Two chefs have launched an innovative and limited edition range of chocolates as part of Fenwick’s month-long Meet the Artisans event

TWO Michelin star chef James Close is enjoying the sweet taste of success with the launch of his own range of innovative chocolates. The limited edition collection is a joint venture between the man behind the acclaimed The Raby Hunt Restaurant, in County Durham, and fellow chef Maria Guseva.

Simply called Chocolates by James Close and Maria Guseva, the selection of six slick, smart and edgy bite-sized confections and two bars are available to buy exclusively from the Fenwick Food Hall in Newcastle until May 21 – or while stocks last, with just 1,000 being made available to buy.

James and Maria unveiled their Chocolate with Attitude as part of Fenwick’s month-long Meet the Artisans food event. The pair’s beautifully fashioned, playful, yet adult chocolates offer up a rollercoaster of unconventional flavours that push the boundaries of tradition, and are among a host of premium North-East and British foods being showcased to the public until the end of May.

James says the gutsy, alternative and avant-garde assortment, made using the finest single origin chocolate and freshest global ingredients, were inspired by the exquisite Gothic skull and Buddha pieces served as part of The Raby Hunt’s creative tasting menu. “The dark chocolate skull and white chocolate Buddha have become an iconic part of The Raby Hunt dining experience,” says the 37-year-old. “They are the final curtain call of what is a 15-course tasting menu. Just when you think the dining experience is over, you are surprised by one last melodramatic twist in the shape of the intensely dark and smooth chocolate skull presented alongside the serenity of the pure white chocolate Buddha. Diners are enchanted by them, and we are regularly asked if we sell them to take home.”

Launching the Chocolates by James Close and Maria Guseva collection was, therefore, a natural progression. Each piece is individually made by Maria and has been created to appeal to chocolate lovers looking for something new and unique. The skull is of special significance, being James’ trademark. He has a large silver one on show in The Raby Hunt restaurant, a reminder that life is too short to waste your days and not push the boundaries.

Maria, 29, who originally hails from Moscow and moved to Newcastle seven years ago, has worked with James at The Raby Hunt for the past four years. She says each show-stopping chocolate was designed to release unusual explosions of flavour to awaken the tastebuds. “Many hours of creativity have gone into crafting these deliciously distinctive, exuberant, irreverent, but always perfectly balanced chocolates. You could say we have gone rogue,” she says.

James said it was a privilege to be selling the range in Fenwick as part of the Meet the Artisans event. “It brings together two premier North-East brands. We are delighted that such a renowned store has chosen to work with us,” he says.

For James and Maria the launch of the chocolate collection is another twist in what has been an incredible gastronomic journey for the pair. Both are self-taught chefs who have reached the top of their game. James is a former professional golfer who didn’t begin cooking until he was nearly 30. Yet in the eight years since opening The Raby Hunt he has taken the former drovers’ inn to the heights of culinary success, culminating in the restaurant last October becoming the first in the North-East to ever be awarded a second prestigious Michelin star. James is also the Good Food Guide 2017’s current Chef of the Year.

Maria, meanwhile, fell in love with cooking after moving to Newcastle seven years ago and being inspired by the wealth of new, exotic and readily available ingredients on her doorstep. She joined James’ team after completing a short basic cordon bleu cookery course and began making the restaurant’s chocolates 18 months ago.

Adam Barber, Fenwick Food Hall buyer, says of James and Maria’s involvement in the Meet the Artisans event: “It is a privilege to be able to bring such a unique product exclusively to our customers at Fenwick. James and Maria are extremely talented; their chocolates are exquisite.” The individual chocolates cost £1.30 each with the tropical mango and passion fruit bar coming in at £3.50, and the black truffle caramel block at £4.

The Raby Hunt Restaurant, Summerhouse, Darlington, County Durham, DL2 3UD, UK; 01325-374237; http://rabyhuntrestaurant.co.uk