Although St Andrews can comfortably support a number of cafés, the arrival of a new chain always causes consternation.
This is doubly true when that café comes from a company as large as Hotel Chocolat.
The international chain opened its most recent shop and Velvetiser Café on St Andrews’ Market Street on Saturday June 14.
But should those running the town’s independent cafes be concerned? I visited the café to find out.
An uninspiring space
The Velvetiser Café sits in the rear portion of the Market Street unit and is only accessible by walking through the Hotel Chocolat St Andrews shop.
Although this design ensures that the café feels separate to the shop, it does come at a cost.
Namely, there is minimal natural light in this portion of the building. As a result, the space feels oppressive. Bright spotlighting and some lacklustre decorations do little to improve the ambiance.
According to Hotel Chocolat’s website, there are 75 Velvetiser Cafés in the UK. You can tell.
While clean and functional, the café boasts all the originality of an airport terminal.
Several light wooden tables are dotted about the space, complete with non-descript chairs.
Happily, the staff are much more engaging. They’re helpful, and I lose count of how many times they make customers smile.
Options to suit everyone at Hotel Chocolat St Andrews
The Velvetiser Café’s main draw is its range of chocolate drinks. These come in three styles: hot, iced and as a shake.
After selecting a style, customers have the choice of 18 different flavours. These include classics such as 85% dark as well as quirkier options like salted caramel and clementine.
The drinks can then be finished with a number of toppings, the most prominent of which is a cocoa whip that’s priced at £0.50.
This variety – and degree of customizability – instantly makes the Velvetiser Café appealing. I can imagine customers will want to visit multiple times to work their way through all the different flavours.
The huge choice also makes it a great spot for families or large groups.
What are the drinks like?
I do not fancy my chances of tackling all 54 chocolate drinks on offer, so opt instead to try one of each style.
My first choice – an 85% dark hot chocolate topped with cocoa whip – acts as my benchmark.
At £5.75 (including the whip topping) it’s by no means the cheapest hot chocolate I’ve ever ordered. Yet, my first impression is positive.
The cocoa whip is thick and flavourful – it’s like an island of chocolate mousse bobbing atop my drink.
Unfortunately, the hot chocolate itself is underwhelming. At 85%, I expected it to have an intense chocolatey flavour. It does not, and this failing is exacerbated by the drink’s slightly thin texture.
That said, I’m glad the hot chocolate isn’t too sweet.
The second drink I opt for is a ginger-flavoured chocolate shake. Due to the use of house ice cream and a stint in the blender, this drink has a thicker texture.
What’s more, the ginger flavour is pronounced, warming the back of my throat.
With the cocoa whip top, the shake costs £6.25, and I’d say it’s worth that price.
The third and final drink I try is a Black Forest gateau iced chocolate.
Again, the chocolate flavour is mild and the texture thin. When the Black Forest flavouring finally comes through, it tastes quite medicinal.
The aftertaste builds up with every sip, and I abandon the drink after finishing less than a quarter.
Cakes, sundaes and other sweet treats
Alongside its drinks, the Hotel Chocolat in St Andrews also stocks several sweet foods.
It’s most decadent item – the Billionaire’s Sundae – is made with the chain’s ice cream, chocolate shortbread, crispy chocolate pearls and two sauces.
Thanks to these ingredients, the sundae presents a good mix of textures. However, the ice cream itself is quite bland.
In one way, this is a good thing. If the ice cream was sweet the sundae could quickly become too much – plenty of sweetness is already provided by the caramel sauce.
However, at £6.75, the sundae’s lack of complexity is disappointing.
In terms of cake, I try a slice of Victoria sponge (£4.00) and a piece of millionaire’s shortbread (£4.00).
The sponge is large but a little dense for my liking. The jam and cream filling is unremarkable. All told, the cake is not setting the world alight.
The same can be said for the millionaire’s shortbread.
There is nothing wrong with it, but there’s nothing to get excited about either.
An unthreatening addition to St Andrews
Although the café also serves a range of coffees and teas, most people will visit Hotel Chocolat’s Velvetiser Café in St Andrews to try the chain’s chocolate drinks.
Thanks to the range of options, I am sure most customers will be able to find something they enjoy. However, I’d be surprised if they find anything that truly impresses them.
For this reason, St Andrews’ independent café owners don’t seem to have a huge amount to worry about.
Information
Address: 135 Market Street, St Andrews KY16 9PF
Phone: 0131 376 0023
Price: £34 for a sundae, two cakes, a packet of chocolate batons and three drinks.
Scores
Food: 2.5/5
Service: 4/5
Setting: 2.5/5
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