Process
1—SORTING
We hand sort every single bean received, discarding broken beans and all unwanted
impurities. Hand sorting is a crucial phase of the bean-to-bar process that requires attention to detail to make sure only the best beans are used.
2—ROASTING
During the roasting process a chemical reaction occurs, allowing the sugars to caramelize in the bean and the natural flavour to develop. The roasting time and temperature will vary for each type of bean type and quality requirements, as well as the objectives of the chocolate recipe. In addition to being an important factor for flavour development, the roasting process also further reduces the moisture content and kills off any lurking bacteria.
3—CRACKING & WINNOWING
Following the roasting process, the outer shell becomes thin and brittle. Now we need to extract the cocoa nibs which are the part of the bean used to make the chocolate. To separate the outer husk from the nibs we use a machine called the breaker/winnower, which cracks the roasted beans and separates the husks by a process called winnowing.
4—REFINED & CONCHING
The nibs are slowly refined under a granite stone wheel for nearly three days while we
slowly incorporate the other ingredients. The main goal of the refining process is to reduce particle size so that we’re left with
something that feels smooth on the tongue. Once we reach the desired refined level, we reduce the pressure of the wheels on the chocolate, starting the conching. During this process the chocolate is aerated and kneaded, the particles are rounded and evenly distributed throughout the chocolate, eliminating the volatile acids, bitterness, and determining the chocolate’s character.
5—TEMPERING
Once we are happy with the flavours of our chocolate after aging, before it goes to the moulds, it needs to be tempered. This provides a controlled crystallization of the cocoa butter in the chocolate, having the snap when breaking the chocolate and the shiny surface.
6—WRAPPING
With the chocolate tempered, we hand wrap every single bar making sure all of them are in perfect condition.
We wrap the bars with greaseproof paper and seal them with a sticker before put them into the final box. All the stickers, greaseproof paper and the final box are 100% recyclable and biodegradable.