We all rate a meal experience on the food, service and atmosphere but it’s usually the attention to detail that’s the difference between a good meal and a great one.

Branded cutlery and crockery instil a sense of  sophistication and a perception of higher quality and it’s these subtle additions that can differentiate a restaurant from its competitors.  There are many other items that restaurants choose to personalise to make a meal with them a more memorable experience; napkins, glassware and in this case, restaurant branded chocolates.

We were sent a sample box from Hena’s Luxury Chocolates who provide branded chocolates for all types of businesses.  The name suggests something special, (not that the customer will see the suppliers name on the packaging) but we entered our taste and packaging review with open minds.

The accompanying brochure/order form clearly sets out the options:

Flavour: milk, mint or orange chocolate

Shape: Neapolitan (square pieces of chocolate with a double foil-coated inner and paper outer wrapping) or Petit (thin rectangular pieces in sealed foil)

Packaging colour: both products have colour options for the wrapper and text.

We were concerned with the taste and packaging.  Here’s what we thought….

Taste

We all agreed the chocolate had a pleasant, smooth taste.  Most preferred the mint chocolate saying it had a “subtle freshness” and “wasn’t over powering like some other mint chocolate brands can be.”

Other comments included “the mint option is more suited to after dinner” and would be “a good choice for restaurants.”

No orange flavoured chocolates were provided so we cannot say how they compared.

Packaging

The packaging split opinion with half the group preferring the double wrapped foil and paper squares (the Neapolitan option) and half the sealed foil rectangles (the Petite style).

Those in favour of the Neapolitan design commented how they were “easy to open” and “more robust” and “eye-catching due to the shiny foil.” The Petitie camp said the paper sleeve option looked “smart and luxurious” whereas the counter argument was that this design was a little dated.

All agreed the extensive colour range meant the chocolates could be easily matched to fall in-line with company branding.  The black with silver writing came out as favourite, green was described as luxurious and the purple suggested an Indian restaurant.  Orange was the least favourite and some thought the silver wrapping off-putting.

Let’s be straight: these restaurant branded chocolates are a marketing tool.  Whereas the other personalised elements mentioned above may help to create the ambiance and add to the overall look and feel of a restaurant, chocolates and other such ‘take away’ items exist to influence your repeat custom.

To be fair it’s a nice touch and Hena’s Luxury Chocolates offers a decent quality product.  Take a handful and put them in your bag or on your desk and chances are you’ll be reminded of your restaurant visit and even start a conversation with a colleague or friend about it.  And let’s face it, free chocolate beats the free crappy pen most companies insist on giving away!

For more information visit Hena’s Luxury Chocolates.