We don’t need an excuse to celebrate chocolate, but this July, we’ll be celebrating World Chocolate Day and we hope you’ll join us!

On July 7, people around the world raid their cupboards, treating themselves to some chocolate. Whether it be dark, milk or white chocolate, World Chocolate Day is a great excuse to enjoy the delights of cocoa, either with a comforting favourite or by trying some new flavours!

Why do we celebrate World Chocolate Day?

It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact reason why July 7 was chosen as the day to appreciate chocolate, but according to Wired Magazine, it can be traced back to July 7, 1550, when cocoa was first brought to Europe in large quantities. Some reports state that Christopher Colombus might have brought cocoa to Spain much earlier, around 1504, but the aristocracy held a monopoly on it for centuries before it trickled down to the lower classes and gained widespread popularity.

Although World Chocolate Day is most commonly celebrated on July 7, there is also the existence of International Chocolate Day, which is held on September 13 in the United States. This event is held on this specific day because it is the birthday of Milton Hershey, who founded the Hershey Chocolate Company in 1894.

Either way, World Chocolate day is a fairly modern event, as people only started to celebrate it annually in July around 2009.

How do people celebrate World Chocolate Day?

By eating chocolate of course! We think the best way to celebrate the versatility of chocolate is to sample a flavour combination you’ve never tried before.Fans of fruit and chocolate can experiment in tropical tastes with our creamy and zesty Passion Fruit Chocolate, or try our cocktail-inspired salted espresso martini, covered in our sweet and malty caramel chocolate for a more sumptuous treat.

For the purists, our rare and vintage collection has our single origin chocolate collection, where you can savour specific cacao bean varieties in our lovingly-crafted chocolate bars. For a savoury kick, the deep fruitiness of our Ecuadorian 100% cocoa packs a punch, or if you’re looking for a more mellow flavour, the white chocolate from the Dominican Republic has 42% cocoa butter, giving it a fabulously creamy texture.

If you’re a well-versed chocolate lover, then push the boundaries by using our chocolate in a savoury recipe; melt a square of dark chocolate into your spaghetti bolognese or chili con carne to impart a richer, deeper flavour to the classic dishes.

Other chocolate celebrations

Just as the Americans have their International Chocolate day on September 13, not July 7, other countries have also chosen to celebrate their love of chocolate on different dates. Ghana, the second-largest producer of cocoa in the world celebrates their own chocolate day on February 14, whereas in Latvia, World Chocolate day is celebrated a couple of days after us on July 11.

Don’t worry if you can’t travel to take part in chocolate days across the world though, as if you need more reasons to appreciate chocolate each type of chocolate has its own day of celebration. Dark chocolate day takes place in the post-Christmas chill of January 10, Milk chocolate day on July 28, and White chocolate day rounds off the summer on September 22. If you still haven’t satiated your desire for chocolate by then, there is even an Office chocolate day on October 20, where you’re expected to bring chocolate goodies in for your colleagues.

World Chocolate Day is an opportunity to expand your chocolate horizons and try new flavours. If you find it impossible to make a decision, then why not try one of our chocolate boxes, where you’ll find exciting new flavours nestled among your classic favourites like salted caramel or decadent champagne truffles. Or, get creating and whip up a Mexican hot chocolate with cinnamon and a pinch of chilli, sprinkle some cocoa nibs into your brownies for a salty kick, or go all out and make traditional Mole sauce; it’s World Chocolate Day after all!