Time Flew!

Hello y'all! Greetings from the midst of a rather interesting and experimental epoch in the Choc Star experience: Brighton Fringe Festival....

For almost three weeks Jimmy will have been parked up in the central concourse of the town's marvelous one-way system as part of the Free Range event.

A massive red and blue dome rises up in the midst of this micro festival within a festival and puts on wonderful performances every night. The highlight so far has been the physics-defying kids from Circolombia. Pure magic. If you're anywhere nearby in the next few days you must witness this!

Other fun times - both in and out of the van - have been found at...

The Kingston Food Festival.

I feel a little bit in love with Suburbia that weekend.

The brilliant Food Junctions. UCL have collaborated with local food adventurers to pull together this event in the rambling and off-piste location of Camley Street Natural Park.

I was asked to go along and give a tasting and you can imagine my delight when I was offered up this teepee as the possible location.

That's it! I squealed, and then set about transforming it into a little chocolate den (no pics, sorry - I got mobbed!)

There have been a lot of chocolate tastings at schools lately too. The local press even came along to the last one in Kent to take pics of the excited kids. (If I ever figure out how to post a scan on here I'll insert it toutes suite). I love going to primary schools and showing everyone the cocoa love - it's a whole fresh sheet upon which to lay down the stories and magic of chocolate for curious minds.

And this wedding last week was fun - a Scottish knees-up right in the heart of Dulwich. God, talk about a sure-fire way of ensuring everyone has a damn good time. I LOVE all that prancing around and getting out of breath and being spun around and it certainly worked up their appetites...


New sweet encounters also have been fun. A visit to Hawksmoor for their legendary burger was given a dash of extra pleasure by a scoop of their Cornflake ice cream for pudding. It was delicious - like crushed up Crunchy Nut Cornflakes in the most purely churned vanilla ice cream. It actually reminded me a bit of those crazy ice-creamists at Momofuku Milk Bar.

Then, while doing some pavement pounding in Hackney the other day, I finally got to see my friend Claire's new bakery. After almost five years as the most popular cake stall on Broadway Market, Violet has now added a bricks and mortar string to its bow.

It's so great to see someone with Claire's taste transform an old building and offer up a spot that you just don't see in this country very often. Very Bay Area with an E8 twist.

Now can we start seeing some more of this please? I have a patio that needs inhabiting...