展开The prize for this year’s most heart-warming way to celebrate the countdown to Christmas has to go to Venchi. Their Advent Calendar is filled with an assortment of 25 (yes people, there’s a bonus one) of Venchi’s signature chocolates in various cocoa percentages, and the nostalgic design is sure to put a smile on any animal lover’s face. (We particularly like the hedgehog in glasses and the raccoon with the bugle.) The only problem is that it’ll take all our willpower not to open all the doors at once. Silviano Venchi started to make chocolate and confectionery at the tender age of sixteen back in the 1800s. His little shop in the city of Cuneo in Piedmont became renowned for the jewels he created using only the highest quality ingredients. The Venchi company was officially founded in 1878 and is now much loved in 70 countries throughout the world, from London to Hong Kong and from Dubai to New York. This ever-growing empire continues its meteoric rise with stores planned for China and Japan, but Venchi has never lost sight of its founder’s passion and artistry.