In this week’s blog, we’d like to recommend another catering option for your stay in the Long Barn. Kala King lives in a nearby Hutton Le Hole and is a woman of many talents. We first met Kala when she was selling her delicious chocolates at a local farmers market; Ian then did a chocolate making course with Kala purely in the line of research for Long Barn guests. The chocolates he made were delicious especially the passion fruit ones.
Kala is an artisan chocolatier and pastry chef, running chocolate workshops as well as making exquisite chocolates and patisserie. All the Belgian chocolate Kala uses is made using 100% sustainable cocoa. If you buy some from her (Kala also sells on line) for every pack you purchase, a part is reinvested in the farmers and their communities through Cocoa Horizons Foundation. Kala also makes delicious cakes and deserts, perfect for a special occasion.
Kala regularly runs chocolate master classes or can run a bespoke course for you and your group in the Long Barn.
Kala also cooks authentic “home style dishes” from the East which she can drop off at the Long Barn for you to serve yourselves with at your leisure. We have had a tiffin delivery of her food to sample some of her dishes and it was delicious.
We asked Kala a few questions for this blog:
What made you decide to become a maker of chocolates and patisserie? I’m passionate about food and always have loved cooking. My passion for chocolate started when we lived in Venezuela for 7 years whilst my husband Peter was posted to work in the oil industry in Caracas. It all started with a day trip to a cocoa plantation and loved the still traditional way of cultivating and drying cocoa beans.
Of all the chocolates you make, which is your favourite? I love anything that contains loads of different nuts and texture. We make our own praline with cashews, pistachios, almond, brazil and macadamia. This is to ensure all the different nuts are roasted with sea salt before adding caramel. We are also able reduce the sugar content so it is not as sweet
Tell us about the chocolate courses that you run? I always believe in sharing the knowledge I’ve gained over the years with others. Our courses are suitable for anyone that has not worked with chocolate as we go through each of the process together. We create the different varieties of ganaches, method on how to work and decorate polycarbonate mould and most importantly on how to temper chocolate. Obviously at the end of the workshop, you get to take home all the chocolate created on the day.
Where do you get your inspiration for your chocolates and patisserie? Mainly from nature, the colours around me, the unusual combinations of flavours I constantly encounter during my travels and simply working with the most freshest ingredients.
How would you describe the food you can cook for Long Barn guests? They are mainly the food I would cook for family and friends. I’m an avid believer of if you don’t like what you eat than don’t feed others with it. Honest wholesome food and ingredients from local suppliers as much as possible.
What are your most popular celebration cakes? The naked cake made with Italian meringue buttercream with lots of summer berries.
Favourite restaurant or pub? Personally, I can’t really say there’s one real favourite. I’m happy to eat a simple fried egg with sausages but they have to be made with the best eggs and sausages. It can be a glass of orange juice but it has to be freshly squeezed rather than from the bottle.
What would your perfect day in North Yorkshire look like? Blue sky in the day time. Stars at night with no wind and a fire pit.
So whether it’s a chocolate making course, a delicious special occasion cake or desert or a tasty family meal, Kala is here to help us make sure your stay is as perfect as possible.
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