Chocolate gifts for Deepavali and Christmas

From mid-October to the end of December, our workshop makes about three times its usual weekly batch. Deepavali sweet boxes and Christmas hampers in Puducherry and Chennai now often include chocolate, and corporate orders arrive in the same weeks. A little planning helps you get what you want.

For Deepavali, order bonbon boxes and truffles at least ten days before the festival. Bonbons are made fresh in small batches and are best eaten within three weeks, so we do not make them too far ahead. Bars and drinking chocolate keep for months and can be ordered any time. For corporate boxes of twenty or more, with a printed sleeve and card, allow ten working days and expect prices from ₹950 a box.

For Christmas, the same rule applies, but shipping becomes the bottleneck. Couriers are slower in the last two weeks of December, and we only ship insulated parcels on Monday to Wednesday so they do not sit in a warehouse over a weekend. For delivery before 25 December anywhere in India, order by 15 December.

If you are giving chocolate to someone who has never tried a single-origin bar, our suggestion is a 72% bar, a milk and almond bar and a small box of truffles. Together they come to about ₹1,440. For children, the milk bar and a packet of drinking chocolate are usually the most welcome. In the shop, we wrap gifts in handmade paper from a cooperative in Auroville, at no charge.