How We Make It
Unlike many other chocolate manufacturers, we control the whole chocolate making process from the bean to the bar. This allows us to make sure that at every step the high quality we expect is met. It is the key to the true art of chocolate making.
When the beans first arrive at the factory, they are checked again for quality to ensure no rogue batches enter the production line. The beans are then roasted to develop their rich flavour. Then we grind the beans and to this smooth paste, we add real Bourbon vanilla and organic sugar. This paste or cocoa mass is then ‘conched’ or stirred for 18 hours to reveal the intense flavour unique to our chocolate. Before pouring the chocolate mixture into moulds to set, it has to be tempered. Well tempered chocolate will have a lovely shine, with no streaks or ‘bloom’ (the white, cloudy appearance chocolate can sometimes have which is caused by the cocoa butter separating from the other ingredients) . It will also have a good ‘snap’ - that sound a quality chocolate bar makes when you break it. At this point, any inclusions are added to the chocolate to create our delicious range of flavours. Of course we use the highest quality inclusions – and in the right quantities to ensure the perfect flavour. In our Dark & Almond bar for example, we caramelise whole almonds to intensify their flavour. This process toasts the nut giving it a deeper, nuttier flavour and creates a slightly sweet, crisp shell. Using whole almonds means we need to use copious amounts of nuts in each bar to ensure each delicious bite has the right combination of flavours. In our mint bar, we go to the other extreme using the smallest amount of real peppermint oil to give that fresh, cool taste of real mint.
The chocolate is then moulded into bars and wrapped, and best of all it is ready to eat!
