The 10 best chocolates to buy online right now

Even if you don’t recognise the name Tony’s Chocolonely, you’ll probably be familiar with the packaging. They’re super colourful, paper-wrapped and wonderfully retro. The brand was founded by a Dutch journalist in 2005 when he discovered just how corrupt the cocoa trade can be and he vowed to make slave-free confectionary. So, not only is Tony’s guilt-free, it’s delicious and comes in unique flavours, such as almond sea salt, pretzel toffee and raspberry popping candy. Plus, they offer a personalisation service from £6/bar, where you can pick everything from the wording, to the pattern of the packaging, and even add a photo.

When the opening line of a chocolate campaign is ‘Don’t say we didn’t warn you’, you’d be forgiven for worrying. But fret not, when it comes to Montesuma’s Absolute Black bars, they’re merely preparing you for the taste of 100 percent cocoa, which will seem bitter next to a Dairy Milk. It’s so much better for you, however, given that there’s no sugar – or any sugar substitutes – no palm oil, or dairy or soya. Plus, it’s all made by a couple of lawyers-turned-chocolatiers down in West Sussex, so it’s good for the environment too.

Marzipan isn’t to everybody’s taste, but if you like a hit of almond (and then some) with your chocolate, then these miniatures from German brand Niederegger are perfect. Dubbed the Marzipan Mini Loaf Assortment, the box features bite-sized bits of marzipan coated in milk, dark, espresso, orange, pineapple and pistachio flavoured chocolate. While that may sound like a crime against confectionary to some, we know there’ll be plenty drooling at the thought. One of the best things about Niederegger’s marzipan, is that it’s not overly sweet, so you can actually taste the almond and not just heaps of sugar.

Another wholly made in England chocolate to make our list is Whitakers. Founded in 1889 in North Yorkshire, this thriving business is still run by the same family (five generations in) and all their chocolate comes straight out of their factory in Skipton. We particularly love their Ginger Creams – delectable little discs of 55 percent dark chocolate filled with a smooth fondant that packs a punchy shot of ginger in every bite thanks to the all-natural ingredients used. It’s also Fairtrade, vegan and gluten-free, plus no palm oil is used in the making.

Got any design friends or aesthetes in your circle? Get them this gorgeous gift box of chocs from the V&A. The tasteful nineteenth-century floral pattern, entitled Leicester by John Henry Dearle, looks a lot like a William Morris flourish, because Dearle was trained as a tapestry weaver by the great artist himself and even served as chief textile designer for the company. Inside you’ll find some chocolate and pistachio truffles, which should pair nicely with coffee, wine or spirits. They’re delicate a rich, so although it’s a fairly modest box, they should last.

Bakewell isn’t just famous for tarts any more, now it offers chocolates too. Local chocolatier Barbara Holdsworth started hand-crafting the sweet treats in 1988 and Holdsworth has been a success ever since. Now working on a much larger scale, and run by daughter Genevieve, the company still prides itself on producing fine, handmade English chocolates from the Derbyshire countryside. Their beautifully boxed Bee Friendly vegan selection is a real stand-out, featuring nine explosive taste sensations: orange, espresso martini, Marc de Champagne, gingerbread and chocolate truffles, plus crispy hazelnut praline, marzipan and pistachio, and strawberry and raspberry creams.

A puddle isn’t exactly the sexiest sounding thing in the world, but Hotel Chocolat were obviously trying to avoid the ‘button’ comparison when they named their Salted Caramel Chocolate Puddles. It certainly wasn’t a translation error, as the famously French-named brand is British. In fact, it’s the only chocolatier in the UK to also grow their own cocoa on their own plantation in Saint Lucia. Woah. But names aside, there’s no denying that the company has made one tasty little teaser in this product. Delightful drops of heaven in every bite and served up with a bow. Nice.

Everything about the award-winning, London-based brand Monty Bojangles – which first emerged in 2008 and is named after the owner’s cat (naturally) – is bold, eccentric and we love it. They specialise in delicate truffles, which are double-dusted for extra indulgence, and the flavours are off the scale wonderful. We’d recommend the Truffle Trunk, which holds nine boxes of different flavours (that’s 100 truffles), because picking favourites is hard. At £40, it’s certainly extravagant, but your tastebuds (or your giftee) will thank you. Options range from classic ‘choccy scoffy’ to ‘flutter scotch’ to ‘orange angelical’, with a few vegan selections thrown in too.

There’s a somewhat regal appeal to these Charbonnel et Walker pink truffles. Probably because when the brand was founded, it was after an introduction by the former Prince of Wales, Edward VII. Mrs Minnie Walker and Mme Virginie Charbonnel opened their first shop on New Bond Street in 1875, where the brand is still based today, albeit a few doors down. This attractive tub comes with seven pink truffles, infused with real ginger and Marc de Champagne (which is produced from pressing the skin of the grape and not the juice). They’re then ‘enrobed’ in milk chocolate with biscuit pieces to contrast the smooth, delicate texture. Heaven.

No messing, now. If what you’re after is a death by chocolate kind of hit from the sweet milk varieties, you want to reach straight for the Hotel Chocolat Baton Library. That’s right, there’s so many bars in this selection (45 to be precise) that they had to be stacked and categorised. Featuring three rows of milk, malty caramel and white chocolate, these fingers are ideal for dipping in a hot brew, sharing with your mates, or binge…er…we mean savouring over a long period of time and definitely not scoffing the lot in one sitting. Ahem.