Who doesn't like chocolate? No, seriously, who? OK, so there might be a few of you but, trust me, you're in the minority. I'm a bit of a funny creature because I've always been a bit of a chocolate snob - even from a young age.

The sight of a Snickers or Mars bar literally does nothing for me. A big ol' wedge of decent chocolate cake, or a whiff of something dreamily dark, on the other hand, and I'm all in.

If chocolate is your jam, let me take you on a pre-Easter rummage down the rabbit hole of all things gorgeously gooey, rich and naughty. For those of you who are proper aficionados, I also recommend looking out Cocoa Runners and Chocolate Seekers online. Both sell extraordinary bean to bar chocolate, which is far removed from the commodity chocolate you'll find in the supermarkets. 

A couple of brands I particularly love (and have tried from Chocolate Seekers) include Canadian maker SOMA's Old School Milk bar. It's made by grinding sugar, rare cacao and milk powder together, and resembles a crunchy, chunky cookie. It's utterly addictive, and worth the hefty price tag. From the UK, I highly recommend vegan chocolate maker Soliki, whose cashew white is gorgeous, and Chocolarder - I couldn't get enough of their chocolate infused with gorse flower at a trade show last summer. It tastes of pure coconut, using nothing more than foraged petals.

Anyway…let's get back to good old Suffolk shall we. And don't forget to share your own favourites in the comments!

1. Triple Chocolate Cookies, Fork, Hadleigh: Yum yum yum. When I can squeeze in pud after lunch here (which is more frequently than I should) if these bad boys are on the counter I am all in. The fist-sized, New York-style bakes have a crumbly, soft texture, with a crunchy outer shell, and they are rammers with chocolate chips. 
2. A chocolate feast at Wooster's, Bardwell and Langton Place, Bury St Edmunds: The pain au chocolat made at Wooster's definitely get a chef's kiss. But I also have a real penchant for the joyous simplicity of the bakery's chocolate rye cookies, which have just the right amount of chew, and are seriously chocolatey. Newer additions to the counter are buns filled with chocolate and hazelnut spread and chocolate chunks, and lickable chocolate cream icing. Get in early. Once they're gone, they're gone!
3. Chocolate pudding at The Froize, Chillesford: Chef patron David Grimwood says the uptake of desserts here is around 80-ish%. That's despite portions of lunch from the hot table being enormous. There are up to 20 available at any time, but I rarely stray away from the warm chocolate pudding, which isn't dissimilar to River Cafe's famous Chocolate Nemesis. It is one of Suffolk's most unbeatable, classic desserts and I could bathe in it!
4. Honey & Sea Salt Caramels, B Chocolates: The original product from this maker, and one of the finest caramels you'll ever eat. Made with sea salt and local honey, each bite is mouthwateringly good, with a satisfying level of chew. And a draping of 70% dark couverture chocolate means the flavour lingers on the taste buds for some time. They also make seasonal chocolates, inventive filled bars, honeycomb thins and more.
5. Cookie Chip Chocolate Bar, Pump Street, Orford: One of the newer additions to the chocolate maker's 'bakery range', encasing pieces of their own caramelised chocolate chip cookie dough in Ecuadorian dark milk chocolate.
6. Hot Chocolate, The Parlour, Lavenham: Jane Hadley's award-winning hot chocolate takes some beating. Made with Pump Street chocolate and local dairy, it's thick, frothy and luscious. Each cup is crowned with a handmade marshmallow, made in Suffolk by Yaffle House. I have made so many of my friends trek here for a drink…and none has regretted it!
7. Chocolate Martini, The Gallery, Ipswich: This cocktail bar is exceptional. Definitely up there in my top five in the whole of East Anglia. Tucked along a little lane just off the Waterfront, it makes top notch drinks, and plant-based food. The Chocolate Martini is a work of art, blending vanilla vodka with creme de cacao and Wild Arbor - which, if you've never tried it, is basically wizardry….a clear cream liqueur that tastes like the one you all know and love, but with not a drop of dairy (I've bought it in Waitrose by the way if you want to try it).
8. H&J Dark Chocolate Shortbread: We tried these as part of a welcome pack, staying on the UK's first floating glamping pod in Beccles a couple of years ago. And we were hooked! It takes a lot for me to reach for the biscuit tin, but these do the job. They're made with a delicious buttery shortbread, coated in Harris & James' own Ecuadorian bean to bar dark chocolate…which is very, very thick, and lends itself perfectly to a dunk. 
9. Brownie and the Bean Brownies: Charlotte and Luke's antics on social media are worth the join on Insta alone. When they're not having a kitchen disco, they're mixing up super fudgy brownies that melt in the mouth - made to Luke's mum's secret recipe. Brownies are something I take very seriously, and they're not mucking about here, using the best ingredients that you can taste in every bite, with all additions, from caramel sauce, to honeycomb, made in-house. They offer next-day delivery and their products can be found in cafes across mid and West Suffolk, including at the cafe in Suffolk Food Hall, and the new cafe at Blackthorpe Barn.
10. Harvey & Co Brownies: While we're on the subject of brownies, these are an equal favourite. Harvey & Co's though, are more your typical American-style brownie, with a delicate, crispy top, yielding to a buttery, fudgy middle. I bought one to share with my son when we were there. I didn't share. The end.
11. Cocoa Mama Chocolates, Tilting Sky, Eye: Former motoring journalist, and one of the OG Top Gear presenters, Helen's chocolates are meticulously made in her Suffolk workshop, and sold in her lovely gift shop. Helen trained under one of Europe's most noted master chocolatiers, who helped her hone her skills, making glossy, crisp-shelled bon bons, with classic and inventive fillings, often made using local and seasonal ingredients. She also makes cute chocolate novelties.
12. Les Chocolats Belges, Woodbridge: A mainstay in the town. One of the few remaining high street chocolate shops in Suffolk, packed to the rafters with chocolate gifts, and with a counter that brims with fresh Belgian chocolates.
13. Cornflake and Chocolate 'Wheels', The Little Pig Bakery: Oh my. Imagine glossy, crisp rounds of cornflake crunch, sandwiched together with a chocolate cream. Got it? Heavenly. Well, to me anyway. Formerly based in the centre of Stowmarket, and before that in a pop-up bakery at Alder Carr Farm Shop, these guys now appear regularly at markets across mid and West Suffolk, and I love everything they make. I really don't go in for the Biscoff, cookie pie, over-sugared kind of confections you see on social media, but I'll forgive Little Pig Bakery, because they get the balance just right. Their website will let you know where they are popping up next.
14. Hot Chocolate, Tosier, Middleton: We've got more to come on this chocolate cafe/chocolate cafe soon, but for now, I can tell you I had my socks blown off by Deanna's single estate hot chocolate. There are a few strengths available, all served up with a little chocolate treat on the side, and liberally dusted with chocolate shavings. Absolutely sensational. If you happen to stay at The Swan in Southwold, they make the room chocolates - addictive, cocoa-dusted gianduja logs.
15. Chocolate Cakes, Twyfords, Beccles: Chocolate cake that actually tastes…like chocolate cake. Which is more of a rarity than it sounds. The cakes here are plump, deeply filled, and have that lovely flavour of cocoa running through them. You might also leave with a box of their handmade chocolates. Or the already mentioned biscuits from their H&J brand.
16. Wood Row Chocolate, markets and online: Many chefs left restaurants during lockdown to embark on new, creative food careers, and so goes it for these guys, who were previously at Wyken. Simon's dedication to making the likes of French fruit pastes, marshmallow and caramel from scratch, married with partner Jessie's eye for detail and design, is a match made in heaven. Their chocolate bon bons are stunners that will stop you in your tracks. You can buy online, or catch them at local markets, with all details up on their website and social media. Their chocolates are increasingly found in specialist food shops too, including Grundisburgh Dog Deli. The current collection includes Rhubarb & Custard (rhubarb pate de fruit and custard ganache), and Almond Tiramisu (espresso syrup, coffee ganache, and almond gianduja).

See more from Charlotte Smith-Jarvis's Suffolk Food blog