BLACKCURRANTS from the royal gardens at Sandringham Estate have been sent exclusively to Grandtully in Perthshire to be transformed into chocolate truffles to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday on 21 April 2016.
Award-winning Highland Chocolatier, Iain Burnett, will use the English blackcurrants with ingredients from each country within Her Majesty’s United Kingdoms to create The Sandringham Velvet Truffle, a blackcurrant and cream truffle encased in dark chocolate.
Scottish cream from a single Perthshire herd, butter from Northern Ireland and Welsh wild flower honey will be used to create a truly delicious combination.
Burnett is renowned for using simple, natural ingredients, combining chocolate from the South Atlantic island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe with crushed fruit, fresh local cream from a particular herd of Friesian cows and local honey.
“The blackcurrants are exceptionally full bodied and tangy enough to balance well with fresh cream even the truffle itself is a vibrant Royal purple,” said Burnett.
“The Queen is already a fan of our chocolate dipped cherries and I hope these will also meet with regal approval.”
Elegantly boxed as four (£9.95) or nine chocolates (£19.95), The Sandringham Velvet Truffle is available from www.highlandchocolatier.com or in the Highland Chocolatier’s St Andrews (Fife) and Grandtully (Perthshire) stores from 21 April 2016 until stocks last.
Ninety boxes of the chocolates will also be sold with a specially commissioned commemorative postage stamp at Selfridges, Oxford Street, London.
An additional 90 chocolates will also be sold in New York City through Li-Lac Chocolates.
Based at Grandtully in Highland Perthshire, Iain Burnett started working on the now famous Velvet Truffle over 10 years ago and is now Scotland’s most awarded chocolatier.
In 2015 Burnett competed against chocolatiers in 40 countries to win the Best Dark Chocolate Truffle without artificial additives or flavourings category at the International Chocolate Awards. He also won two further awards for his Passion Fruit & Mango Velvet Truffle and his Raspberry & Black Pepper Velvet Truffle.
Burnett’s kitchen is next to the Scottish Chocolate Centre, which has become a four-star visitor attraction. The centre has a coffee house, gift showrooms, gourmet chocolate shop and offers tours.
His chocolates are also delivered to chefs and customers across the UK and internationally.
For more information visit: www.highlandchocolatier.com or call 01887 840775.
