Swansea Life - October 2009

Food and drink
“CHOCOLATe HAS BeCOme
mORe ‘gOURmeT’, SO IT
IS enjOYABLe SOURCIng
DIFFeRenT pRODUCTS.
BUT I ALSO LOVe THe FACT
THAT THe CUSTOmeRS
ALWAYS LeAVe HAppY.”
SIAn THO
mAS DIS
pLAYS
A SeL
eCTIO
n OF H
eR SHO
p’S Temp
TIng STOCK
Christmas
Cacao from William Harcourt Cooze’s chocolate company in Devon (as seen on
-Menu-
TV). “I’d been nagging him for a few months and he eventually agreed for me
to be one of his stockists,” says Sian. “His Venezuelan Black 100% pure cacao
Christmas Lunch Menu
2 courses - £15.95
cooking bar can be grated into sweet and savoury recipes — he uses it in chillies,
3 courses - £19.95
curries and gravies. You can also use it to make truffles and chocolate cakes, and
he has just brought out 72% and 70% edible bars.”
Christmas Dinner Menu
One of the great appeals of So Cocoa is that it stocks hard-to-find gourmet
products. Besides Willie’s Supreme Cacao, there are the Carbonnel and Walker
- Starters -
• House smoked salmon and
Champagne truffles, which are hard to find in the UK outside London. In the
haddock presse served with conﬁ t
run up to Christmas, you can also buy pretty pre-filled hampers from London
lemons, chervil dressing and smoked
salmon foam £5.95
chocolate company Rococo.
• Ham hock and pork terrine with a
slow poached hen egg, soused
At any time of year, Sian offers a selection of attractive fill-your-own boxes, which
vegetables and sauce grabieche
£4.95
make an excellent gift idea. “The box sizes start at £5 and go up to £40 or £60,”
• Salad of wild pigeon served with
she explains. “You just pick your box and fill it with whatever chocolates you want. candied hazelnuts, aplle and wood
It works well because it’s a gift that suits whatever budget you have.”
sorrel £6.50
- Mains -
While gourmet chocolate is the main thrust of the business, Sian has not
• Traditional roast turkey with esca-
overlooked fun, frivolous products such as chocolate animals and lollies for
lope of breast, stuffed and braised leg,
pig in blankets and selection of young
children. For those with adventurous tastes, she has sourced chocolate bars in
vegetables £13.95
unusual flavours such as pink pepper or ginger. Clearly she is a woman who loves
• Pan roasted and cod served with
hunting out the best and most decadent treats. But it’s not just the products that
a smoked bacon risotto, black pudding
and jus roti £13.95
keep her interested.
• Slow braised shin of Welsh
black beef with a trufﬂ e and chicken
liver mousse, sour croute and pomme
“Chocolate has become more ‘gourmet’ so it is enjoyable sourcing different
mousseline £14.95
products,” she says. “But I also love the fact that the customers always leave • Sauteed loin of Welsh lamb,
happy — it’s a nice environment, and fun product to work with. I love keeping the
miniature lamb hotpot, celeriac, wilted
spinach and a red wine thyme jus
business up to date with the latest trends, and it’s nice being part of the village £16.95
community too.”
686 Mumbles Road, Mumbles, Swansea • Tel: (01792) 367744
swansealife October 2009 125
SoCocoa.indd 125 22/09/2009 11:44:01
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