 100g: 553
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THIS is a mixture of dessert chocolates, such as tiramisu, chocolate pudding, salted caramel cup and raspberry cheesecake.
The classics are there too, including hazelnut praline, the Belgian milk chocolate toffee baton and milk caramel heart.
The layers of chocolate encasing each of the flavours are nice and thick, and overall they taste really good.
But do I think they’re worth 46p each? Probably not during a cost-of-living crisis.
Nestle’s Dairy Box – 8/10
16 chocolates, £3 (19p per choc) Calories per 100g: 541
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THE simplicity of the Dairy Box contents is one of the attractive things about this box.
Nestle hasn’t added any airs and graces to the classic offering, keeping to milk chocolate and well-loved flavours.
The fillings are a mixture of truffle, caramel and fruit crème.
There’s just one nut, only a dot of dark chocolate and a thin wisping of white chocolate.
It’s by no means a grand gesture, but a perfectly adequate Valentine’s gift for Tuesday.
