Chocolate and me

I've always loved chocolate, I wouldn't go as far as to say that I'm a chocoholic, if indeed such things really exist, but I do love a bar of yummy milk chocolate.  It hardly ever fails to cheer me up, and with a cup of tea it's a classic combo.  Back in my University days, our JCR (junior common room) had a chocolate machine that took coppers.  Even when my student grant (yes, I am old enough to have received one of those) and overdraft were at their out of money extremes, I could usually still scrape enough money together from assorted 2p and 1p coins lying around my room to get my chocolate fix.
While in the second and third year, and out in the community in our shared house, Coronation Street struck on the evil genius plan of being sponsored by Cadbury's Chocolate, I couldn't watch an episode without having to eat some. Fortunately there was the 'Happy Smiley Man' who's shop (run by the happy smiley man, and his twin brother, Mr Miserable) just across the road.  Close enough to get too and from in the ad break.

Cadbury chocolate and me

When it comes to chocolate and me, Cadbury's has always been number one.  British Cadbury that is, when I came over to New Zealand a few years ago, and tried the Cadbury made here in Dunedin, I was less impressed.  It got worse, a few years ago, production of New Zealand Cadbury for the most part stopped, and they started to sell Dairy Milk from Australia, which, to not put too fine a point on it, is vile. It doesn't melt in the mouth the way chocolate should, apparently that's so that it does melt in the (mostly likely air-conditioned) shops over there. For a while it included palm oil too, but they apparently removed that after pressure from consumers.  Either way, it's not nice, but other than the odd Easter Egg, it's what all of the Cadbury over here is.

Whittaker's Chocolate and me.

Around this time I discovered Whittaker's Milk Madagascar, I'd tried their normal milk chocolate and been unimpressed, but this was lovely.  Finally a New Zealand chocolate I could get on board with.  It got better too, Whittaker's then introduced a five rolled version of their normal milk chocolate.  I'm not sure what it does to it, but their standard milk chocolate is now divine.

Chocolate from home

A couple of weeks ago, I got a package from home with some British Cadbury's in it, I couldn't wait.  Except, when I ate it, it just didn't taste right, it had that funny crumbly texture that the Aussie stuff has.  (Which by the way always makes me think of the friends episode with the mocklet.) It was a new shape, and I was more than a little suspicious, especially when I read on the back that it was made under licence rather than saying made in the UK.  I did a bit of research and stumbled across this blog post.  So it seems that British Cadbury's isn't made there any more, shame on you Kraft.  At least I've found Whittaker's now I suppose......