In my local SuperValu shop I came across a dark chocolate bar I’d never seen before, wrapped in bright green inviting paper. It was called Chocolat Patissier Menier (74%) which is now owned by the Nestle giant.
This chocolate is not for me and Himself was disgusted with it. It had a mild buttery smell, glossy finish but tasted of vegetable oils. The texture was smooth but every now and then I came across tiny shards/splinters or something. That was off putting. This bar is aimed at cooks and you know the aftertaste does remind me of chocolate butter frosting. The ingredients list butterfat so the findings are not so surprising.
The chocolate wrapper boasted so many awards that I had to delve further and boy was it worth it.
The Menier family started out as pharmaceutical manufacturers in Paris (1816) back in the day when chocolate was used for medicinal purposes and to coat nasty tasting pills. When the process for producing solid chocolate was discovered, they concentrated mainly on chocolate production and by 1878 were winning awards for excellence. Their chocolate factory in Noisiel (Paris) is on the list to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
And who wouldn’t buy their chocolate given such adorable ads? The design is by Firmin Bouisset, very distinctive, old style French. I particularly like this picture of the girl writing with a chocolate stick on a window. Mind you, Honeyb would be more inclined to use crayons for that sorta thing – she knows that ‘choccie’ is for eating! I love that old fashioned style and maybe I will buy a print for my kitchen.
Anyway, with World War 1 and World War 2 came a) terrible wars b) limit on imports and exports c) rations d) immigration as people escaped the ravages of war e) drastic decline in sales, from which Menier never recovered. They tried to rebuild the company and regain their high standing, but post-war, competition was fierce from the Swiss and US. Taken over by Nestle, the factory in France is now the Nestle French headquarters/museum, and the English factory is now a theatre … so where is the chocolate being made???
