The Chocolate Garden of Ireland Blog

Happy Birthday to us!

admin — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 22:15:54 +0000

Well, hello again, it’s been a busy and rapidly-passing summer! Kids nearly back to school already. Being our first summer with the shop open in our new location, we didn’t know what to expect. The chocolate workshops were really busy in May and June with school groups.. and active retirement groups too (oldest candidate to date was 95, closely seconded by a 92 year old - they had a blast!) ; anyway we really didn’t know what to expect but the phone just kept ringing and we kept adding in extra dates and times for workshops. We had our first birthday for the shop on the 18th of August - no celebrations yet as a couple of staff are still on holidays but we will, don’t worry!

We had a very unusual request recently… to make a chocolate sliotar, don’t have the photo just yet as it’s caught between mismatched software, laptops and iphone… but will let you have a look soon… picture this.. a football sized sliotar (hope I’m spelling that right, I’ve never actually written it before) white chocolate with brown with the red logo of a notable PLC hand crafted onto it - quite a project; it tooke about 4 prototypes to get the technique right since we don’t have a mould for a sliotar but happily the end product was great.

Congrats to anyone who has just got their leaving cert results after all that hard slog! If you’re going to a debs soon and want the very best brownie points, well you’ll need the very best chocolates - see our website or if you want something special, give us a ring on 059-6481999.

Exotic Flavours

admin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:27:58 +0000

Please be our guest and challenge us… we have recently added chilli and ginger as new flavours to our range of chocolate bars and hand made chocolates, but hey, the sky is the limit… what’s your flavour idea?

mmmMMM… fabulous ice cream

admin — Fri, 28 May 2010 11:35:37 +0000

Organic Ice Cream - Dive in!

Don’t you just love ice cream in the garden on a hot day… well, thankfully, we’ve been getting plenty of them lately and hopefully they’ll continue. Come and relish our organic ice cream and chill! Take yourself into a different realm… but watch for Rosie, our lovely black cat who is often to be found lounging around the picnic tables scouting for generous ice cream eaters… my four year old, blissfully unaware of hygiene matters, delights in offering her a spoon of hers to lick! WARNING: Unattended ice cream will be eaten - by loitering four-legged (or even two-legged) companions!

Football Season

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:46:54 +0000

What ever you do, don’t kick it! But if you need peace while you’re watching the match, this could earn you serious brownie points! Chocolate football… a new concept in sport.

A new way to enjoy football!

May Hotties

admin — Mon, 24 May 2010 13:31:32 +0000

Aren't they so sweet!

I’m just sooooo excited about our new products…. I’m literally like a [big] kid in a candy shop! But check them out yourself, little bees on chocolate bars, ladybirds, butterflies and flowers on lollipops… the Chocolate Garden has really come of age!! But not to rest on our laurels, we are constantly trying new things. So, watch this space! check our website if you want to buy some of these beauties - www.chocolategarden.ie

We already had chocolate flower lollipops which are great as wedding favours, but the bit of colour is great, don’t you think?! Product ideas and inspiration always welcome….

... just can't keep the bees off the chocolate!

Yummy Bunnies! DIY Style!

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 20:32:55 +0000

Fabulous hand made chocolate bunnies, made by visiting trainee chocolatiers - that’s what’s been on the production schedule this week; that and beautiful chocolate butterflies… more delightful shapes to look forward to after Easter. See home page for dates and booking details: www.chocolategarden.ie

Easter Bunny doing the rounds

admin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 22:34:29 +0000

Bunny joins in the fun in bunny making workshop

Easter Bunny has been spending lots of time helping out at the chocolate workshops; he’ll be greeting visitors to the Chocolate Garden on Easter Sunday afternoon - be there or be square!
Next Chocolate workshops are being held on on Saturday 10th April - advance booking required on tel. 059-6481999.

Loads’a'News…

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:03:36 +0000

Well, Well…. it’s been a while. Yes, we’re in our new premises and please do come and check it out… the best coffee in the South East… (Great Taste Award 2009), not to mention killer hot chocolate! And the chocolates… lots of new varieties made especially for our shop customers… not available from any other outlet - check out the Praline Crisp, the Dark Cherry (mmmm, oh my Gooooood!) and the Amaretto is pretty spectacular, even if I do say so myself!!! The rest are great too, but they’re my current favourites. Recent favourites, if dark chocolate is not your thing, include Irish Cream truffle, Chocolate Caramel and the Milk Praline is yummy too.

The really great news is that our chocolate workshops have started, today is the day… first group in. Beavers from Carlow… I’m sure they’ll have a blast. We’ll just keep plying them with chocolate if things go south (but that’ll never happen!). Workshops take around 1hour and 15mins… that’s the plan anyway, and have a video, a tasting (or two or three), a bit of a spiel from us chocolatiers, a demo of different chocolate making techniques and finally… an interactive hands-on play with chocolate and yes, take it home with you - you made it!

Workshops on Saturdays, and other days too during mid-term etc. Yes, booking is necessary - 059-6481999.

If you’re just more of a passive chocoholic, please do come and indulge in our chocolate cafe… it’s an ice cream parlour too and we make organic ice cream in house (multi talented).

Easter Time is looming large!

admin — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:33:36 +0000

Wake up lads, it's nearly Easter!

Check out some sleeping bunnies, who got bored waiting for Easter… nearly there lads, wake up!

Easter Bunny Sighting at the Chocolate Garden

Here’s Jim and Mary Healy and the Easter Bunny all crammed into their little shop… soon to be much larger, the shop, that is. The egg is a mere 6.5 kg of chocolate… keep you chewing till September at least. In the meantime, visits to meet the Easter Bunny and take a ride on the Rathwood Express train, complete with treasure hunt, can be organised at Rathwood Home and Garden World all during the Easter hols.

Happy Easter says the Biggest Irish Bunny

admin — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:36:28 +0000

: Come and get your chocolate from the Easter Bunny!

Well boys and girls, have you been good for Lent? Do you deserve a really nice creamy chocolate Easter Egg… well then get yourself to the Chocolate Garden in Baltinglass and pick your egg or better still your bunny! Eggs range from 50g to 6.5kg so don’t be limited in your choice - milk, dark or white or two-tone if you can’t make up your mind, or if you have to share with your other half who prefers something different to you.

For the more romantic souls out there, we have been known to put in earrings on one occasion, and an engagement ring on another occasion, right inside the egg…. double whammy surprise. So there’s a novel idea for you if you’re thinking of popping the question. Just to allay any fears you may have, we do put the jewellry inside an small plastic bag just to keep germs away from the chocolate and chocolate away from the gems.

Basically, what you want, we can most likely do; and if you want some special gift in chocolate, well then we’re yer only man!… www.chocolategarden.ie