The desserts include a unique pastry and chocolate bar made by Harrods’ head pastry chef Phil Khoury – a plant-based patisserie expert.

Harrods has made another splash into the vegan confectionery market with two delectable and exclusive vegan treats.

It comes after the world’s largest luxury department store signed up for this year’s Veganuary challenge that witnessed its biggest year ever with over 629,000 sign-ups and growing global popularity.

The vegan items that debuted in Harrods iconic food hall include a unique pastry and chocolate bar made by head pastry chef Phil Khoury – an inhouse plant-based patisserie expert.

Both the exclusive creations were made using Callebaut’s new NXT vegan milk chocolate.

Harrods’ new vegan pastry is named Dawn of a New Day with a sunshine-inspired presentation and a nice biscuit crunch.

The recipe blends seasonal tea-poached Conference pears with NXT vegan milk chocolate, Earl Grey sponge, and milk chocolate Chantilly cream.

The pastry is available at Harrods’ patisserie counter at Roastery & Bake Hall.

The second treat is called Every Cloud has a Silver Lining.

The bubbly chocolate bar features aerated vegan milk chocolate, crunchy biscuit, and coffee caramel made from Harrods’ well-known Perla Negra.

Shoppers can find the chocolates at the department’s newly renovated Chocolate hall.

Commenting on the plant-based treats Khoury said: “Plant-based baking almost requires you to forget what you know and start over.

“Our traditional recipes that have been developed over the past 200-300 years have eggs and dairy as their foundation. Vegan recipes require a lot of reformulation and reinvention!”

The new releases, however, aren’t the only vegan goodies unveiled by the department store.  In the past Harrods has rolled out plant-based afternoon tea pastries, vegan Christmas puddings, “Faux Gras” porcini and truffle parfaits.

NXT M*lk by Callebaut

According to Callebaut – the number one finest Belgian chocolate brand and manufacturer in the world – its 100% plant-based dark and milky tasting chocolates range is “as close as it gets to Callebaut’s renowned Finest Belgian chocolates.”

NXT M*lk has been developed to support chefs and artisans re-inventing traditional and gourmet chocolate recipes.

Praising NXT’s new 100% plant-based chocolate range, Khoury said: “I wanted to make treats that blow you away with the taste and indulgence you expect – just without animal ingredients.

 “Callebaut’s NXT dairy-free chocolate is a familiar starting point. I tried many alternatives and had almost given up on reaching that familiar milk-chocolate profile in recipes that we know and love. Many alternatives rely on nuts or rice and oat, which has a different profile.”

The chocolates are made with an extract from the chufa plant better known as tiger nuts.

The range is not only dairy-free and lactose- free, but is also the first plant-based milk chocolate to be certified free from allergens.

Xuan-Lai Huynh is the global brand leader of Callebaut. She said: “It took Callebaut experts and R&D teams three years to bring this unique innovation to life.

“What makes it even more special is that the whole concept is being fueled not only by our R&D team, but even more by passionate chefs and artisans.

“Creating vegan, plant-based and dairy-free recipes stirs up all the know-how chefs have been applying for generations.

“For many, it’s like starting over. NXT will help ambitious chefs to reinvent the traditional pastry and chocolate recipes and elevate dairy-free, vegan, plant-based chocolate delights from a ‘niche’ segment to a global movement.”

• Read: Disney completes ‘mission’ to add plant-based items to every menu

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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