Since starting at Hotel Chocolat 18 months ago, I’ve been working alongside Angus on our new hotel in Saint Lucia.  From sourcing everything from crockery and glasses to bed linen and toiletries, I already felt that I knew the hotel inside and out, despite never even having been to the Caribbean!  So, when Angus suggested that I go out there last month I obviously jumped at the chance! 

The hotel is in the soft opening stage, with 6 of our Cocoa Pods ready and 8 Cocoa Pods Luxe still being completed, so it was a pretty exciting stage to see the hotel (I will be hinting for a return trip once it’s complete).

I went out with David Demaison, our Cacao Cuisine Development Chef, who created the menu at Boucan, the hotel’s restaurant, and we arrived to a very warm welcome from Estates Director, Phil Buckley, his wife, Judy, and the Saint Lucian team – as well as a Cacao Bellini, which was amazing. 

The hotel beat all my expectations, in the middle of our cocoa plantation, the surroundings are stunning and the Boucan restaurant has views to die for. 

The view of the Hotel

The bedrooms are ‘Plantation Chic’ with the most amazing open sky showers – adding to the whole feeling of being at one with nature.  There are too many highlights to write here, but I think one that really stood out (apart from the black quartz infinity pool which is very special), was the opportunity to take part in the Tree-to-Bar experience.  This is a half day tour where guests can spend some time in our cacao nurseries, where we are grafting cocoa, followed by the chance to graft your own cocoa tree (I definitely need to come back in two years to see it bearing cocoa!) then to the kitchen to make fresh chocolate! 

Grafting a baby Cocoa tree

A chocolate lesson with David

It really brought to life how much hard work and passion goes into growing cacao both on our estate and on the farms of our Engaged Ethics farmers.  It made me very proud to see what an impact we’re having on the local farmers in reviving their interest in cocoa farming. 

Cocoa beans drying in the sun

Despite eating Boucan’s cacao cuisine every evening, I certainly did not bore of the menu and, in fact, I left feeling much healthier and truly revived (nothing to do with being dragged on walks around our 140 acre Estate every morning…).  The whole trip was an experience never to forget!

Boucan Cuisine

We can reveal today some very exciting news – Hotel Chocolat has developed the world’s first milk chocolate cocoa beans by ‘watering’ our Rabot Estate cocoa trees with milk. This breakthrough means the beans can now be made directly into milk chocolate, without having to add milk to the recipe.

Chief Executive, Angus Thirlwell, said, “This is a much more efficient way to make milk chocolate and I’m delighted to reveal it to our customers first. There has only been one minor downside to date, but we think we may have overcome that problem already…”

Estates Director, Phil Buckley, who has been the driving force behind this huge step forward said, “It’s very quiet here in Saint Lucia during the off season, so we started experimenting to pass the time. Unfortunately, the rum-fed cocoa trees are looking a bit worse for wear, but the milk-fed trees have flourished.”

However, as already mentioned, there is a downside to watering cocoa trees with milk – the creamy aromas have attracted quite a number of cats to the estate.

Phil Buckley explains, “I’ve nothing against cats, but the mewing was driving us all mad. Luckily, it turns out our neighbour’s dogs are lactose intolerant, so they’re more than happy to chase the cats away. I’d like to say a big thank you to our neighbours up at the Poisson d’Avril Estate.”

More soon…

Final approvals just received from the Saint Lucian government for our bean to bar manufactory – it’s been a long and careful process because it is set within the Unesco World Heritage environment of the Pitons in Saint Lucia.

Our ‘renaissance man’ country head, Phil Buckley, has been working on the design plans for 3 years and they are amazing – it will be the world’s greenest chocolate manufactory, architecturally beautiful, focussed uniquely on rare and vintage cocoa and designed from the outset for visitors to fully engage in each sensorial stage.

Being sited amongst the cocoa groves on our own estate means that we will be able to make micro batches and fully release the unique terroir of Rabot Estate and Saint Lucia. Physically linking the growing and fermentation of cocoa with roasting and chocolate making means that our chocolatiers will have all the variables of flavour at their disposal – like a winemaker with his own winery set amongst the vineyards.

Here is the press release from the Saint Lucia government.

The success of our Boucan Restaurant has drawn the attention of Saint Lucia tourism Minster, Senator Allen Chastanet. He dropped by for a meal with me and Phil Buckley, parking his jeep with the keys in. Mid forkful, we watched in astonishment as our cacao cuisine development chef, David Demaison, got behind the wheel and drove away in the ministers car!

Thankfully he realised after a while that he had got into the wrong jeep when he spotted Senator Chastanet’s personal effects dotted around the car.

I have a lingering thought that he was trying to flee the island after 4 weeks chained to the kitchen, getting Boucan launched!

The cooling infinity pool is waiting, the cocktail list has been tested, the dishes have been tasted and the crisp bed linen has been pressed – the countdown is over and our boutique hotel on the island of Saint Lucia is now open! It’s a place dedicated to barefoot luxury in naturally relaxing surroundings with awe-inspiring views from 1,000 feet above sea level.

Situated in a courtyard around an old Shak-Shak tree, our Cocoa Cottages are designed with plenty of Hotel Chocolat’s contemporary style with a dash of West Indian charm.  Thoughtfully completed with luxurious finishing touches, they make a stylish and comfortable retreat. For a few of the best shots from around the Hotel and Boucan Restaurant take a look at the album on our Facebook page.

I am penning this from my favourite spot in the Boucan Bar, Saint Lucia. With only 5 days to go until the Hotel opens, the place is a hive of industry… Newly inducted staff in Hotel Chocolat uniforms are going through their paces, final dabs of paint, dwarf date palm trees being dropped into their slots, balancing adjustments being made to cocktails and Cocoa Cottages being triple checked before our first guests arrive.

The weather is gorgeous with the usual cooling breeze and dazzling blue skies.  The restaurant has been open for 3 weeks and there is a real air of confidence now in the kitchen and on the floor, thanks to the leadership and example set by hotel manager Chester Francois and executive chef Jon Bentham.

I will end here as I need to test out again the black quartz infinity edge swimming pool. The Piton is symmetrically reflected in its mirror surface… no accident according to Phil Buckley, designer/ builder/country head!

Enjoying the view of the Pitons from the infinity pool right now!

It’s been a long, long time in the planning, menu development, building and training but things of quality (I hope!) take time. Our brand new Cacao Cuisine venture is now serving… Perched high up between the Pitons at Rabot Estate (our Saint Lucian cocoa plantation), the cuisine draws on the amazing local fish and seafood, salad vegetables, fruits and herbs showered with rainforest rain and, of course, roasted and fresh estate cacao.

I have tasted all the dishes several times and am confident we have something good here. There really is nothing like the flavours of daily roasted cacao nibs – if they are not ultra fresh they seem to lose a lot of the subtle flavours our chefs have managed to bring alive.

Click here to see our Opening Menu.

Restaurant Opening Hours

Lunch 12-2.30 | Dinner 6.30-9.30 | Closed Monday and Tuesday

Reservations Information

Email: reservations@hotelchocolat.com

Address & Directions

Rabot Estate, Soufrière, Saint Lucia

Located two miles south of Soufrière, off the Soufrière to Choiseul main highway, entrance at the Rabot gap