Food waste expert Kate Hall has weighed in on the long-running debate about whether chocolate bars belong in the fridge. While some prefer the chilled version, Hall says full chocolate bars need more care than other treats.
Why fridge storage can spoil chocolate
Hall explained that factors like temperature, humidity, and light can impact food. She noted that many people refrigerate items unnecessarily, while leaving out foods that would actually be better stored in the fridge. Among the most polarising items are avocados, bananas, and potatoes, with chocolate biscuits also causing disagreement.
Speaking to The Mail, Hall conceded that chocolate biscuits can be "lovely chilled," but she has a different opinion on bars. "While chocolate biscuits can be lovely chilled, full chocolate bars need a little more care. Moisture and temperature changes can affect their texture and appearance, causing a whitish bloom on the surface," she said.
Chef's advice echoes the expert
Her advice mirrors comments from Private Yacht Chef and founder of Ocean Earth Chef, Barry D'Arcy. In April, D'Arcy shared his views on storing Easter eggs, noting that refrigerating them makes the chocolate firmer, which may appeal to some, but it also causes the chocolate to lose some of its smooth texture. He added that cold temperatures mute the cocoa notes, diluting the flavour.
"Chocolate is designed to melt gently at around 30 to 32 degrees Celsius, so eating it straight from the fridge essentially alters the entire experience and inevitably makes it less pleasurable," D'Arcy said. "Like any food or product, if it's consumed in a way it wasn't intended to be, the result is often underwhelming."
Quality matters in chocolate storage
Steve Russell, co-founder of chocolate brand Russell & Atwell, said there are typically two types of chocolate lovers: those who enjoy the "snap" of chocolate from the fridge, and those who prefer the "quicker deeper flavour." He claims that high-quality chocolate usually provides a "better" flavour from the fridge, whereas cheaper Easter eggs with lower cocoa content can taste "rather plasticky and flat" at room temperature and even "worse" out of the fridge.
Rare chocolate box up for auction
In other chocolate news, a solid silver Rowntree's chocolate box is set to go under the hammer in Scarborough. Created for the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902, it could fetch £1,000. Holly Hammond, from auctioneers David Duggleby, told the BBC that Rowntree of York produced thousands of souvenir coronation tins of chocolate, painted tins decorated with portraits of the new King and Queen, distributed to schoolchildren and many others. Rowntree also commissioned Sheffield silversmiths Cooper Brothers and Sons to produce a small number of solid silver versions of the painted tins.
