With Hotel Chocolat’s key expansion across a number of markets, the business has released two new limited edition autumn drinking chocolates, adding to its existing series, writes Neill Barston.

The latest offerings take the form of  Spicy Maple and the returning customer-favourite Pumpkin Spice, alongside three limited-edition seasonal Selectors, complementing the launch.

As our title has reported, the company has also just revived its chocolate drinking pouches, which had proved a notable hit with consumers, and have been brought back by popular demand.

Moreover, as the company explained, its Spicy Maple combines the growing consumer appetite for ‘swicy’ (sweet and spicy) flavour profiles with the brand’s expertise in chocolate, bringing together sweet maple and habanero heat in a drinking chocolate format.

The recipe follows the success of Hotel Chocolat’s Spicy Maple filled chocolate, demonstrating how established flavour profiles within the brand’s portfolio can be translated into new formats.

Meanwhile, Pumpkin Spice’s return reflects the continued popularity of warming autumnal flavours and the role of limited-edition recipes in creating seasonal excitement. Rounding off the seasonal line-up, three limited-edition Selectors bring further autumnal options across the wider chocolate range.

Commenting on the latest creations, Specialty Chocolatier at Hotel Chocolat,
Yiotis Panagiotou said: “Food innovation is increasingly about identifying what’s already resonating with customers and finding new ways to deliver it. Spicy Maple started life as one of our filled chocolates, and we saw an
opportunity to translate that into a completely different format, pairing the sweetness of maple with habanero heat to bring a ‘swicy’ twist to drinking chocolate.

“Pumpkin Spice, meanwhile, continues to prove the power of nostalgic, seasonal flavours, with its warming blend of cinnamon, ginger and pumpkin now firmly established as an autumn ritual for our customers.  Together, the two recipes show how we’re using flavour innovation to extend proven concepts across the portfolio and keep the category feeling new.”

“The drinking chocolates can be prepared at home using a Velvetiser®, steam wand or hob, while Velvetiser Cafés will also serve the recipes as a hot chocolate, choc shake or mocha, extending the range across both at-home and out-of-home occasions.”