Experience the Power of Chocolate

One of the newest crazes on the wedding scene is the chocolate fountain and having experienced the power that chocolate has over people, especially women, it looks like this is going to be a regular feature at weddings and other events for many years to come.

For those of you who have never used or seen a chocolate fountain in action, this is how it works. The fountain itself is made of food grade stainless steel. There is a large bowl at the bottom which heats the chocolate and keeps it liquid. In the centre is a column which has different sized tiers which gradually get smaller as you get to the top. The number of tiers will depend on the size of the fountain. Inside the centre column is an Archimedes screw, which spins and carries the chocolate up the inside of the column, out the top, where it runs decadently over the tiers and back in to the bowl at the bottom.

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Now you now how it works, how do you use one?

You take a skewer and serviette, put the item you would like to dip on your skewer and push it through the curtain of cascading Belgian chocolate. The sumptuous chocolate then wraps it self round the dip, which you then put in your mouth with a serviette underneath it to catch any drips. At this point, there are usually moans and sighs of pleasure and you just know that the ladies are not faking it!

There are different ways you can incorporate a chocolate fountain in to your wedding. By far the most common is during the evening reception. It can replace the sweet section of your evening buffet; replace your evening buffet all together or as an extra to the evening buffet.
It is also quite common to use the fountain as the dessert for the wedding breakfast, as an extra during the drinks reception or a replacement for the wedding cake.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that a fountain is just about feeding your guests. A chocolate fountain at your event will cause a real stir and create a fantastic, fun atmosphere. The power that chocolate has over people has to be seen to be believed. It is a medical fact that chocolate releases chemicals into the brain which create a feeling of euphoria. It acts as a great ice breaker and really gets people talking and laughing together.

There’s no doubt that a chocolate fountain will really help your wedding day become a success, but there are some important bits of advice you should bear in mind when choosing your chocolate fountain supplier. This is not easy, being a relatively new concept, people in general would not know what to look for or what questions to ask. We are going to give you an insight in to the chocolate fountain industry, so that you can make the right decision for your special day.

Choose a reputable supplier.

There are now many chocolate fountain operators throughout the country. Their prices and quality of service vary greatly and it can be a mine field finding the right one. The top end of the price bracket for a large fountain for 100 to 200 people (dips included)

tends to be around £800 - £1,000. These companies generally seem to be individuals who have purchased a franchise and therefore recoup their initial outlay by charging higher prices. You are likely to receive a good quality service, but end up paying far more than you need to.

The lower end of the price range £200 - £450 (large fountain dips supplied) is the area where you really need to be extra careful. I have heard of numerous instances where, brides have booked a company and then the company goes bust and disappears with the deposit money.

Some, unbelievably, re-use left over chocolate and dips from previous events. They use poor quality dips and often cheap cooking chocolate instead of Belgian Couverture Chocolate. A couple of venues have told me that they have had companies turn up for a wedding with dirty, chocolate covered machines, where they have not been cleaned from the previous event.

Common sense tells you, that if the price sounds too good to be true then it probably is. The likely hood is, that quality, presentation, hygiene standards and reliability are going to be compromised to achieve low prices.

The middle section of the price range is where you are more likely to achieve good quality and value for money. Prices will vary from £500 to £700 (large fountain, dips supplied) depending on which area of the country you are in.

A professional company will have public liability insurance, risk assessments, staff properly trained in food hygiene (certificated), PAT tested electrical equipment. Many venues now require this information as standard so make sure the company has them. Ask for copies of their certificates, don’t except a verbal confirmation.
Ask to see copies of references from previous couples who have hired their services as this is a good measure of how good a service the company provides. The more references they receive, the better they are.

Check that they use FRESH Belgian Coverture Chocolate every time.

Many of the machines on the market require that the chocolate is thinned down to flow smoothly. The majority of companies use vegetable oil for this, which can affect the taste of the chocolate as well as making it runny and messy. There are some makes which do not require a thinning agent and where possible you should try and book a company which does not use oil.

Presentation is very important. To this end, choose a company that has uniformed operators as this will add a touch of class. I’m sorry, but a striped butchers apron over casual day clothes, is not suitable for a wedding.

Many companies use illuminated Perspex display units around the fountain. This really shows the fountains off at their best and because the Perspex is easy to wipe it is a lot easier to keep clean. Beware, some companies will charge you extra for this display, others include it as standard.

A very important part of the service is the dips. Go for the widest range of dips possible. There may be items in the companies list which you don’t like or don’t think will work with chocolate. What you don’t like, several of your guests will. In any gathering of people,