BWW Preview: The Annual NYC VALRHONA HOT CHOCOLATE FEST 1/21-2/5 and Kick-off on 1/18

It's the time of year to warm up New Yorkers with delightful hot chocolate. The 2nd Annual Valrhona Hot Chocolate Festival runs from January 21st to February 5th at locations throughout the city.

Hosted by the French Chocolatier Valrhona Chocolate, the festival will showcase specialty hot cocoa recipes from 12 participating top-notch New York City pastry kitchens. To kick-off the delicious, decadent festival during this chilly winter, Valrhona will be hosting the launch event at Laduree SoHo at 398 West Broadway on January 18th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Open to all New York chocolate-lovers, the kick-off event will feature the specialty hot chocolates along with sweet bites. The scrumptious treats are mastered by each of the participating pastry chefs from shops that include Laduree, Lafayette NYC, Epicerie Boulud, Almondine, Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery, The St. Regis, FIKA, Baked, Sugar and Plumm, and the soon-to-open Patisserie Chanson. Tickets to attend the Hot Chocolate Festival NYC kick-off event on 1/18 are $35/person and can be purchased by visiting https://valrhonahcf.eventbrite.com.

The companies participating in the two week long festival include Dominique Ansel Kitchen, Laduree, La Maison du Chocolat, Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery, The St. Regis, Sugar and Plumm, Lafayette New York, Epicerie Boulud, Baked, FIKA, Patisserie Chanson (opening mid-January in Flatiron) and Almondine. The affiliates of these companies will also be participating.

Purchasing a hot chocolate from the eateries that participate in the Valrhona Hot Chocolate Festival is a delicious way to make a difference. Valrhona will donate 100% of the proceeds from the kick-off event, plus for every hot chocolate (specialty or in-house regular) sold at any of the participating kitchens during festival weeks, $0.50 will be donated to Valrhona Clean Water Project. The project raises money to help improve the living conditions and public health for the cocoa producing community of Los Ranchos, Peru.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Valrhona Hot Chocolate Festival