Willy Wonka-style chocolate factory

Chocolate lovers rejoice! This week a luxury ‘chocolaterie’ complete with sumptuous vats of liquid milk chocolate and a menu that even the most dedicated chocolate fanatics couldn’t have dreamt up is opening its doors at Seef Mall.

It’s part of a chocolate revolution in the kingdom that includes plans to open two chocolate factories.
The homegrown chocolate brand, Maya La Chocolaterie, is the first of its kind in the country and in addition to opening a café solely dedicated to chocolate, will open its own factory in Um Al Hassam in September.
Early next year the company plans to open another three-storey chocolate factory in Adliya where the public can come and learn how chocolate is made. 
“We wanted to tell a love story about chocolate,” said international brand manager, Grant Myburgh. “We developed it with the idea of making it an international icon.”
Starting with Bahrain, and expanding to GCC countries, the brand is aiming for global chocolate domination.
The chocolaterie, designed to look like the inside of the chocolate box is the result of hours of planning.
“We wanted to create a place full of surprises.  It’s like a chocolate box where all the flavour is inside,” said Hamad Janahi, general manager of Inoui Designs. “Everything, the chairs, the tables look like chocolate. It’s very lavish, but still elegant.”
Pipes line the ceiling to give the impression of a ‘Willy Wonka-style’ chocolate factory and the golden walls imitate chocolate wrappers.
The team behind Maya La Chocolaterie, which includes Abdul Wahib Al Kooheji, managing director of Living Concepts, has designed an extensive hand-crafted chocolate range with cocoa beans sourced from West Africa and South America.
There are 12 hot chocolates to choose from, heated chocolate pots which customers can personalise with their own choice of chocolate, fondues, a vast array of frozen chocolate drinks and shakes, hot and cold deserts and even chocolate-flavoured tea.
For calorie-counters, they have also created a range of sugar-free chocolates.
The brand has also designed its own ceramic ware, creating a range of mugs specifically designed to warm the hands.
The brand’s name refers to the Mayan civilisation, the first documented people to drink chocolate in 3000 BC. 
“Chocolate was considered the food of the Gods,” explained Mr Myburgh. “We too have a love and deep passion for chocolate.”

By -RdS-
editor@gulfweekly.com