Amazing choice of unusual ice cream flavors - I went for a double cone of Sherry Trifle and Wild…read moreStrawberry flavors. There were also nice looking cakes. Friendly staff.

A reason in and of itself to drive out to West Wales. This place is a Must Stop any time my wife…read moreand I venture west of Swansea. Chocolates bought here rarely last all the way home to Cardiff...

Right in the heart of historic Monmouth town centre on Monnow Street, this independently owned…read morechocolatier founded in 2006 was a real find. Its small, well ordered premises were brimming with chocolate based goodies. Best of all much of it was made on the premises, using Belgian Callebaut couverture chocolate as the base. Under their own brand Mon Cacao range, more than 46 varieties are available, with a variety of dark, milk and white chocolate on offer. They also sold milkshakes, ice creams etc. Well worth a visit. You can also order online via their website.

This shop has closed now (pretty much like most of the other independent shops in Monmouth!) It's…read morebeen replaced by Topstak, they sell and install stoves & fires http://www.topstak.co.uk/monmouth-showroom.php

Wally's deli version 2 is the Arcades Wally's sweeter cousin. Bustling with Easter goodies at the…read moremoment it's hard to tell what is normally carried, but I for one do not give a damn when their is so much scrumptious chocolate on display. Being an upmarket deli, you'll get lots of beautifully decorated food. You pay for it, but your paying for quality that feels deserved. I love the shop as well, floor to ceiling glass and brightly lit, Wally's oozes with metropolitan class. You great great service, with lovely staff. Put all those ingredients in a blender and you've got your self tasty metaphorical pie.

I've been going to the Wallys Delicatessens in the Morgan arcade for years, so was very interested…read moreto see what I would make of their first ever new store in the St David's 2 center. On the whole I was quite satisfied and impressed. The store is not as big as the original, nor does it have as much stock. This is for the better though, as it is ascetically pleasing, and I have often felt that the other store packs far too much in. A further difference is that this new store focuses far more on the sweeter things in life. There is a mouthwatering selection of handmade chocolates, a wide variety of old fashioned sweets, and some simply breathtaking gingerbread houses, which are already on my Christmas list for next year. They do sell some of the more savory products (though if that's what your after I'd head for their other store), including a rather nice selection of oils, which are far superior to anything you get in a supermarket. Finally the great thing about this store, is that it really makes a nice change from all the big brand names that dominate St David's 2. It's so nice to see an independent retailer doing so well, and I would truly encourage anyone to check out Wallys.

Now, I certainly won't say that this shop alone is worth the trip to Cowbridge, but I will…read morecertainly imply it heavily. This is a charming little shop tucked away off the main road passing through the town, so you might not immediately see it. It's easy to find though, and is very near the main parking zone. The staff in Cocoa & Co are very lovely, and clearly take a pride in their products. They have a good range of handmade chocolates and gifts, but the thing that really makes this shop something special, are the sugar-covered almonds. In all different colours, jars of them fill a wall. These are my favourite of sweets, so I was very, very excited when I first found them. But they're great for wedding favours, and Cocoa & Co specialise in making these up, if you're so inclined.

You will find Cocoa & Co down a quaint little mews off the High Street at the top end of Cowbridge…read more You can get there by turning right after Arthur John Hardware. (I had lived in Cowbridge for six months before I discovered this beautiful little mews!) Being a chocoholic this is my kind of shop, and although expensive, the treats that they have on offer are our of this world... so, essentially well worth the extra dollar! Although i have never indulged in anything but the handmade chocs, they also sell a pretty broad assortment of other sweets, that are bought in from other cottage industries and small manufacturers. The interior of the shop is like something you would expect to find in a period film about the Victorian era... it has that other-worldly charm going on about it! A real delight!

Chocolate wasted! Literally. These boozy chocolates are like having a shot... Wow! Go home drunk,…read moreyou're chocolate. I mean... Go home chocolate, you're drunk. I mean... I'm moving to Wales just for this alcoholic's dream: boozy chocolates! Hiccup. Oh. And, they have a ton of non-alcoholic, delicious chocolates too, for those who don't understand what kind of magical-bliss-heaven-paradise is found in a piece of delectable chocolate that serves as a shot too. Also, I suggest a chaser. This is one STRONG, POTENT bite. Trust me. I wouldn't (hiccup) steer you (hiccup) wrong (hiccup). Goodnight. Oops, I forgot to say we tried the whiskey one and the pink champagne truffles. Beautiful. Ok. Goodnight. Hiccup.

Kate's brownies are deceptive…read more I've often been seduced by a sexy looking brownie - all cracked crunch on top, moistness within, maybe some walnuts thrown into the mix - only to be disappointed by a gritty texture, rancid nuts or an overly sweet, cheap chocolate taste. But when I first received my Gower Cottage Brownies in the post and opened them, the opposite happened. I unwrapped the beautiful packaging to find some "plane Jane" brownies sitting on the parchment before me. Brownies that would never win first prize in a brownie beauty pagent, no siree bob. But, oh! When I took a bite, I was seduced! Dense, gooey with a marvellously rich, deep dark chocolate taste these are seriously good, utterly indulgent, naughtily moreish brownies! These aren't cheap thrill, quick and dirty, unsatisfying one-night-stand brownies. These are take-home-to-mother, marry and come home to every night for the rest of your life brownies! They are are all about the eating experience rather than the window display! And isn't that just as it should be? If you need to say "thank you", "I love you", "get well soon", "good luck" or just "I've been thinking of you!" to anyone who appreciates top quality chocolatey goodness, I can wholeheartedly recommend giving them a box of these brownies - they'll get the message loud and clear! (And I'm hoping some of my friends and family might be reading this and make a mental note... I'm not kidding and yes please!) I have sent these to friends and family myself and had some greeeaaat feedback!

Mm, mmm, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!…read more My step father is a continental confectioner and also a Master Baker... you have to be careful how you say that, or it can cause eruptive bouts of hysteria! Anyway, he makes things that are out of this world, but he has somewhat inconveniently moved to Holland with my mother! They say your first fix is free, and they're not wrong! I'm now utterly addicted to the finer things in life, and this is where I come to get my hit! The stuff that these guys do is equally as good as, if not better than what my stepfather used to make me... sorry Ray! You have got to try this place... it's a total must! And if you like it here, then you have to try Simply Steve's in Splott (Clifton Street).

This authentic French patisserie brings a continental flavour to Whitchurch Road, baking great hand…read moremade produce on site, in view of its customers. Although it's quite new, it already seems to have gained a good following, with plenty of people sat inside the window whenever I wander past. They sell cakes, tarts, savoury pastries, tea and coffee, and also make up fresh sandwiches - but it's their cakes that will be luring me back in through the door. They have a mouth-watering selection, but my favourites are the ones with crème pâtissière sandwiched between flaky pastry.

The best fun I've had with my clothes on! Well, every Christmas I book a meal and some…read moreentertainment for my Mum and a few of our female relatives - last year we thought we'd do something different; so we went chocolate making and had a fabulous time. We got to make a whole box of chocolates under our tutors guidance (and ate a few along the way!). We made several different types and learned a bit about 'proper' chocolate. We ordered a buffet from a local company and together it was fabulous value for money - ideal for a party or wedding anniversary / valentine present or just a bit of fun for greedies!

When I think of the chocolate that you buy from the Thornton's chocolate shop I think of silky…read moresmooth chocolate that is creamy and soft and that melts in your mouth. All of which makes it continuously addictive and it is lusciously comforting. The chocolate is so neatly created and uniquely made for gorgeous Easter egg gifts and Christmas presents and birthday treats. I particularly love the small chocolate pigs with a soft; creamy, strawberry, bubbly centre that makes it even more addictive and delicious. All for a cheap price that is under a one pound. Then there is another linked item that I simply adore; a lovely, flat chocolate bar, which is beautifully decorated with pink, strawberry icing and which tastes of associated taste like the small, pink bubbly pig does. It tastes of strawberry flavour and of the Thornton's chocolate. This is less than two pounds. There are few other flavours of animals and bars of similar kinds of Thornton's chocolate products with similar themes. They have flat Thornton's chocolate that can have writing of sugar, flavoured, icing of your own choice as to what the message may say for your chosen loved one to give it too. I have often bought this and I think its price is under or around five pounds in price. The staff are friendly and helpful and the shop is creatively presented and attractive. This loveable chocolate shop is very addictive and has many more chocolate products from its own company. So I do recommend it to all...

A son in need goes to Thortons indeed. For Mother's day at least. I got mama M. a lovely chocolate…read morebox that the very helpful staff personalised for me. Mama loved it, I had a nibble and it tasted great. So you pay for the packaging and brand name when you walk in, but as far as pleasant experiences go, you can't beat this Thortons. The St. Davids branch employees are probably one of the most genuine and friendly staff I've encountered in any shop.