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Frequently Asked Questions
Right now, we don’t have the option to head down to the shops whenever we feel a craving for chocolate but most of us do have plenty of time on our hands to learn new skills and perfect existing ones to make chocolate treats.
On this Easter weekend our Executive Chef Graham Tinsley wants to show people how to make scrumptious, all-natural chocolate at home using just a few basic ingredients and by following a few of his insider tips.
Graham explains, “The way to prepare the best chocolate to prevent it having a dull greyish colour and an off-putting waxy texture is through a process called tempering which prevents the cocoa fat separating out. This is an essential step for smooth, glossy, evenly coloured coating for chocolate and it produces a crisp, satisfying snap when you bite into it.
He continues, “The tempering process takes chocolate through a temperature curve which helps align the chocolate crystals and the easiest way to do this in by a method known as seeding.”
Easter is one of those “permissible indulgence” moments for enjoying chocolate and Graham concludes “Making your own all-natural chocolate following my guidance is even better than shop bought chocolate that can contain ingredients that are less appealing such as sugars, dyes and preservatives”.
Tempering chocolate is an essential step for making a smooth, glossy, evenly coloured coating for your dipped chocolates and chocolate moulds. Tempering prevents the dull greyish colour and waxy texture that happens when the cocoa fat separates out. Tempered chocolate produces a crisp, satisfying snap when you bite into it. The tempering process takes chocolate through a temperature curve, a process which aligns the chocolate’s crystals to make it smooth, silky, and glossy.
The easiest way to do this is by the method known as seeding. Melt 2/3rds of your chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water until the chocolate is melted and the required temperature is reached. Then take the chocolate off the heat and add the last 1/3rd of chocolate and stir until completely dissolved. This will take a bit of practice to achieve the correct temperatures. A food thermometer is a must for achieving this
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Pop the champagne and join us in congratulating Harri Williams, our. Executive Head Chef, on being crowned Chef of the Year at the Cheshire Life Food & Drink Awards 2026 🍾 Hosted at Carden Park, Harri was determined not to miss an evening dedicated to celebrating the region`s outstanding chefs and hospitality professionals. Rather than heading on his pre-planned holiday, he delayed his departure so he could work alongside his team and serve the bespoke menu they had created for the awards. Fortunately, we`re told his wife and friends were more than happy to wait a little longer, and are now enjoying celebrating an even more memorable start to the holiday following Harri`s well-deserved award win ✈️As he accepted his award, Harri dedicated it to his kitchen brigade - “without the team, none of this would be possible”Congratulations Harri and all of the Carden Park team@cheshirelifemag @joannegoodwingirlreporter
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COMPETITION NOW CLOSED Congratulations @rachelhayes_x you have WON an indulgent spa day for 2 🍾🌞 𝐖𝐈𝐍 𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐚 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐 🌞Summer is here and we all need to schedule a little "me-time." This is your chance to WIN an Indulgent Spa Day for 2 🎉The prize:🌊 A day in the spa for 2 from 10am to 5pm🌊 Healthy lunch for 2 in Elements🌊 50 minute ritual treatment for 2🌊 Use of our three themed relaxation roomsTo enter:☀️ Like this post☀️ Follow @cardenpark☀️ Tag who would share your spa day with☀️ Share this post to your stories (if your account is private, DM us a screenshot)Competition closes at 11:59pm on Monday 20th July 2026 and the winner will be announced on Tuesday 21st July 2026Good Luck! 🤞𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 - 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁, @𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸T&CsWinner will be chosen at random and contacted directly by @cardenpark on Tuesday 21st July 2026Open to UK residents and over 18s onlyPrize is an Indulgent Spa Day Voucher for 2 and is valid for 12 months from the date of issuePrize does not include transport to and from Carden ParkNon-transferable and no cash alternative will be given For full terms and conditions please visit the link in our bio Competition is in no way endorsed by Instagram, Facebook or Meta
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