There was much excitement last week here at The Madhouse when the postie dropped off a very smart-looking Harrods box - ooh, very posh ! Sophie even asked if she could keep the empty box in her room as a souvenir ! The excitement didn't die down once we'd opened it to discover the contents. Inside was an Easter gift from Patchino, the child-oriented offshoot of Patchi, which incorporates a lovely gift with some yummy natural chocolate.
We received the Paint Blast Painting Set which, we discovered, contains a beautiful paint-your-own plate. The plate is made of thick, solid porcelain and looks like it should be quite resistant and it also comes in a very sturdy cardboard box to protect it. The little pots of paint (six colours which require some blending to create the proper colours of the rainbow, much to Sophie's artistic delight !) are very similar to the pots of paint most children's painting kits provide, but I was very impressed with the quality of the paintbrush, which is far superior (and much easier to use) than the horrible cheapie plastic ones that many suppliers use.
The instruction says that you can heat the plate in the oven to fix the paint once your design is finished but that the plate should be used for decoration, not for food. This has led Sophie to wonder if she wants to paint it and keep it as a decoration or keep it black and white and use it as (I quote) "her special plate", which is why - at the time of writing - I can't show a picture of the painted plate !
Many parents love the idea of replacing the usual sugar and calorie-packed Easter treats with a healthier, non-edible alternative, but Easter just wouldn't be Easter without some chocolate, in my opinion ! I think Patchino really strikes a happy balance, offering a lovely, high quality gift with a side order of delicious chocolates.
Patchi was introduced in the UK in 2002 and is now exclusively sold in Harrods. They offer a wide variety of 55 chocolate flavours, including exquisite blends with dried fruits, Gianduja, almonds, nuts, loukoum (Turkish delight), cheesecake, caramel, cotton candy and much more, as well as a selective range of chocolates with no added sugar for the health-conscious chocolate enthusiast. Patchino, specially dedicated to the little ones, is also prepared with premium ingredients.
Having been very impressed with the children's range, I have been investigating (and salivating over !) their adult range and they have some seriously decadent and delicious-looking chocolates. If you're looking for an extra special chocolate gift, it's definitely worth having a look, not just for Easter but all year round.
star rating : 5/5
RRP : £17.95 (for the plate with the chocolate bars and sticks - the eggs were separate)
for more information : www.patchi.com
available exclusively at Harrods
Disclosure : We receive a Patchino Easter gift in order to write an honest review.
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Eddie would enjoy a gift like this, he loves painting and colouring. Takes after Mama, lol.
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