The Chocolate Bar

What's in the box: There is no box: the site is a free guide comparing five New Zealand bean-to-bar chocolate makers, and you buy from the makers directly.

The Chocolate Bar is not a subscription box. It is an independent guide to New Zealand craft chocolate, and it says plainly that it does not sell chocolate. Each maker it covers sells through its own website and stockists, so there is nothing to subscribe to and nothing arrives at your door. It is still a useful starting point if you want to plan your own tastings. It compares five bean-to-bar makers: Wellington Chocolate Factory, OCHO, Hogarth, Foundry and Lucid Chocolatier. For each one it gives the town, the founding year, where the cacao comes from, what the maker is known for and who it suits. It also explains how makers are chosen: they make chocolate from raw cacao, can trace their beans, produce in New Zealand and have a track record that in several cases includes national or international awards. There are background articles on bean-to-bar chocolate and on Fairtrade versus direct trade. If you want a monthly chocolate delivery, look elsewhere or buy straight from one of the featured makers. The guide does not say whether any of them offer subscriptions. If you want a short, honest list of New Zealand bars worth trying, it is a tidy and readable resource.