Our chocolate can only be as good as the quality of the cacao we source. We spend a lot of time searching for these rare varieties of heritage cacao that produce the finest of flavours. To secure these sources we work hard to build relationships with our growers. Farmers dealing with farmers – we strive to deal 100% direct. Our activities take us to some of the most remote and beautiful places on the planet.
Pod colour is only a rough guide to bean ripeness. Farmers rely on experience to assess when perfect ripeness has been reached. A task not made easier by the fact that pods on the same tree do not always ripen evenly. Once harvested the pods are split open with jungle knives and carried in bags to the fermentation boxes.
A diverse range of flavour is created through a carful fermentation process. Fresh wet beans are placed in wooden boxes, where natural yeasts combine with the fruit sugars to kick-off the ferment and begin a complex flavor development process. Balancing time and temperature, the farmer purposely moves the beans between the boxes to ensure full flavour development.
After the beans have completed fermentation they are slowly sun dried. The drying process further develops flavour complexity and bean quality. The way in which a farmer skillfully dries the bean can be an art form in itself.
The factory is filled with a vintage collection of chocolate making machines. Each specifically chosen to perform a traditional task in the intriguing craft of chocolate making. The first step is to hand sort the beans to ensure only the finest make it through.
The cacao beans are roasted slowly at low temperatures in our 1930’s Barth Sirocco ball roaster. Roasting further develops chocolate flavour and locks in bean personality. As a rule – we roast low and slow.
Our winnower was recovered from an abandoned chocolate factory in Latin America. Using belts, screens and blowers the 100-year old winnower breaks the bean and separates the cocoa nibs from the husk.
Cacao nibs are combined with organic raw sugar in a 1910 Guitard melangeur. The traditional stone melangeur gently grinds the nibs and sugar into a rich chocolate paste. The chocolate is then polished between granite stones of a vintage Carle & Montanari conche. The conche is the chocolate makers tuning fork.
After ageing, the chocolate is tempered which gives it a smooth texture, glossy shine and pleasant “snap” when bitten or broken. Finally the chocolate is carefully poured into moulds and set to rest.
Each bar is wrapped in prints inspired from our journeys to the chocolate lands.
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