Sweet surprises in St Lucia

Chocolate. I’ve always been a massive fan. Eating it, drinking it, thinking about it. You could say it was love at first bite, a very involved relationship that’s developed from tuck shop treats to full-on dedication and passion for the sweet stuff. Then I met Cuthbert Monroque; a man so enthusiastic and clever about all things cocoa it put my love to shame. Seriously.

It was just two days into my dreamy St Lucia adventure, when I was lucky enough to hang out with Cuthbert, aka the Nursery Manager at the Rabot Estate Cocoa Plantation.

Imagine a sprawling muddle of the main ingredients: cocoa plants alongside mango, avocado and grapefruit trees, greenhouses full of saplings, and in the middle of the cocoa farm are the most luxurious villas, some on stilts, sitting prettily on the edge of the jungle, and some scattered around an ornate pool and old estate house.

Dark wooden steps lead up to the casual hotel reception, where the soft tropical breeze trickles through the roof, weaving its way around the restaurant with a balcony that peeps out over an infinity pool so inviting you have to stop yourself from taking a flying leap right into the dark waters.

And this whole set-up, Boucan by Hotel Chocolat, is guarded by the Piton mountains, one slightly pointier than the other, both proud against the vast, bright blue skyline, tumbling all the way down to the deep navy ocean below. To say it’s beautiful is an insult; it’s mouth-falling-open-kind-of-stunning.

Boucan is the work of Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris. These founders of Hotel Chocolat are already owners of the successful confectionary brand that has shops, eateries and fans all over the world. The hotel came about after Angus was given a book about old-school plantations and stumbled across a rundown, cocoa-laden Rabot, which dates back to 1745. Over four years he lovingly restored it and got to thinking about what more they could do there.

Would it be crazy to build a Hotel Chocolat restaurant on the outskirts of a rainforest, more than 300m above sea level, serving not just chocolate but savoury options too? In fact, why not go a little further and create a luxurious hotel while they were at it! And that’s just what they did.

In fact, the Boucan people have thought of everything from the four-poster beds to the little jars of nuts, seeds, homemade cookies and mini slabs of estate chocolate that are replenished every day along with water. And it’s not just the amazing rooms that make it worth jetting here for; there’s a sumptuous spa and the five-star-esque eatery – more on those later – and of course Cuthbert!

When staying at Hotel Chocolat’s Boucan you can take the Tree to Bar tour. And that’s what I did. Wearing a summer dress to combat the temperature, trainers to tackle the uneven undergrowth and Ray-Bans to keep my eyes shielded from the sun, I am introduced to Cuthbert: the man who makes Willy Wonka look like an amateur. Cuthbert knows everything about cocoa. From chocolate’s savoury beginnings – it has been used as a sweet ingredient in only the past 450 years – to how to cut down the cocoa pods and make use of everything from the pulp to the cacos nibs, and shells around the beans. He even makes his own non-toxic pesticide to keep bugs and slugs away from the precious plants that supply the food, drink and Hotel Chocolat’s needs.

As he takes me on a tour through the cocoa groves, then on to the greenhouses, he is so enthusiastic that his voice gets louder and louder, his knowledge spilling out as we learn all about the chocolate-making process. In the greenhouses, I am put to work and glad to show my appreciation at being allowed to stay on the coolest plantation in town. I even grafted my own cocoa seedlings, which will one day grow into the huge cocoa plants. Carefully wielding insanely sharp knives, I hacked down seedlings before wrapping them carefully in plastic, so that they can fuse and then grow together. I wrote out a label neatly with my name, logging my efforts in Cuthbert’s book-keeping system. It means if I ever return I’ll be able to visit my tree to see how it is getting on.

Cuthbert and his team are one of hundreds of cocoa farmers on the island, who Hotel Chocolat support and employ as part of their Cocoa-Growers Programme Of Engaged Ethics. This ensures that not only do they get the best price for their cocoa, they also get paid regularly and given the option to buy more plants from the company. They also help with the production process, buying the beans wet from farmers and drying them themselves, making the whole process even more effective for everyone.

Impressed with the programme and my cocoa plant grafting skills, I was more than happy when we were whisked off for the second part of the tour: making our own chocolate bars.

Now I could relax – and there are plenty of ways to do that here. Saint Lucia is 617sq km, just north of Barbados, tucked between the Caribbean and Atlantic oceans. Locals speak a variation of French and the isle is named after local Saint Lucy of Syracuse, thanks to the first European Settlers on the island. English is widely spoken, too, as it Saint Lucian Creole. The island’s motto is The Land, The People and The Light, and this couldn’t be more clear as I explored it, checking out local markets, running along the mountain roads to burn off some of the calories from eating so much chocolate. Everyone is friendly, the houses are painted bright shades of green, yellow, blue and red and there is a feeling of contentment with the mango- and grapefruit-infused breeze.

An amazing way to see more of the island is by hopping on the Hotel Chocolat boat, docking at the nearby fishing port of Soufrière, just a 10-minute drive from Boucan. Charted by Captain Kurt and his team of brothers and workers, you just need to pick a spot to sit and enjoy the spray. I sat at the very front of the boat and let the ocean breeze whip my hair while watching the fishing villages, five-star hotel resorts and endless miles of lush green rainforest dash by. Dreamy doesn’t even cover it.

Stopping off at a secluded beach to swim and then feast on a lunch of freshly made fish stew, crisp salads and homemade quiche, it was the best kind of boat trip.

It wasn’t just the boat trip that left me relaxed and happy. The entire vacation was one long smile. If I wasn’t sunbathing or exploring the plantation, I was dining at Hotel Chocolat’s Boucan restaurant. A fusion of West Indian and British food, thanks to top chef Jon Bentham, all the dishes use cocoa as well as fresh fruit, vegetables and locally caught fish. I dined on mahi mahi served with lime on crushed potatoes and almonds one day, fish roti the next. The desserts were mouth-watering, especially the decadent chocolate mousse.

I ate so many amazing dinners and breakfasts of fresh eggs, fruit, chocolate spread, cacao-nib bread and coconut milk porridge that I was scared I wouldn’t fit back into my ‘civvy’ clothes for the journey home. Luckily I could swim in the infinity pool and go for early morning runs through the rainforests as well as guided mountain hikes.

I decided that after exercise, I deserved a treat and so slipped off to the on-site Cocoa Juvenate Spa. From facials to massages and very chocolately wraps and exfoliation, they’re all carried out in a wooden villa deep in the heart of the rainforest. I followed my therapist Barbra down the path to the villa. The sun was on its way down and orange light danced through the slats of the spa’s wooden walls and the cacophony of tropical birds on their way to roost meant there was no need for generic spa soundtracks.

Afterwards, waking up from my semi-comatose state, I could see the Piton mountains in the distance, standing, strong just like me, post massage, thanks to Barbra’s immense knack at kneading out knots and worries. Thankfully, the spa products can be bought at hotelchocolat.com/beauty, so I could order some treats to be waiting for me upon my return from this amazing trip.

And armed with my own personal chocolate bars, the ones Cuthbert so cleverly and kindly helped me craft, I left Boucan, and this magical island, with seriously sweet memories.

And major plans to return asap.

Need to know

• Fly via London with Emirates from Dh2,635 return (www.fly4.emirates.com), and then on to St Lucia with Virgin Atlantic from Dh3,377 return (www.virgin-atlantic.com).
• The best currency to spend in St Lucia is the US dollar.
• Never go into the jungle or mountains without a tour guide – you might feel like Indiana Jones when you see the lush surroundings but there are spiders, snakes and wild boars to name but a few scary things lurking.
• I went for runs on my trip, sticking to the main roads and jogging without an iPod so that I was aware of oncoming traffic. They drive on the left, so it’s best to run on the right, facing cars coming your way. Most of the roads on the island are well above sea level so take the altitude into consideration when setting your pace. It’s best to run at around 6am.
• Prices for a four-night stay including breakfast start from Dh2,303 per person, based on two sharing.
• For more info and to book check out: www.hotelchocolat.com