If ever there was anyone deserving of the title ‘diamond in the rough’, it is surely William Curley. The Chocolatier’s Chelsea store has all the touches of a long-established heritage business so it is with great surprise that I am met by a young Scot, raised near Fife, whose path into the industry was formed by his reluctance to take up woodwork at his technical college, instead choosing to study cookery.
As I arrive to meet Curley, I notice I’m not the only one seeking to steal a few minutes of his time. Two photographers linger around the shop waiting to start a shoot, and I have the time to take in the vast selection of chocolates available. Whilst the store also serves as a patisserie and ice-cream parlour, the chocolates steal the show. But forget sugar and spice and all things nice; these are unmistakeably grown-up treats for true connoisseurs.
The majority are dark with flavours even I haven’t heard of before, and I’ve had my fair share of chocolate over the years. There’s a tremendous Japanese influence, with flavours including saki and apricot and wasabi, and Curley confesses that in the rare occasions that he can be dragged away from the store, he travels to Japan, the home of his wife, Suzue, and a land of culinary concoctions to inspire his palatte. When I ask him about his choice of rare flavours, he says that “if you want to be at the top, you need consistency but you must also keep evolving.”
Curley uses predominantly dark chocolates to ensure that the complex flavours are not overpowered by a sugary aftertaste. He tells me that he doesn’t add sweeteners of any kind to the chocolate, and prefers to let the flavours speak for themselves. This they certainly do, and performing the statutory tasting on the box he offers me at the end of our interview has all the excitement and complexity of a wine-tasting session.
For more information, please visit www.williamcurley.co.uk.
