Hotel Chocolat Truffles attacked by rival - BBC
news story about this truffle
squishing story -
Chocolate expert damaged truffles
An expert chocolate-maker has resigned after he was caught squashing
truffles at a rival manufacturer's shop.
Barry Colenso, former top chocolate-maker at Derbyshire-based
Thorntons, damaged the truffles at Hotel Chocolat in Nottingham.
The store manager said staff found £63.50 worth of truffles
damaged. The firm decided to take no further action.
Thorntons has declined to comment on the situation, but issued
a statement saying Mr Colenso had resigned.
'Squashed truffles'
Mr Colenso, who designed a giant 390kg (860lb) edible chocolate
billboard last Easter, has also not been available for comment.
Thorntons is currently in the process of recruiting his replacement.
Lynn Cunningham from Hotel Chocolat said: "It was quite
extraordinary really.
"The staff observed Mr Colenso handling a number of truffles
in a way that made them suspicious.
"When we checked the truffles later they had been squashed
and damaged."
She said Hotel Chocolat was told by Thorntons that Mr Colenso
had "handled the truffles inappropriately".
"We just want to move on now," she said.
See what all the fuss is about by trying Hotel
Chocolat's truffles for yourself
EXCLUSIVE
TOP CHOCOLATIER CAUGHT SQUISHING RIVAL'S TREATS - Mirror
Chocolate man grabbed by the truffles
EXCLUSIVE TOP CHOCOLATIER CAUGHT SQUISHING RIVAL'S TREATS
By Brian Roberts 12/10/2007
The man dubbed the Willy Wonka of Thorntons has quit in disgrace
after a bizarre "truffle squishing" attack on a rival
firm.
Cctv images at a Hotel Chocolat store showed top chocolatier
Barry Colenso squashing items on one of their displays.
A source said: "Footage showed Mr Colenso methodically gripping
several chocolate sections and then leaving the store. The store
manager found that £63.50 worth of damage had been caused
through truffles being squashed."
A Hotel Chocolat spokesman added: "Mr Colenso admitted 'handling'
products in an 'inappropriate' manner. This was an extraordinary
act of truffle squishing. We can only guess at what provoked it."
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The firm will take no further action. A Thorntons spokesman said:
"Mr Barry Colenso has resigned. It would be inappropriate
to comment any further." There was no sign of Mr Colenso
last night at his luxury home in Belper, Derbys. The father-of-three,
Thorntons' Master Chocolatier for 20 years, said recently: "My
job is to turn the dreams of myself and my colleagues into a chocolate."
Thorntons and Hotel Chocolat are two of the biggest rivals in
the UK's £3.6billion confectionary market. |
