Thorntons Classic Collection > Reviews (5)

---How I Got Mine---

Usually I but these for other people but I was lucky enough to receive a whole box for myself this Christmas.


---The Brand---

Thorntons has been making chocolates for over a hundred years. In fact, the very first shop was opened in Sheffield by travelling confectioner Joseph William Thornton in October 1911. (Thorntons website)


---The Product Packaging---

Described as a collection of caramel, fudge, fruit and nut centres covered in milk, dark and white chocolate.
The Thornton Classic Collection came in a 330 gram box.
The box is just under 8 inches square and two inches deep.
The box contains 26 chocolates in two layers with dark corrugated cardboard on top of each - the plastic trays holding the chocolates are very strong and good quality.
The box is in cream and red with an illustration of the chocolates on the lid.
Inside is a folded illustrated small colour sheet showing all the different chocolates with a small description.

---Ingredients and Allergy Advice---

The base of the box contains a long list of the full ingredients with the following points:
* no gluten containing ingredients
* Vegetarian
* alcohol-free recipe
* contains added nuts
* contains added milk
* contains added egg
* contains added soya
* free from artificial colours and flavours.


---The Chocolates---

The box contains 26 chocolates with one of each variety on each layer:
* Strawberry Velvet
* Honeycomb Crunch
* Coffee Truffle
* Creamy Fudge
* turkish Delight
* Chocolate Truffle
* Layered Chocolate Classic
* Coconut Dream
* Country Caramel
* Orange Zest
* Special toffee Truffle
* Hazelnut Praline
* Soft Caramel


---Cost---

£6.
This is the current price on the Tesco website though I believe they often do 'buy 1 get one free' before Christmas.


---My Opinion---

The box is a nice chunky and sturdy shape and is inviting to sample.
The sweets are well presented within the plastic tray and look appetising. The sweets themselves are also reasonably large so you would only want a eat two or three at a time.
Like everyone else I have likes and dislikes and there are normally always a fw chocolates within a box that I do not like.
This box was a pleasant surprise as I found I was able to eat most of them - apart from the coffee.

I have mentioned each one separately below:

***Strawberry Velvet***
Every box of chocolates has to have a strawberry one! Round sweet with the characteristic bobbly strawberry surface. Not too runny or sickly so ate this one ok - dark red centre rather than the bright pink that comes in some boxes. Covered in milk chocolate.

***Honeycomb Crunch***
Mostly chocolate oblong shape with a few crunchy bits inside - one of my favourites.

***Coffee Truffle***
Sorry I don't do coffee at all so didn't try this one - it was round and covered in white chocolate with a coffee centre - thick truffle mixture with strong coffee aroma.

***Creamy Fudge***
Diamond shaped sweet and lines along its length - softish fudge centre covered in milk chocolate - not at all runny and a nice combination.

***Turkish Delight***
Another one I don't really like. Oval sweet with nice solid centre with dark chocolate covering - nice smell.

***Chocolate Truffle***
Round truffle covered in milk chocolate with white chocolate linesa cross the top - lovely and chocolatey.

***Layered Chocolate Classic***
Another of my favourites. Large oblong chocllate - made in the form of layers with a 't' imprinted on the top. This has dark chocolate layer on the bottom, white chocolate in the centre and a top layer of milk chocolate - lovely.

***Coconut Dream***
Another favourite as I love coconut. Lovely creamy coconut centre encased in milk cocolate in the form of a nobbly oblong.

***Country Caramel***
A large square of hard caramel inside dark chocolate decorated with chocolate lines on the top. The centre is not rock hard but firm and not at all runny - it is described as chewy but I prefer to suck!

***Orange Zest***
Another flavour that is in every box of selection chocolates. An oval sweet covered in orange foil. Pale orange centre with dark chocolate covering and a tiny jelly/orangy bit in the very ccentre - again not runny as with some chocolates and a good orange flavour.

***Special Toffee Truffle***
Caramel truffle in a milk chocolate covering. This is a large round knobbly sweet which is good and chocolatey but I would not describe it as toffee flavour.

***Hazelnut Praline***
The hazelnut praline was encased in white chocolate and sprinkled with chocolate powder. This round sweet was a bit too sickly for my liking - but I am not a fan of white chocolate in large quantities so that may be the reason.

***Soft Caramel***
Round cup of caramel with a red foil covering. This caramel is more runny but not messy if you are careful - another nice sweet.


---In Conclusion---

I normally prefer a box of Bendick's Mints but this box, being a gift, was a nice change. Not something I would buy for myself but a good all round gift for someone - there are bound to be some flavours that they like and the chocolates and well made and presented.
I prefer chocolates that are not too sweet so perhaps I am not the best person to review this box - but I did enjoy most of them.


---Would I Recommend?---

Yes - 4 stars as they are a little sickly.


---Website---

www.thorntons.co.uk


---Book---

The Thornton business story is contained in the book written by Peter Thornton:
392 pages plus 8 pages of illustrations
ISBN-13: 978-09557670-3-6
£14.99.