What makes Leonidas any different from other brands?
In short, Leonidas chocolates are fresh. No other brand
pays as much attention to freshness as Leonidas.
Most other brands of chocolate are compromised by the need for longevity.
They tend to be pre-packaged and designed to spend time on the shelves of
a supermarket or other store. This is true even of many
prestigious brands. Not so with Leonidas: our chocolates are boxed
on the day that your order is sent out.
With longevity out of the equation, we can concentrate on the quality
of our chocolates instead. We make no quality
compromises whatsoever. For example,
Leonidas chocolates do not contain any vegetable fat: we
choose to use 100% cocoa butter instead. We use fresh ingredients: fresh
butter and cream in our butter creams set them apart from the rest and
give them a unique flavour.
Leonidas have also obtained an ISO 9001
certification for quality, which is well over and above the necessary
requirements for producing chocolate.
Only a small number of retailers are licensed to sell Leonidas chocolates,
because of the strict requirements for careful storage and freshness.
How should I store Leonidas chocolates?
Because Leonidas chocolates are fresh, they must be carefully stored, and
not kept for too long. Our chocolates are best stored in a cool dark place, below
18°C. They should ideally be eaten within 21 days of purchase though will keep for
longer if kept in the fridge. Please note that these chocolates should be
kept away from other foods with strong odours, so be careful if storing
the chocolates in your fridge.
Our chocolates can be pre-ordered for delivery on a particular date, in
order to ensure maximum freshness for that special occasion. See
here for further details about delivery.
What is a "praline"?
In Belgium, "praline" is the word for chocolate with a filling.
In the United Kingdom,
"praline" is a term often used for a specific type of chocolate with
a filling consisting of a fine paste of nuts, sugar and chocolate.
This naturally causes
some confusion! On this site we refer to our chocolates as "Belgian pralines".
What is a "butter cream"?
"Butter cream" is the name for a delicious, fresh, flavoured soft filling. It is
made from a base of real fresh butter, fresh cream and milk, and flavoured
with either coffee, vanilla or fruit.
Do people in Belgium like Leonidas chocolates?
They certainly do! In a recent survey of brands ("Compétition des marques 2003"),
55% of Belgians said that Leonidas are and remain the most
highly-rated chocolates. Leonidas chocolates hold a third of their
segment of the market, which is quite impressive for such a prestigious
brand.
Which selection should I go for?
It is hard to go wrong with the general assortment. The quality
and freshness of any Leonidas chocolates in our general assortment will be striking,
regardless of
whether you are a milk-chocolate lover or a dark-chocolate lover.
Note that the contents of each general assortment will vary. This is because
our chocolates are fresh, and boxed on the day of despatch.
Although some pieces, such as the Manon Blanc and Manon Cafe, are always in
stock and will always be part of the General Assortment, other pieces
will be in and out of supply as they are freshly made. In addition, note that
there are over 120 different pieces, and with our largest 1kg box being around 60 pieces
there will not be room for all of them in any one box!
How long will my chocolates take to arrive?
We send out all of our chocolates by either Royal Mail recorded delivery
or, if you choose, Royal Mail special delivery.
See
here for further details about delivery.
How long have Leonidas been making chocolates?
Leonidas was founded in Belgium in 1910 by a Greek Man,
Leonidas Kesdekidis,
who arrived in Brussels as a member of the Greek delegation of the United States for the International Exposition and won the Bronze Medal.
In 1935, Leonidas' nephew, Basile Kesdekidis, followed in his uncle's footsteps.
Continuing the tradition of quality and freshness, he
became the head of the company and incorporated the logo showing the effigy
of the Greek warrior Leonidas, King of Sparta (see
top of page).
Where can you deliver to?
We can deliver to anywhere in the UK, either to your door or as a gift
directly to somebody else.
We cannot ship outside the UK because to do so would risk the fresh chocolates becoming
delayed or damaged in transit. However, customers outside the UK can
order chocolates for a friend within the UK.
Click here for further details about delivery.
I live outside the UK but wish to send chocolates as a gift
to somebody living within the UK. What do I do?
Customers outside the UK can order goods on this site for delivery to
any destination in the UK.
Click
here for further details about delivery.
I wish to send chocolates to more than one person. What do I do?
Our system allows you to create multiple orders without having to type in
your credit card details and invoice address multiple times. Click
here for further information.
Do you offer gift-wrapping etc?
All of our 500g, 750g and 1kg boxes are gift-wrapped. You can choose between
different sorts of gift-wrapping, including the standard, luxury and seasonal
variations.
The presentation boxes do not need to be gift-wrapped as the box alone is
sufficient.
