Hot Chocolate in Pouch

The Venchi story began in the far-off 1800s. Born and bred in the Piedmont region, Silviano Venchi was an ambitious, creative young man with a great passion for chocolate. Silviano loved to wander through the old streets of his hometown, stopping and closing his eyes as he breathed in the heady aroma of chocolate that drifted out of the traditional pastry-makers’ workshops around the centre. Whenever he could, he would sneak into the kitchens and watch the skilled hands of local chocolate-makers at work, gazing speechless as they deftly concocted the food of the gods. Aged 16, he began his career as an assistant in a confectioner’s workshop. As much as he adored making chocolate and trying out endless new pairings, he gained even greater pleasure from the expressions on the faces of his customers and friends as they savoured his creations. Within four years he had put enough aside to buy two bronze cooking pots – the tools of the trade – and had gained sufficient experience to attempt to make his dream come true. Armed with Silviano’s expertise and a special recipe (for an irresistible dark chocolate confection filled with chopped, caramelised hazelnuts), in the space of a few years, the tiny workshop gained renown and popularity throughout Piedmont, and the product’s name – the nougatine - was soon on everyone’s lips.