There’s a sweet nostalgia about the place, but some cutting-edge independent chocolatiers are represented too
I grew up hearing jokes about a distant land called Norfolk, where people apparently married their cousins (which may I remind, is not illegal), or had six fingers. Well really the joke is on everyone else, because Norfolk is lovely. I’ve lived in the county below it, Suffolk, for nearly 20 years, so it’s a great holiday destination, not too far away but far enough.
When we needed a break from the turmoil of the last nine months, we turned to Norfolk. And it is from here that I write, in a beautiful home from home (but not home, with its clutter and jobs to do) with my husband on his phone, youngest playing solitario with her Italian cards, eldest reading a script.
Yesterday we headed to Holt, one of my favourite towns. Holt is like something from a Ladybird book, full of little shops that seem to have withstood the ravages of time and business taxes. We bought some grapes from an actual greengrocer’s, the air heavy with fruit on the turn, and paid in cash. After buying malt loaf from the Owl we headed to Bakers & Larners, the best independent department store. I once walked in here and saw my name attached to a quote for a chocolate recommendation.
A jolly day indeed. Bakers & Larners sells the sort of chocolate you would get from an aunt at Christmas, circa 1982, but lately they have added a few independent labels, such as Darkroom with its sinister Hithcockian/Stephen King-inspired labels. Here, I bought some 80% Uganda in a handy for the handbag 25g bar, £3.25g.
It seems lazy to say this was intensely, insanely, chocolatey. But it would be the truth.
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