CHOC STAR

Choc Star in Delicious Online

2009-10-13T16:46:00.003+01:00

Check out this Q&A I did with Delicious Online as part of the Chocolate Week activities (for which I'm there in spirit....).

Getting ready to crunch down.

2009-10-07T09:46:00.005+01:00

Right, that's me - summer 2009 was a blast but it's time for a holiday now. I'm off across the Pond for three weeks and Jimmy's having a little break of his own (He doesn't say much but I can tell he's glad of the downtime).

So for now choc fans, here are a few souvenirs until we get back on the road. Our next gig will be the Slow Food Hallowe'en Market outside the Southbank Centre on Belvedere Road - come by for some ghoulish treats....

Victory Primary School chocolate tasting

2009-10-05T13:40:00.005+01:00

Schools are different these days. All schools in the country who are involved with the International Scheme have as their Year Three topic, 'Chocolate'. They then study all elements of that subject - from where it comes from to how it got to Europe to why it's so good for you. A teacher who'd visited the van before asked if I'd like to come along and kick start this fun type of learning. I love doing kids' tastings so I happily agreed.

When I rolled into the playground I got mobbed....

Then the playground assistants had to get some of the older kids to stand guard over the choc while I went to scope out the tasting spot. Everything in position we began - and group after group were led out to learn about the magic of choc.

They were such great kids - wild and loud and helpful and sweet. I'm going to scope out some more schools - it's a trip!

September sojourns

2009-10-02T16:05:00.015+01:00

Jimmy parked up outside Chiddingstone Castle for a wedding special.

At Monsoon HQ - we swung by their offices to serve hot chocs, ice cream, truffles and brownies...this guy came along after the crowds had dispersed. (Beautiful offices by the way - full of whacking great pieces of pop art).

The bright, deep blue skies of sunny Suffolk where we pitched up for the Aldeburgh Food Festival. As ever it was magical to be there and back on home soil.

ORMS anniversary party in EC1 - this incredible old Victorian warehouse. And the whole thing was catered by local joints: the salt beef guy, Gujarati Rasoi, Cafe Kick, Moro (the best, most smokily delicious gazpacho ever)...and Choc Star!

We also made it up to Ludlow for the magnificent food festival, now in its fifteenth year. What an operation! And so nice to see a whole load of new food stalls - all from the Shropshire area. We stayed on my old friend Chris' pig farm, ate loads of sausages and drank perry galore.

Maradonna! A wedding that was so wonderfully colourful. Theme: UN costume. And it was all held in the divine grounds of Wadham college, Oxford.

And after a few months away we are happy to have returned to the Southbank for the Slow Food market. Lots of familiar faces cropped up. I love this girl's quiff.

...and this family hired the van for their baby's 1st birthday party when Choc Star was in its first year of business. Great to see them still enjoying the treats so much.

And these two are just too darn cute.

Ludlow - I'm bracing myself

2009-09-09T19:33:00.003+01:00

Apparently it gets absolutely manic so I've been getting in training and am currently surrounded by all things choc as I attempt to prep for the Big One.

Choc Star will be parked up outside the Castle for the whole weekend. On the menu will be choc ice creams, hot chocolates, darkest oloroso truffs, frozen choc-dipped nanas, brownie fudge sundaes...and maybe a few iced choc martini shots if we can get away with it.

Can't wait to start inhaling that sweet Shropshire air...

August Choctivities

2009-09-03T17:22:00.012+01:00

August was a pretty mellow month what with going away to Paris and spending time on the homestead down in Suffolk...and the matter of a festival cancelling on us at the last minute. Apparently everyone involved with rigging it up panicked and demanded cash up front from the organisers. The whole thing then collapsed. Recession panic - lots of it going around. The traders will be seeking compensation - more on this later.

Here are some of the punters we served...

Adorable Bangla boys in Barking at an event to reclaim the area from BNP clutches.

Early Hallowe'en fanatic test-driving her costume.

These two were delighted to discover Jimmy at last...

This kid in Haverhill, Suffolk was terrified of giving us an open mouthed smile...bad teeth or something.

Pestival and the return of the Slow Food market

2009-09-03T17:22:00.005+01:00

Right, we're back in town and ready for Slow Food action. This weekend - Fri, Sat & Sun - Choc Star will be parked up outside the Southbank Centre and taking part in the annual Pestival...err festival.

I'm hoping that all sorts of insalubrious looking bugs and critters might turn SE1 into a bit of a den of chaos this weekend. I say that because I'll be safe and sound inside the choc-mobile. If you're in the area and feeling a bit scared of things that go CCCCCCRRRrrrrrrrriiiiii in the night then sidle over to us and choose a treat.

This weekend we'll have deeply treacherous Rocky Road, frozen choc-dipped bananas, darkest Oloroso truffles, brownie fudge sundaes, ice cream and yes, it's time to get out the hot choc machine and get frothing.

See you there!

Literary, chocolatey Paris

2009-08-19T22:46:00.004+01:00

I arrived in Paris ready to pounce on all that gorgeousness....I sort of surprised myself by taking off in the midst of the summer (unheard of thus far in the Choc Star story!) but when I read about the writing course being run out of Shakespeare & Co by Faber & Faber, everything inside of me just went BOOM!

I booked the course and the train on the same day and kept my tickets and course info tucked away in my desk, occasionally pulling it out to glance over and delight in the prospect of my future Parisienne adventure.

Did I ever mention that I love adventures? The idea of extracting oneself from the homestead and reaching out into unknown places to engage in whatever happens to come your way - oh, the luxury!

Off I sped on my EuroStar train to a chorus of 'Have a good journey, Miss' from all the terribly English ticket collectors (so Brief Encounter!), a couple of hours later I was harpooned straight into a baking Paris afternoon.

And there the holiday really got going...beginning with an immediate attempt at the Hemingway Bar in the Ritz.

'Sorry Mademoiselle but eet eez a leetle urly for ze bar' the dashing doorman warned me - but was kind enough to whisk my luggage odd somewhere safe while I hit the streets instead...and stumbled very quickly upon La Maison du Chocolat.

A Caracas chocolat froid and deep, rich Entremet were soon in my reach, the Rue St Honore but moments away and a whole week of chocolate treats, lunchtime glasses of wine and literary ramblings to indulge in.

This is the view from the appartment I stayed in - my brother's friend Dhiarmid tossed me the keys as he made off for a hike across Utah leaving me his Bonsais to tend to and a whole world of music to get me in the mood - it was Edith Piaf, Serge Gainsbourg and MC Solaar for me from the get-go...

I walked and walked - at first, optimistically in heels then, way more realistically, in flats - taking in the full stretch of endless Rues and Boulevards. From the austere enormity of the Arc de Triomphe to the dusty, lounger studded Jardin de Luxembourg. I covered so much distance that I went through almost a whole box of plasters.

And when it got too much there was the wonderful Arthouse atmosphere of the Metro. I don't know what it is about that bunch of trains all burroughing through their different tunnels, but I love those almost sterile metallics and not quite crystaline strip lights, the retro orange of the plastic seats, the wheeze, hiss and belch of the doors slamming open and barking shut.

And so quick! Delivering me into the centre for the discovered, tourist flooded must-sees, but then out to the 'other Paris' - to Chateau Rouge, Chateau d'Eau, Stalingrad, Jaures, Belleville - for electricity fizzing up from the pavements, duty free fags, boiled sweetcorn with too much salt and endless amounts of the HUSTLE.

But when I discovered the Velib bicycle hire situation I was beside myself with delight. Off to class I'd go every morning, gliding down the Champs Elyses, past the Louvre, under the bells of Notre Dame and over the Seine. The French still have a lot to learn about the concept of the cyclist and I got into one or two hairy situations - but nothing that couldn't pacify me with chocolate or cake.

The two 'c' words! In August. And so almost every single one of the choc-spots and patisseries I had earmarked were resolutely ferme. So I had to pick it up where I could find it - and if that meant eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner then it was just the way things were going to have to play out. There was always cycling pre and post to keep me on an even keel.

At lunch with my godmother along came this rather 80s looking gateau.

Berthillon saved my life on the hottest day I've had this year - chocolat and cacao amer nestled into a crunchy sugar wafer basket.

I probably should've had another little hamper of the stuff.

In a super old school Bistro one night with a waiter who looked like a cartoon caricature of a french waiter - one of those really barrel-shaped ones - my head was turned by the fondant au chocolat. It seeped out of its dark spongey shell so obligingly.

Pain au choc for brekky - always. Or else the croissant aux amandes. Or the choc/almond combo croissant. But at times the Nutella croissant felt like the right thing to do.

What are they doing here? Oh yes, that's right - heaven on the eyes.

At drinks one night we were fed so well and I didn't even think about a dessert - but then along came these. Super dark Valrhona ganache with a pralinee, crackle-crunch base. Lord they did their job - I had about eight.

Chocolate mousse at dinner one night. I'd say it was a cream-less one, just choc, egg whites and sugar, Raymond Blanc style.

Oh God, the macarons. I ate so many frickin' macaroons I feared for myself and others. This one was violette from Sadahuru Aoki in Lafayette Gourmet and got me every which way and loose. I ate it in Les Halles while having a rest from cycling.

One final lunch in Le Comptoir de Relais finished with this group: Chocolat piment, vanille & caramel buerre sale. That chef had a touch that was petal light when it came to the ice cream. Some of the best I've ever had.

And with that marvelous end to the wonderful eating, the magical writing course and the healthy dose of exercise I ordered an absinthe and then ordered a cab.

Childrens Festival in sunny Suffolk

2009-08-05T12:17:00.004+01:00

Sorry for the lack of updates - I've been tent-bound and festi-focussed. But, lots of pics coming soon....just nipping off to Paris for a writing course, am so excited - roll on the pre-EuroStar champers at St. Pancras!

Back next week where Jimmy will be doing his thing at the Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill Childrens Festival - 11th & 12th August.

If you're anywhere near then come on over - it'll be a veritable smorgasbord of entertainment.

Standon Calling

2009-07-30T13:47:00.011+01:00

Wild woman from the bog - Molly, my Millais-esque assistant. Actually she was supposed to be from outer space.
This was more Galactic....

While this was plain greedy.

Yeah, who knew, right?

Scary.
Adorable.

Marvelous vistas.

Lovebox

2009-07-30T12:57:00.020+01:00

Lovebox was an odd one for me - a festival in London but without camping. Kinda weird heading home each night when the urge was to seek out some kind of tent situation. I suppose I could've stayed in a tent if I'd really wanted to but, speaking truthfully, I'm just not that into it.

We loved seeing Florence and the Machine and Madness - and good to catch up with lots of long lost Brick Lane era Choc Star alumni. Plus I had a great crew of helpers and the sun (mainly) shone!

Camp Bestival

2009-07-30T12:57:00.019+01:00

Camp Bestival was super-super busy. I barely got the chance to take any pics such was the rush and the queues. I'm not sure where the recession was but think most people wanted to just get on and have a damn good time. The little ones were our main clientele over the weekend and it was interesting to see how, come Sunday, tempers were fraying a touch and the parents were utilising all manner of ways to try and pacify the weary kids.

It was kind of reassuring actually - for as stressed as I might have been in side the van (Help! We're running out of hot chocolate!/Where's the Honeycomb Swirl?/Who are we serving?/What does everything cost again?), it wasn't a patch on the look of stress etched over the faces of the endless stream of mums and dads who were longing for a bit of inner peace themselves.

So sweet this guy - awkward but throwing in his best leg stance regardless.

Mad for the Martinis...just taking herself off for a couple of choc-martini shots before heading off to the silent disco.

The people would be waiting for us to open each morning - this lot were tucking in right at the front line as if they hadn't eaten ice cream all year.

End of the road, Sunday night and the hot chocolate supplies were looking dangerously low after a pretty wet day.

Weekend of Madness

2009-07-16T23:50:00.004+01:00

It's that time of year when Choc Star rolls over to Victoria Park in Hackers and serves treats to the beautiful people. We're girding our loins for a bunfight and will be well kitted out with extra-protective pinnies.

Lovebox Weekender on Sat & Sun - but preceded by Madstock on Friday 17th July. Madness. Brilliant.

If you're coming in then do come over!

Into the Red

2009-07-16T23:30:00.004+01:00

Last weekend was my favourite of all the festivals. Smaller, more personal, extra touches everywhere, hot showers (yes, that's high on the list) and the most fun Saturday night party in an underground, warren of caverns, thronging with everyone from the festival - all dressed in RED!

We watched air displays and parachutists, cooked marshmallows on enormous bonfires, took hot tubs, swam in the pool...oh, and served endless roaming kids all looking for ice cream and sundaes and hot choc, seemingly ALL the time.

Here is the weekend's staff - Vee-Vee and Ant:

...some of the more grown-up punters sipping on some choc martini shots

Oh, and my mum turned up for a few hours (as she was in the area) and wasted no time in making new friends (seen here with the wonderful Rico from Fairy Love)

Hanover Day, Brighton (Or how we ended up on Muesli Mountain)

2009-07-08T19:33:00.009+01:00

There was something so retro about Hanover Day in Brighton on Sunday. I could imagine great tressle tables, groaning with sausage rolls and Jammy Dodgers lined up the streets as Chuck n Di ambled down the aisle, back in the day. The area - Muesli Mountain - seems like it was meant to have bunting streaming along its technicolour streets. And the people who sat outside their houses with their makeshift stalls, selling flapjacks, iced buns, old books and general, glorious TAT, seemed born to do it.

I worried a bit when I spotted brownies for 60p all over the place - Lawks, what will they make of us coming down here with our hiked up London prices? But I think they knew a good thing when they saw it and we were hit with a steady, mellow tail of choc lovers/ice cream fans all day. Especially the young'uns...

Alumni Summer Fete

2009-07-08T19:10:00.002+01:00

This character came lolloping over to the counter at the Alumni Summer Fete on Saturday and really avoided the small talk - he barely even took the time to place his order. I knew what he wanted though. It was that deep longing pouring from his big black eyes and the way he leaned towards them that really spelled it out. BLONDIES.

The sun came way out and treated us all to a really evocative day - bunting abounded, the brass band played and paddling pools and breakdancers got together to make sweet music. Ex students from St Martins, Camberwell, Goldsmiths and Wimbledon glided around in nostalgic reverie - a bit of stone carving here, some topiary over there, and when parched could choose between La Vache (Citroen H van spun burgers with homemade relish), the chorizo & olive stall, cream tea and Pimms from a makeshift hut and, of course, the choc-mobile deluxe.

Students become quite dexterous during those crucial money counting years.

The flower lady just couldn't help but fashion the cones into a bunch of roses.

The litter picking, designer spectacle donning, ice cream adoring duo who really made my day. Hilarious.

This weekend

2009-07-02T13:20:00.003+01:00

Come and find us on Millbank for the arts fete of the year - Saturday 4th July, 11am-7pm.

Or....Hanover Day in Brighton on Sunday 5th July, 11am-6pm - for a big old street party (whoop whoop!)

Fetes & parties...

2009-07-02T12:35:00.008+01:00

We loved heading way up north to Barnet - all that leafy suburbia and mock-Tudor - and what a great party for Sophie's 18th. Suddenly the quiet, pine-scented streets were engulfed with the whoops and hollers of a double-decker bus load of teen-agers back from their tour of town. When they saw what was waiting for them in the driveway the hysteria reached critical levels and we steadied ourselves for the job at hand - Malteser muffins, Rocky Road, rum hot chocs and chocolate ice cream, all to be doled out in record time.

These two were brimming with delight at the though of the envy they'd incite in their classmates when they showed up with Malteser muffins for break time.

Here's the queue for the Big Event in Myatt's Field Park the other day. Damn I loved that fete - there was a tea dance and a procession, magicians, face-painters, fancy dress and of course, Choc Star. Opposite sat Mr Whippy, dishing out bright blue bubblegum flavoured stuff. I'd like to have been behind his counter to see how different the punters were - from where I was it looked like SW9 was a seething hotbed of allotment dwelling, cloth bag donning, multi-cultural embracing, ear to ear grinning folk.

And then came this lot at a party in Oxfordshire...

She wasn't smiling quite so much after her 9th scoop of raspberry sorbet. Roald Dahl could have written a great little skit on what became of all that sorbet.

These two, on the other hand, went all out for the frozen choc-dipped bananas - a bit eye-watering, perhaps, to begin with, but momentum was soon gained and with it a real satisfaction.

TimeOut's top 8 places to eat ice cream in London

2009-06-23T08:35:00.004+01:00

We were very happy to see in the latest issue of TimeOut that we have been named as one of the top 8 places in the Capital to go for ice cream. But remember, the beauty of the choc-mobile is that we can come to YOU! Nowhere too far, small/big or strange - the more out there the better as far as we're concerned.

In fact, we're even beginning to head into office carparks. Does your office have one? If so, we're there - with top ranking ice cream! Holler!

The Big Event - South London Victoriana

2009-06-19T15:12:00.002+01:00

Myatts Field Park is the closest park to my house and this weekend I'll be taking Choc Star along there - but a stones throw away. How exciting. I'm so used to hauling ass all the way down huge highways and bi-ways and I relish the proximity of it all.

The park has had a £3m facelift and will be celebrating with a grand procession, tea dance, music and lots of delicious food stalls.

And it's free! So come on by if you're in the area - the frozen choc-dipped bananas will be in full effect.

Marylebone Village Summer Fayre - this Sunday

2009-06-12T11:46:00.003+01:00

Choc Star will be in the Blue Zone (Paddington Gardens) - near the Pimms tent - so as I'm sure you can imagine, we're pretty delighted. Apparently the crowd go wild and it's a real rumpus affair. We are girding our loins....

Hope to see you there, in the sun, with a cucumber-laced summer cocktail and a greedy need for chocolate.

Brownie Masterclass this weekend!

2009-06-04T20:04:00.003+01:00

The debate about what a real brownie is, or should be, rages on. Who'd have thought that my adult life would be so peppered with conversations on the subject? I know what I think a brownie should be - crisp, almost meringue-like on top, nestling into a wickedness below - taking in rich moist cake and then plunging further to the cherished super-dense and highly-charged fudge centre. The overall effect is of cushioned chewiness and a sense of all being well with the world.

If you'd like to know more - or even fancy contesting these beliefs - I shall be holding a 'Brownie Masterclass' in the demo tent at this weekends Slow Food Market outside the Southbank Centre, 1pm, Saturday 6th June: Brownie discussion and the big unveiling of the national secret that is the recipe for Choc Star's Walnut Fudge brownies.

I hope that compere's there from last time, he were great.

Hampton Court Foodies

2009-06-03T00:24:00.008+01:00

She just didn't know which way to go - hotdog or milkshake - so she got both.

Si came to visit - all the way from Dalston on his moped. No wonder he felt a bit like brushing that dirt off his shoulder.

When the punters hear Sunday Girl coming out of the Bose they know it's time to head over for a bit of what Jimmy's been cooking up.

Brighton Foodies

2009-05-22T11:42:00.007+01:00

It rained, it shone, it swept and it pulverised. Brighton gave us a little bit of many seasons last weekend. I managed to establish myself as the on-site pain in the butt as I attempted to motivate the Brightonian stewards to action.
'Where's my pitch please?'
'Errrrr, good question..'
'Very funny. Can you radio through to someone who does know?'
'Ok, O-kayyy, chilloutman'.

I was chilled out. Until that crusty said it. And the next one and the next one. Welcome to Brighton! Luckily chocolate was at hand and I reached for it.

Lots of nice customers came by the van, ice cream was scooped, brownies served, hot chocolate frothed, truffles rolled...but I gotta say, the highlight of the weekend for me was buying my herb garden: purple sage, basil, parsley, coriander, tarragon, rosemary, mint, chives, thyme, marjoram, bay and dill. Joy!...oh, and Charlie of course - he was an angel.

Luvley Ludlow

2009-05-13T21:29:00.007+01:00

I got to hit the road at the weekend. I'd been doing London based jobs for so long that I'd forgotten what it feels like to buckle up and rev off down big roads and onto smaller, lesser known lanes. Beth from the Ludlow Food Festival called me up a couple of months ago, longing for me to bring Jimmy to their new Spring Event. It was to be beer and bangers based - say the word banger to me and I'm there. I love sausages so much that I once got a job in sausage promotion for a rather unsavoury individual purporting to be the only black farmer in Britain. He turned out to be a omplete charlatan but the bangers were addictive.

I rumbled up the M40, collected some ice cream in Stratford and then headed West from Kidderminster. The Ludlow lot had rallied round and found me a lovely couple to stay with in Hopton Wafers. We got on like a house on fire and I lapped up all the Slow Food ex-HQ news with fascination. It seems that all is not right in the upper echelons of the Movement.

I remember when I first heard about the Slow Food Movement. I was in Tuscany on my old stomping ground about five years ago and I had just had an epiphany that food would be my future. My friends fed me stories about this revolutionary occurence that was rippling through Italy and beyond. Magic, I thought, I want to know more. Since that time it has grown hugely and has become embedded in the language along with those other ambiguous terms; 'sustainable' and 'locally sourced'. The notion of 'Slow' now comes with extra baggage and I regualarly find myself in discussions with hardcore food people about its merits and relevence.

In Ludlow there is outrage because someone has pledged cash to the Movement on certain conditions, one of which was to have the HQ moved from Ludlow to London. Despite a majority voting against this, Mr Petrini sanctioned the move. Outcry! It's all far more convuluted than this but what it has served to bring about is a deep-rooted local scepticism about the values of the Movement.

I smell a revolution...and surely, the whole point of Slow Food is tied up with a localised reclamation of food production and selling. Yes, it's nice to be affiliated with the broader group but it's not about being sheep-like at this stage. Ludlow - I'm intrigued to see what your next move will be.

Anyway, Choc Star was warmly received - perhaps one too many orders for 'vanilla cornets' for my liking but hey, the truffles went down well. By Saturday night I had moved from my position by the castle to the punk gig in the Ludlow Brewery. I loved it. I love the way in the country you get everyone coming out to play together rather than sectioning off into appropriate groups. There were scruffy kids and committee members, middle-aged ex-punks and tweenie cider drinkers.

I left Ludlow on Sunday afternoon, laden with flagons of beer, Welsh perry, marmalades, bangers, chocolate bars and a promise to return in September. I hope to get back there - it rocks. Shropshire is special.