5-star boutique hotel The Merchant House has teamed up with internationally-awarded chocolate brand Auro to bring a unique experience to chocolate lovers in Bahrain.

ChocoLAB at Café Gray has been launched at Café Gray in the hotel lobby, where guests and visitors will be able to experience chocolate in various forms – chocolate fondue, hot chocolate in 6 different flavours, iced chocolate and chocolate-inspired sweets which will be based on the 3 types of Auro chocolates, 64% dark, 42% milk and 32% white.

This collaboration is also in line with The Merchant House’s drive towards sustainability. Auro promotes environmental protection and social equity by working directly with Filipino farming communities and implementing programs on organic farming and sponsoring health-related initiatives. Auro’s products have won the brand a total of 55 awards in the past 5 years, including best-in-class wins and other accolades at the International Chocolate Awards, International Cocoa Awards and the Academy of Chocolate.

The Merchant House General Manager Justin Kim remarked, “Our partnership with Auro serves two purposes which are at the core of our brand – enhancing the experience of our patrons and embracing sustainable initiatives. I’m excited to see the delight that the ChocoLAB concept will bring to our discerning and equally savvy guests. Also, the new concept is deliberately situated in Café Gray, our all-day cafe in the lobby. Now visitors have the choice of enjoying the cafe’s popular homemade cakes, fresh coffee, sandwiches and salads, or trying out some exquisite chocolate creations.”

“Those with a sweet tooth will instantly taste bold and tropical flavours when they sample our products made from varied cacao beans,” commented Chef Nirmal. “Depending on the type of bean used in the chocolate, tasters will experience hints of Forest Valley Flowers, Peach, Citrus, Green Apple, Pine Wood, Tamarind and much more,” he added.

3 chocolate-inspired desserts specially created by Chef “Leti” Letitia Moreau – Culinary Director of AURO Chocolate, will be only available at ChocoLAB at Café Gray. Those interested can check out ChocoLab’s menu at The Merchant House website www.themerchanthouse.bh

About The Merchant House

Located next to the iconic Bab al Bahrain, the gateway to Manama Souq. This new boutique hotel comes at an exciting time as the area is currently being regenerated to re-establish the prominence of downtown Manama. With only 46 beautifully appointed suites, The Merchant House features a unique collection of contemporary art and bursts with exciting work by well-established Bahraini and international artists alongside talent from around the Gulf.