It is time to resort to homemade goodness and the first place to start is obviously making your own chocolate and honey! It was never going to be a straightforward journey, replacing all the mass-produced items in our grocery cupboard, but as the artisanal movement gains momentum, more and more people like you and me are making a start. Weekend markets are bursting with local producers of handmade products, from chocolate and cheese to craft beer. But for most of us who have day jobs and don’t necessarily want to turn this into a second career, the idea of making…

It’s considered to be the world’s most seductive confection. Some say it’s better than sex. Most people can’t get enough of it. In recent times, as a backlash to its mass production and the exploitation inherent in its manufacture, interest in fine-quality and single-estate pure chocolate beans from small chocolatiers has surged. The return to pure chocolate is bringing rewards to chocolate-makers the world over Throughout history, cacao and later chocolate have been revered – from cocoa’s origins in Mesoamerica as currency, a commodity and as a ceremonial drink, spiked with honey, chilli and flowers, to the modern-day associations of…