Local chef and self taught chocolatier Ashley McCarthy who has owned Ye Old Sun Inn at Colton with his wife Kelly since 2004 was tasked with a GIANT eggtremly adventurous Chocolatey task this Easter.
McCarthy, father of 3 boys, was approached by a London press company on behalf of a well known supermarket chain at the beginning of the year. The task was to produce a number of large Easter Eggs that had to be filled with a selection of the supermarkets Easter chocolate range and treats. These Eggs were then to be distributed throughout England to various Magazine Editors, Reviewers and Food Bloggers…. The task didn’t seem to phase Ashley who has taken on various commissions over the years for many local groups and charities and he featured on Channel 4’s ‘Extreme Chocolate Makers’ a couple of years ago and more recently with a 5 foot tall Elvis Presley for Channel 5’s ‘Wonderful World of Chocolate’.
When the actual order came through the order had increased from the expected 30 eggs to a whopping 50 eggs! Each egg stood 54cm tall, 36cm wide and weighed in at a staggering 8kg of just Chocolate before any of the internal additions were made. The eggs were finished with a shimmer of Gold before the name of the recipient was carefully written on the egg- in Gold Chocolate of course! Then placed into a specially made box to hold then safely during delivery. McCarthy was quoted ‘This has been an eggcellant task to keep me occupied during the recent lockdown period, certainly something to get my teeth into. Making all these eggs by hand was one of my biggest jobs to date’ his pub in Colton has been closed since the end of 2020 due to the current Covid lockdown regulations, but will be opening on the 12th April for outdoor drinking and dining when the restrictions are hoped to be relaxed.
