Shops we love: Schoc

File under: food, retail, Wellington

Ever have one of those days when you head out to buy something boring and practical (a hammer, for example) and come back with something like ... a bag of chocolate pomegranate truffles? No? Well brace yourself, because Schoc chocolaterie and espresso bar has just opened in Tory St.

Dedicated chocophiles have known about Schoc for a while, and if the selection at Truffle in Garrett St wasn't enough to sate their hunger, they have been known to trek over the hill to Schoc's Greytown factory and shop. This is no ordinary chocolate: they offer truffles such as Pinot Noir or Ginger and Wasabi; chocolates with flavours such as Lapsang Souchong or Tequila, Lime and Salt; and bars with such palate-warping flavours as Pink Peppercorn, Geranium or Olive. For the more conventional connoisseur, they also provide single-origin chocolates from Venzuela, Trinidad or Madagascar, and tablets of dark, bittersweet and bitter chocolate all the way from 53% to 100% cocoa mass.

This part of Tory St is rapidly becoming foodie heaven. There's Meat on Tory right next door, Wholly Bagels have an outlet just across the road, and Commonsense Organics and Pandoro breads are just around the corner in Wakefield St. It's good to see this part of town coming alive, as it could become the key link between Courtenay Pl and Waitangi Park, so the more activity the better.

I normally don't put a shop in the "Shops we love" section until it's been around long enough to become an old favourite, but this is an exception. How can you not love a place that sells Frankincense, Gold and Myrrh chocolate for Christmas and offers samples of chocolate-dipped strawberries from a bowl made of chocolate?