Oxford's chocolate lovers wept collectively when The Covered Market’s Chocology shut down.

Yes, Thorntons and Fudge Kitchen are in situ but in terms of bespoke hand-made chocolates, it left a vast, gaping chasm in the market.

Luckily, Hotel Chocolat jumped on the old cocoa bandwagon and promptly popped up in the High Street where it proceeds to dazzle our inhabitants with its exotic and inventive array of chocolates.

White chocolate Eton mess anyone? Apple strudel or rhubarb and custard chocolates? Who can resist a clutch of summer pineapple, brownies or florentines? Not my son and I, who visited last week and were instantly impressed when walking into the bijou, stylish, chic interior, its wares laid out like jewels.

‘What kind of chocolate do you like?’ store manager SJ asked me. All chocolate? No as it turns out. After much tasting and eating there was one that went against the chocolate grain – the seasonal raspberry punch which just didn’t appeal – too strong, too boozy.

And while you can’t buy the chocolates individually, they are so well priced it doesn’t matter, each pack £3.15, or £9.45 for three, making the only hard decision what to choose.

With lots of other mind-boggling products from enormous paving stones of chocolate to white chocolate horseradish, cocoa pesto, or the £6 pot shots, Hotel Chocolat is really worth the trip.

Hotel Chocolat, 132 High Street, Oxford.
01865 791099 hotelchocolat.com/uk