Willie's Chocolate Revolution - Ch4

I've watched the first two episodes in this series and will watch the third on On Demand over the weeend but I agree with you Hooby - I just don't like the man at all. I don't know what it is about him but he's just not very "likeable". ?

My MIL has bought some of his cooking chocolate and attempted to come up with some edible with it - difficult for her as she's known for being appalling in the kitchen - and I wasn't impressed. It was just waaaay too bitter for me. I'd certainly give one of his bars a go but I'm also shocked at the price. I think he's going to struggle in the UK, I really do.

Exactly the same reaction from us today in Waitrose, Hooby. It was surrounded by other bars at £1.99 or so, which meant we to walked on by and popped in a couple of bars of G&B's instead!

Me and OH were watching this and were both wondering how much he charges for his bars????

I've not noticed them in my local Waitrose yet but I think Harvey Nicks was charging about £6.95 for a 180g cylinder of "Chef's Cacao". I didn't see the smaller bars so don't know how much they're selling for.

I've watched it, I don't have much of an opinion of him but H doesn't like the way he seems to make his family suffer for his passion - not sure how much of that I agree with, we only see what the programme makers want us to see. I thought during the last series, if they're that skint why would they rent such a big grand house - surely it'd be quite expensive?

I'd love to know how one goes about getting a series made that's essentially an ad for one's product. I tried to watch this and he struck me as such a wanker I turned it off.

I saw a series with him a year or two ago - is this a repeat?

he was an utterly selfish *** - i love chocklit with a passion but there is nothing that would make me buy his products or his book

no, that was about the bar for cooking, this is about him making a bar for eating.

The chef's cacao (the cyclindrical bar) is obviously the cooking one - the bars are retailing on his website for £9 each.

[goes for a lie down]

well quite - that was my feeling too - when i first saw him it was shortly after the jimmy's farm thing - but while i did have a bit of an eye roll that he wouldnt be on telly with his over financed small holding if he wasnt jamie's mate he was at least an alright bloke

I'm glad it's not just me who can't take to the man. I thought it was because he's such a complete chocolate snob i.e. it has to be his 'delectable' chocolate or nothing, but maybe he is just an unlikeable sort. There's room for all sorts of confectionery in the world. Good quality chocolate is indeed lovely but sometimes only Cadbury's Buttons or Smarties will hit the spot. ?

I was also put off by the sight of his lank, greasy hair as he wheeled barrows of beans around his factory. I wouldn't pay that sort of money for 100% cacao with added cheveux.

exactly, and all that cock about him being skint, who was it that mentioned the big house? what about the mahoosive partay he threw in the xmas episodes, with a whole pig, yep, thats going to be cheap.

It gets my goat when people state that they are skint when they clearly have no real idea of what that truely means.

Plus i bet he was not calling himself Willie intil he decided on this chocolate venture, cashing in on willy wonka much?

what a donkey.

His house is rented (we were told that in the first series). And his wife is a Viscountess I read in the papers at the weekend which might indicate where some of his money comes from?

Why cant i swear anymore - it is really annoying me - why cant i say c o c k

totally reasonable word

what if i wanted to talk about chicken husbandry - isnt this a violation of my oooman rights?

anyway - back to the topic - it was like that in the series i watched ginge -he was renting only about 4/6ths of a stately home and was 'penniless daaaaaarling'

i have some rage now and havent even watched it - one of the few people on the telebox who i really really loathed

Yes it's rented but he also said on the last series about he skint they were. Now I could be totally wrong here but i'm sure the rent on that place would be more than the rent on a 3/4 bed house in the suburbs somewhere.

Hm, let me see, how many skint people do I know with 1000 acre cacao plantations in Venezuela..? ?

He's not living in teh real world though is he? They're getting ready to go on a trip to Venezuela and need to leave for the airport and he's fecking about cooking. HIs wife must have the patience of a saint.

anyway - whatever her aristo connections are - clearly not skint in any meaningful sense - just maybe not picking up each new collection from lanvin

i must say my initial reactions to his - 'oh my - we are so poor - must go buy a plantation to try and stretch the shekels' and 'ooh - we are so late for the plane but the kids just woke up and wifey is running around trying to get them dressed and finish packing - i know i will make some 99% cacao hot choccy to help them along' were with the same urge to throttle him

I'm glad I'm, not the only one who can't stand the bloke. To me he looks like he needs a really good wash and that alone would stop me from buying his chocolate, I mean have you seem the state of his nails?

I haven't been watching, but I read the interview with his wife in You magazine at the weekend and it seemed like she was harbouring some very strong resentment. I felt a bit sorry for her.

God, yes! I was watching him knead that biscuit dough and hoping against hope that the black stuff under his nails was cacao. ?