A Tale of Two Cities – How a confectioner in Paris led to the founding of The Royal Arcade’s luxury chocolate shop, Charbonnel et Walker

On both sides of the river Seine in Paris are branches of Maison Boissier, where gold-wrapped marrons glacés and fruit-flavoured bonbons in round decorated boxes are sold to Parisians and passing tourists. Across the Channel, at London’s Royal Arcade in Old Bond Street, a shop sells dark chocolate crowns and dusted Marc de Champagne truffles in round pink and oblong white boxes labelled Charbonnel et Walker in fancy gold letters.

The history of these two establishments is a shared one and perhaps visually obvious, given the similarities in their packaging. One was hatched from the other, and their longevity reflects our taste for luxury artisan chocolate and sweets and is testament to the inventiveness of the makers who produce them.

Read the full article, which first appeared in France Today in February 2023, here

Charbonnel et Walker
1, The Royal Arcade
W1S 4BT
Tel: 0207 318 2075

www.charbonnel.co.uk