‘ValenHeinz Day’: Confectioner pairs ketchup and chocolate in ‘mouth-watering’ truffles

LOS ANGELES - Ketchup and chocolate lovers can rejoice on “ValenHeinz Day” with a box of Heinz Tomato Ketchup Truffles.

Heinz Ketchup coupled up with the confectionery Fortnum & Mason to combine the “unmistakable taste of the deliciously rich and thick Heinz Tomato Ketchup you know and love with luxurious, velvety chocolate, in a unique pairing that will make the perfect Valentine’s gift for the ketchup lover in your life,” the chocolatier said in a press release. 
 
The truffles are presented in a sweetheart box made by hand. Heinz combined its more than 150 years of experience with the expertise of Fortnum’s chocolatiers to create nine delectable chocolates, the confectionery said. 

“The box contains a selection of milk, white and dark shelled truffles filled with a blonde chocolate ganache and Heinz Tomato Ketchup,” the release said. “The bright and tangy tomato flavor from the ketchup bursts through the silky creamy rich ganache with a sweet finish.” 

Starting from Jan. 30, boxes were available from www.fortnumandmason.com for £19.95 ($26.03) for a limited time only while stocks lasted. By Feb. 13, the limited-edition truffles were listed as “unavailable.”

“We are very excited to have partnered with Fortnum & Mason’s master chocolatiers in this most prestigious of Valentine’s Day pairings,” said Alexandra Bayet, brand manager at Heinz Tomato Ketchup. 
 
“Ketchup and chocolate are two of the nation’s most loved foods, and we felt that it was only right that on the international day of love we combine these two ingredients, resulting in mouth-watering truffles that are set to delight ketchup and chocolate lovers across the country,” Bayet said.   

Sophie Young, confectionery buyer at Fortnum & Mason, said the truffles balance “creaminess and tanginess.”

“During the recipe development process, our chocolatiers considered the flavour profiles of both cocoa and the much-loved Heinz Tomato Ketchup, playing tasting elements off each other to balance both creaminess and tanginess,” Young said. “They have developed something truly and unexpectedly delicious, showcasing Fortnum’s ability to create unique and exciting pairings that will capture the attention of ketchup enthusiasts and satisfy even the most sophisticated of palates.” 
 
The launch is the latest in “a long-standing romance” between Fortnum & Mason and Heinz, and will see them celebrating a relationship lasting over 130 years, the release said. 

In 1886, Henry J. Heinz came over the pond from the U.S. to the U.K. with five cases of his newly patented tinned products to present to the finest London stores, according to the release. Heinz’s first stop was of course Fortnum’s – and after tasting the samples, the grocery buyer pronounced, “I think, Mr Heinz, we’ll take the lot!” This gave the U.K. its first ever taste of that familiar Heinz flavour, according to the chocolatier.