Local Biz Spotlight: Chocolates By Design

If you come here often enough, you've probably noticed that it's been an interesting month around Food, Je t'Aimée, with a number of exciting opportunities coming my way, and as a result, lots of different content! 

This post is no exception! 

Last week, myself and Kathy Jollimore of Eat Halifax! (and soon of The Record Shop) were invited down to  Chocolates by Design (1360 Lower Water Street) to check out their wares. If you haven't yet visited this chocolate-lovers haven, my goodness you're in for a treat when you do! Together, Kathy and I sampled a number of beautiful, individually wrapped chocolates, baking chocolates, and a steaming, decadent mug of milk hot chocolate.

Baking Chocos in white, milk, and dark.

My milk hot chocolate. Incredible.

Husband-and-wife team, Omar and Lama, drew inspiration from the streets of Dubai for their shop, where intricately wrapped and beautifully decorated chocolates are all the rage. It all began when Lama was pregnant with her first child and wanted to have these kinds of chocolates as favours for her baby shower guests. Out of luck finding any in Halifax, she decided to start making her own, and Chocolates by Design was born. Now, you can visit their shop to have party, shower, or wedding favours designed especially for your celebration, to complement your theme, and to work with your budget. You can see some of Lama's incredible handiwork below.

Chocolates by Design use and import a number of premium and pure source chocolates, including Belgian Belcolade. Omar has wholesale rates, too, for those who need top notch chocolate in bulk.

After you've pressed your nose against their display case and swooned over the choices (yes, that is a wall of chocolates you see behind Omar below!), you can grab an ice cream, a chocolatey drink, or coffee at their espresso and choco bar. They also serve baked goods and sweets, like macarons and cheesecake, and snacks, like sandwiches and samosas. Even better? For under $10, you have yourself a pot of chocolate fondue. Tell me that isn't the best way to pass an afternoon downtown? 

What's more is that they are one of the few coffee shops in town that stay open late. Really late! Their hours are Monday through Thusday, 7am-11pm, Friday and Saturday, 7am-12am, and Sunday 8:30am-10:30pm.

You can choose 100g of premium chocolate (approx. 5) from the wall behind Omar for $5

A glorious wall of chocolate.

Some of the cupcake wrappers you can buy in-store or online.

I absolutely loved the cupcake wrappers they have for sale (perfect for Muffin Monday!), and can't wait to get my hands on some. You can see what they actually look like when wrapped around a cupcake, along with their other gift arrangements and products, by visiting their online shop.

Chocolates by Design is an excellent and most welcome addition to our downtown core!

From their website:

"Recognizing the love for gourmet chocolates, we strive to present our customers with high quality gourmet chocolates elegantly wrapped and designed for their special occasions.

Our imported Belgian gourmet chocolates are manufactured using ingredients of the highest quality to give you a variety of luxurious and delicious flavours that will surely suit the different tastes of our customers.

Our unique gourmet chocolate products have not been available before in the local market, so if you are looking for a stylish and tasty gift or some gourmet chocolate for yourself, our rich variety of smooth and silky gourmet chocolates will surely satisfy your taste buds."