In March, along with Saint Patrick’s Day we happily celebrate all things green!
Real mint, as opposed to artificial mint flavoring, makes an enormous difference in recipes that call for the herb. Summerdown Black Mitcham is the rare and real thing. Sir Michael Coleman of Summerdown Farms (of earlier mustard fame) grows mint on his Hampshire Estate. He also uses it to create his line of heritage English chocolate mints. Chelsea Market Baskets began carrying Summerdown Mint products in 2005 and we were the first to bring it to the United States. It has been one of our favorite staples ever since.
Chelsea Market Baskets has imported Prestat Chocolates from London since 2012. We sell their products in our store, online and also offer them for resale. An old company with a long tradition and a shop off Piccadilly, the company was purchased by two brothers in 1998. They have worked very effectively to fortify the brand with quality, innovation and distinctive packaging. There is a long tradition of chocolate from England and often from London, some coming from carriage trade stores, like Fortnum and Mason, which is similar to a high-end department store in the US. In many cases the company and the store have the endorsement of the Queen or a Royal Warrant. Prestat has for many years supplied chocolates to the British royal family and in 1975 it was granted a Royal Warrant as Purveyors of Chocolates to Her Majesty The Queen. Prestat has a Royal Warrant, which does help to grow the business and is shown on every box (you can see it on the blue box below). I contend though that Prestat has grown tremendously based on the work of Nick Crean and Bill Keeling, step-brothers who work together on the many facets of building the Prestat brand.
