Friars Blog

11/09/2020
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What Exactly is a Cocoa Bean? | Friars

If you’re reading this, the chances are you enjoy good chocolates. We all do, which is exactly why we have devoted our lives to ensuring our customers have access to the very best chocolate in the world, all handmade by our team of expert chocolatiers based in the North of England. See our classics, our wonderful creations and more! Chocolate is our life, and has been since Friars first opened its doors in 1927, we’ve been making chocolate in the same way ever since. None of it would be possible... Read More

03/09/2020

Wine Tasting Guide – Pairing Wine & Chocolates | Friars

Drinking wine is often reserved for special occasions. By special occasions, we mean things like Christmas, Birthday’s, the end of the working week etc. Wine, however is a beverage that includes many layers of complexity, a little like a fascinating chocolate truffle, which is why we believe in order to really drink wine, you need to learn how to taste it. That’s because tasting a wine correctly really can open up your taste buds to a new world of possibilities, teaching you to pair wine with delicious foods, and importantly,... Read More

25/08/2020
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Our Story Since 1927 | Friars Luxury Chocolate

Many of our online customers may not have had the luxury of being able to visit one of our brick and mortar stores, a true haven for chocolate and sweet lovers around the world! Based in the Lake District tourist towns of Keswick and Ambleside, Ye Olde Friars has served both local people and tourists alike with luxury chocolates since 1927, providing people with the chance to escape the real world with little bitesize moments, in the form of locally crafted chocolates. Of course, our expansion into the online world... Read More

19/08/2020

Perfect Pairings! Try Our New Chocolate & Wine Pairings

For many, few things go hand in hand quite as well as good chocolate and a delicious bottle of wine. The combination of two of life’s best luxuries go hand in hand for a truly fascinating and decadent experience. At Friars, we have studied chocolate and wine pairings for years (we’ve tried a few in the past as well!) and are now pleased to share with you our latest creations. Friars Wines, created to be matched with our luxury chocolate selections. Take a look at our full wine selection here,... Read More

13/08/2020
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Give the Gift of Chocolate this Summer | Shop the Perfect Summer Treat

The summer gifting season might not strike you as an important time for giving gifts (not compared to Christmas at least) but here at Friars, we can think of plenty of great reasons to give thanks to those we love with beautiful and delicious handmade chocolates. Perhaps you have a birthday to celebrate, or an anniversary?  Maybe you want to say thanks to a helper who has gone above and beyond for your and your family this year? No matter the occasion, chocolate really is the perfect gift to give... Read More

02/08/2020
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How We Make Our Chocolates

Not all chocolates are born equal. As with all fine food it begins with the raw material, in our case – the cocoa. We import the finest Belgian chocolate; this may cost more but it is worth it as it makes a superior chocolate. The kind of chocolate that connects beautifully with your senses, where you savour every bite. We have an idea, that’s how it starts. The spark may be a delicious meal or cocktail, sometimes that is all it needs. Our master chocolatier will then start experimenting with... Read More

05/07/2020
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Ice Cream Chocolates

Summer is here and with it our ice cream chocolates – a little ray of sunshine this summer. We have launched three limited edition luxury ice cream chocolates this summer – in fruity, zesty and refreshing flavours. We started our research for these chocolates last summer. Regular visits (too many) were made to our local ice cream parlour for inspiration. We think we have got it just right; as ever with our limited edition chocolates we only make one batch, so once they have gone, they have gone. Remember as... Read More

03/06/2020
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Father’s Day 2020 Gift Guide

For every bike ride, for every pep-talk, for every fix-it… whoever it is that’s Dad to you, pay him back this Father’s Day with a gift from Friars. Check out our top picks for Father’s Day gifts and treat Dad to the best chocolate in the world. Our BrewDog IPA gift box has had a face lift. It now comes in a cool looking wood style box and also with an official BrewDog glass. For those who don’t know, BrewDog is one of the fastest growing beer brands in the... Read More

16/04/2020

Our Online Business Has Re-Opened

On 23rd March we made the difficult decision to close our online business as we were uncomfortable with the safety of the working environment. Our staff levels increase threefold in the build up to Easter and we felt social distancing would have been near impossible. Now that Easter has passed we are able to operate safely with a skeleton staff, however this does limit the number of orders we can process per day. Safety precautions have been put in place and packing stations are at least 2 metres apart, so... Read More

22/03/2020

Coronavirus Update

Coronavirus Update In light of the current disruption and uncertainty around the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbrea and pandemic we wanted to reassure all our customers that we are taking all the necessary steps to follow the world health organisation and local authorities’ guidelines. Friars as a brand will be taking the following precautions to reinforce your confidence at this time of uncertainty. To ensure the safety and well-being of our customer’s and staff, we have immediately implemented the following: Additional hygiene measures. Our delivery service provider Royal Mail now have plans... Read More