CHOCOCO

(01929 421777; www.chococo.co.uk)

Claire and Andy Burnet swapped careers in marketing and finance to set up Chococo at “Cocoa Central” on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset in 2002 with the help of various other family members. They and use ethically sourced chocolate from Venezuela, Tanzania and Ghana, and local Dorset ingredients whenever possible, including fresh cream from a family farm for the ganache, honey from Bob the beekeeper and lemon curd from local preserve maker, Mrs. Pook.

In addition to their year round range of handmade chocolates, whose flavours include the aforementioned lemon curd and honey, along with the likes of gorgeous ginger, chilli tickle, mellow mint, green spice (cardamom and pistachio) and fizzy duck (marc de champagne), you can order Valentine's specials of "Love me do" boxes filled with handmade chocolate hearts, kisses and luscious fresh truffles.

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COCO OF BRUNTSFIELD

(0131 228 4526; www.cocochocolate.co.uk)

When Rebecca Knights-Kerswell decided to set up her own shop in Edinburgh, Coco of Bruntsfield, it was a toss up between her twin passions: chocolate and olive oil. A course at the famous French chocolate house of Valrhona made up her mind.

From there she began working on recipes in her own kitchen, making exquisite looking chocolates using seasonal, organic ingredients and bold combinations such as rose and black pepper. “There can be a lot of snobbery in the chocolate world about what flavours you should and shouldn’t use, but I don’t agree with that… half the fun, like blending wine, is mixing amazing flavours, and I have a book full of notes and ideas that I started six years ago which I’m still working through”, she says.

Choose from aphrodisiac collections in art nouveau boxes, coco liqueur cherries, pink marc de champagne truffles and gift bags and bars.

ROCOCO

(020-7352 5857; www.rococochocolates.com)

Former textile student Chantal Coady opened Rococo on the Kings Road nearly 25 years ago, setting the standard for gorgeous, real chocolates, and making famous her artisan bars in characteristic blue and white pouches featuring 19th century French motifs, which these days come in flavours such as basil & Persian lime, arabic spices or black pepper (£3.75).

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