Review: Japanese Week @ William Curley, Belgravia

Franco Milazzo
By Franco Milazzo Last edited 162 months ago
Review: Japanese Week @ William Curley, Belgravia
Our finished truffles ready for packing and eating (though maybe not both).
Our finished truffles ready for packing and eating (though maybe not both).
These are not the Oompa-Loompas you're looking for.
These are not the Oompa-Loompas you're looking for.
White, hazelnut and dark.
White, hazelnut and dark.
The three kinds of cocoa bean.  From front to back: Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario.
The three kinds of cocoa bean. From front to back: Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario.
The chocolate arrives from Italy in 1kg blocks like this which are available for sale at William Curley.
The chocolate arrives from Italy in 1kg blocks like this which are available for sale at William Curley.
Any volunteers to help clean out the bowl?
Any volunteers to help clean out the bowl?
Our chef/tutor Lucy coating a truffle.  She's a great advert for apprenticeship schemes: passionate, professional and ambitious.
Our chef/tutor Lucy coating a truffle. She's a great advert for apprenticeship schemes: passionate, professional and ambitious.
Our finished truffles ready for packing and eating (though maybe not both).
Our finished truffles ready for packing and eating (though maybe not both).
These are not the Oompa-Loompas you're looking for.
These are not the Oompa-Loompas you're looking for.
White, hazelnut and dark.
White, hazelnut and dark.
The three kinds of cocoa bean.  From front to back: Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario.
The three kinds of cocoa bean. From front to back: Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario.
The chocolate arrives from Italy in 1kg blocks like this which are available for sale at William Curley.
The chocolate arrives from Italy in 1kg blocks like this which are available for sale at William Curley.
Any volunteers to help clean out the bowl?
Any volunteers to help clean out the bowl?
Our chef/tutor Lucy coating a truffle.  She's a great advert for apprenticeship schemes: passionate, professional and ambitious.
Our chef/tutor Lucy coating a truffle. She's a great advert for apprenticeship schemes: passionate, professional and ambitious.

Until October 3, award-winning Scottish chocolatier William Curley and his wife and business partner Suzue Curley, who is originally from Japan, are celebrating Japanese Week at his Belgravia shop where Japanese-inspired chocolates, patisserie, hot and chilled drinks will be on offer as well as some one-off sessions. As part of this, we were invited to one of his special Japanese-themed chocolate making masterclasses.

The tuition itself takes place in a kitchen downstairs from the shop floor where chef Lucy takes a small class through the making of Toasted Sesame Couture Chocolate and Yamazaki Whiskey Truffles. While getting our hands dirty (in a very finger-licking way), Lucy fills our head with all kinds of tasty choccy facts both about the business (including how William Curley keeps its quality by sourcing its chocolate from a single supplier (Amedei in Italy), tips on cooking with chocolate (use a stainless steel bowl in preference to a glass one to melt chocolate in as glass will overheat the contents) and more generally about how chocolate arrives to our shelves from the bean onwards.

This is one full-on experience which will satisfy and edify any chocoholic. This special masterclass will be run again this Saturday and Sunday afternoon at £75 per person. More details can be found on the William Curley website.

Last Updated 29 September 2010