MiniMoFo is back and in December it’s all about hot cocoa!  Immediately when I saw this prompt, I thought about this sign in Manchester for Bonbon Chocolate Boutique, one of my favourite places for a little bowl of hot chocolate.  I got back to the UK late last night, and this morning my first stop was this lovely little cafe in the Northern Quarter (the most vegan-friendly area of the city, full of independent shops, cafes and restaurants).

It’s a teeny tiny cafe/shop, with four little tables squeezed in.  This place is famous for their hot chocolate, which comes in several flavours, all of which are vegan.  I’ve had the salted caramel before and absolutely loved it, but this time Mama HH, Dr HH and I all tried something new.  My mum got chocolate orange, with orange zest grated on top.  Dr HH got chilli, which had a really nice kick to it.  I opted for Christmas spice, which tasted just like Christmas, and also had some orange on top.  Delicious!  We were all very satisfied.

On the shelves of the cafe you can find lots of chocolates and baked goods.  Not everything is vegan, but a lot of the chocolates are (including some Booja Booja truffles), and increasingly the baked goods are too – everything is clearly labelled.  They had an exciting vegan goody bag for Christmas and I was sorely tempted to buy it, but at £20 it was a little too steep.  Instead, we settled for a couple of these gingerbread biscuits, which were crunchy and well-spiced, and much better suited to my budget.

Bonbon is such a lovely place to visit, it has a great atmosphere and the staff are really friendly.  Also, they have a pop-up version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which is a real treat to read – Dr HH got me a copy for Easter a couple of years ago, and it’s an absolute treasure.  Bonbon is like our own little vegan-friendly chocolate factory in Manchester!