WELCOME to a world of truffle pancakes for breakfast, truffle crumpets for lunch and spiced truffle courgette cake for dinner.
Such is the passion of Andrew Newlands for this mass of chocolate naughtiness that he believes truffles should have a special place at every occasion.
His dream is a future where truffles become an everyday part of every person's life.
Truffles get their name from the not-so-appetising truffle fungus because of the similarities in shape and size.
As my culinary efforts usually end up looking like a mistake, I like the version of events that say they were created in the 1920s when an apprentice, working with the culinary legend Auguste Escoffier, made a mistake preparing pastry cream. He supposedly poured hot cream over pieces of chocolate rather than the eggs and sugar that he was supposed to and the mixture formed a paste. This had a consistency that could be rolled into small balls. He is said to have hid his error by topping off the balls with a little cocoa powder and the famed chocolate truffle was born.
Another story is that the chocolate truffle originated in France much earlier, in December 1895. But whether they were developed under Napoleon or mistakenly created in the roaring 20s, chocolatiers have been inventing alternate versions of the traditional confectionery ever since.
Andrew, 32, is bringing this indulgence to Reigate High Street paired with a coffee shop, with the aim of making this, historically expensive and exquisite dish, accessible to all.
On meeting Andrew, owner of Honeycomb Management who produce the truffles which take pride of place in this new type of coffee shop, you feel his whole life has been about confectionery. He conjures up images in my mind of a modern day Willy Wonka. But instead of hiding his creations away, he wants the world to see how informal and versatile these chocolates can be.
Andrew works with a flavour team which boasts about a century of chocolate experience in its ranks.
With flavours including mint, sea salt-infused butterscotch, 'flirtatious and fruity orange' and 'scrumptious and sassy toffee', these delicacies are getting a real 21st century twist.
And the name of the shop stocking these truffle infusions is as quirky as the flavours on offer; Monty Bojangles.
Why? Well Monty Bojangles is in fact the name of Andrew's cat. If that doesn't clear it up, Andrew explains: "[As a kitten] he demonstrated the absurd aloof pomp of an English gent one moment, then the free spirited 'joie de vivre'? of the American jazz, big band legacy the next. Hence the fusion of Monty and Bojangles."
Partnering truffles with hot drinks is an obvious choice. As your mouth warms from drinking a hot beverage, you can just pop in a truffle and leave it to melt. But this is not the only way truffles can be enjoyed. Melting a sea salt-infused butterscotch ball on to a toasted crumpet left my nine-year-old daughter almost speechless. The only review she could muster was the word "epic".
Look at any town today and you will find a multitude of coffee houses rising up as replacement front rooms; social hubs for mums, students and business people alike. These establishments are nothing new, but adding something new can re-invent an old concept.
Andrew was unwilling to give away all of his secrets ahead of the store's official opening last Friday (May 2), however there was mention of layer cakes, truffle-infused products (both to eat and drink) and a chocolate for every season.
Monty Bojangles is located at 57 High Street, Reigate.
Emma Williams
