Did you know there's a beautifully chic hotel in Bournemouth which hosts an unforgettable chocolate buffet? 

The Cottonwood Boutique Hotel started the ‘eat as much as you can enjoy’ buffet in 2017 and it’s certainly been a popular event.  Chocolatier Gerry Wilton is the creator and he clearly shows his expertise and passion in the wonderful array of chocolate delights that are on show.



I invited a friend who is a former chocolatier and pastry chef and we spent a very relaxing 90 minutes enjoying many of the sweet treats on offer.

When we arrived we were greeted by friendly and welcoming staff and as we were a little early we went straight to the bar for drinks.  I was tempted to go for something boozy like my friend but I was a good girl and had a nice pot of tea instead.

When you walk in the chocolate room the smell literally makes you giddy and you can’t help but take a big deep breathe to savour it.  Visually the presentation in the room is stunning with the centre piece being the chocolate fountains, one with flowing Belgium milk chocolate and the other with white chocolate and under the fountains are bowls of fresh fruit, marshmallows and choux buns with fresh cream all ready and waiting to be dipped.

We saw huge martini glasses filled with little chocolates (I made a mental note not to go near them in case I clumsily knocked one over) and there were plenty of plates displaying all sorts of handmade mousses, cheesecakes, biscuits, truffles and brownies.  As if that wasn’t enough, there was also a crepe and waffle station with a chef ready and waiting to serve you a hot dessert with warm melted chocolate sauce.



We took our seats and cleverly discussed our tactics of sharing so we could maximise the chances of tasting everything haha.  The tables were named and each had a big jug of fresh water with cucumber, mint and lemon ready for us to cleanse our palette if we wished.

I went straight for a piece of chocolate brownie, chocolate fudge cake, a chocolate and honey cup which oozed delicious honey when bit into, a white chocolate and raspberry mousse and a piece of white chocolate millionaires shortbread.  I love that everything is in tiny portions and after slowly nibbling our way through and sharing our favourites we sat back and enjoyed our drinks before heading back up for more. 



Second time round my friend went for a waffle with fresh fruit and chocolate sauce while I had an almond and coconut truffle and a delicious sponge and pumpkin seed chocolate lolly.



Strawberries dipped in chocolate are by far one of my favourite sweet treats and I saved the best till last thinking the fruit would somehow counteract the previous sugar intake.  Cream filled choux buns are another weakness of mine so they went straight in the milk chocolate fountain which ended our visit perfectly. 

So, if you enjoy trying lots of different sweet chocolate treats then I can thoroughly recommend a trip to the Cottonwood Boutique Hotel with family or friends.

At the end I asked my friend what she thought of her visit and she said “It’s a lovely atmospheric setting with a gloriously retro decor, sumptuous pink wallpaper and golden pineapples galore.  Tables were laid out with exuberant centrepieces, decadent petit four sized goodies with something to tempt everyone.  I enjoyed mousses, silky cheesecakes, expertly tempered chocolate shards, biscuits, filled chocolates and smooth ganache truffles which were made with high quality callebaut Belgian chocolate.  Really friendly staff and excellent service.  Thoroughly enjoyable.”

Good to know

The event is child friendly so don’t feel like you have to leave the little one’s at home.  A reduced price is available for children and they have baby changing facilities too.

The bar serves a full range of alcoholic and soft drinks plus hot teas and coffees.

Groups of chocolate lovers are welcomed and the event would be especially suited for a baby shower or special birthday celebration.

UPDATED 2023

There are no more planned chocolate buffet events at The Cottonwood Boutique Hotel however if this changes we'll share the booking details.

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Please note - Dorsetmums was invited by the Cottonwood Boutique Hotel for the purpose of a review however all views are my own.

Did you know The Kitchen in Poole Park now serve a delicious afternoon tea for you to enjoy with family or friends?  I was thrilled to be invited to the launch event and happily left the children with Daddy so I could actually enjoy and savour the treats without having to share with my greedy monkeys.

The Kitchen is a firmly established and well loved restaurant sitting right in the middle of Poole Park with views of the lake and wildlife.

Dining here is perfect for any season and it’s up to you if you’d like to stay inside in the warm or dine on the terrace which is especially pretty as the sun starts to go down.

When I arrived our table was set with a crisp white table cloth, traditional crockery and pretty flowers in a vase. 



First impressions of the food were that this was not an average afternoon tea.  I’ve had quite a few in Dorset now (as my waistline shows) and I’m pleased to say that none of it came out of a box and each cake was beautifully handmade with lots of care and attention.



We were offered a nice cup of Dorset Tea to enjoy with a choice of smoked salmon and dill cream cheese, cucumber, Dorset cheddar and homemade chutney fingers sandwiches which were delightful.  The homemade chutney was so tasty that it ended up in my cucumber sandwich too!



I was being careful not to enjoy the sandwiches too much as my favourite part of afternoon tea is always the sweet stuff and didn’t want to be too full.  The homemade scones were a perfect size and these were accompanied with little pots of jam and clotted cream.  After this we tried the mini Victoria sponge, chocolate dipped shortbread and my personal favourite, the fruit tart.  All washed down with a glass of prosecco and I was in heaven!

Good to know…………

Afternoon Tea is now being served at The Kitchen from 4 – 6pm Monday to Saturday and must be pre booked in advance by calling 01202 742842 or by emailing [email protected]

The Kitchen is very child friendly with highchairs and baby change facilities.

There is plenty of free parking nearby or you can easily reach the park by public transport.

For more details and prices visit The Kitchen Website.

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Please note – Dorsetmums was invited to review the new afternoon tea however all views are my own.