Pivoting to Hong Kong: Charbonnel et Walker brings the Queen's chocolate to Prince's Building

Charbonnel et Walker is most famously known for its connection to England’s Royal Family: As holder of a Royal Warrant, "Britain's First and Finest Chocolatier" is an official confectioner for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 

From where it all began on London's Bond Street, the 146-year-old chocolate maker has a storied history dating back to its early days as "Parisian Confectioners and Bon-Bon Manufacturers" under a partnership between Virginie Eugenie Lévy (née Charbonnel) of Paris’s Maison Boissier chocolate house and Minnie Walker. According to the brand's history, the partnership and venture was encouraged by then-Prince of Wales and future King of England, Edward VII.

Though the pair's collaboration would last from 1875 to 1878, Walker would go on running the business until she passed in June 1883. The official Charbonnel et Walker brand, however, would continue on, selling sweets at Royal Arcade Bond Street, near the original location, where it remains to this day. (The chocolate is produced at a factory in Tunbridge Wells.)

While much has changed since those early days, what hasn’t is the company's commitment to exquisite and mouthwatering treats. Most famous for its luscious and silky plain chocolate made from dark couverture, the brand offers the full spectrum of temptations for any sweet tooth: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, all sorts of truffles, and Charbonnel et Walker's famous English Rose and Violet Creams, which feature oil-infused fondant covered in, you guessed it, chocolate. 

The brand also is a favourite for weddings, holidays and special events, offering hampers fit for royalty to make any occasion that much more special.

Given Hong Kong’s long ties to the United Kingdom — and a love of sweet things — it almost seems overdue for Charbonnel et Walker to finally make its debut in the region. The chocolatier opened its first Hong Kong retail location in November 2020 inside Prince’s Building in Central, giving locals a chance to treat and be treated like royalty — at least when it comes time for dessert.

Designed to resemble the kind of classic flower cart that you might find in London's Covent Garden, the brand's Hong Kong outlet offers up its variety of chocolates alongside sets of its iconic truffles, from Pink Marc de Champagne truffles and Milk Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate truffles to special flavours including Pistachio Chocolate and Strawberries & Cream. Consumers with a craving for all things sweet can get their hands on these and a selection of other goodies available in-store and online at the brand's website as well.

As a way of greeting the Hong Kong market, Charbonnel et Walker tapped illustrator Kitty Wong for a Valentine's Day collaboration. Wong helped to create two special boxes in two flavours for lovers on the big day. These pink handmade boxes featured classic Valentines imagery like hearts and Cupid mixed with recognisable local icons such as the Star Ferry, egg tarts, and even Cha Chaan Teng-style French toast.

In addition to the artistic collaboration, the brand also teamed up with a number of local KOLs, influencers and people-about-town in Hong Kong to share their stories of how they fell in love. These "Hong Kong Love Stories" were shared on social media on the brand's official account and also by the couples featured within. It gave the brand a chance to warm the hearts of Hong Kong locals with romantic and captivating stories, and followers who "liked" their favourite posts also were awarded the chance to win a delicious prize from the brand on Valentine's Day.

It's safe to say that with Hong Kong's love of all things delicious and high in quality, Charbonnel et Walker will make a welcome addition to its new home.

“Pivoting to Hong Kong” is a series created with support from our partners at InvestHK. InvestHK’s vision is to strengthen Hong Kong’s status as the leading international business location in Asia. InvestHK works with overseas and Mainland entrepreneurs, SMEs and multinationals that wish to set up an office – or expand their existing business – in Hong Kong.

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