During the first year of a burgeoning love affair with coffee, my go-to drink was a double espresso with chocolate syrup. It feels like a confession to tell you about that drink – I inwardly cringe as an avowed coffee and chocolate snob, but everyone starts somewhere. Later, when I got a student job as […]
COFFEE AND CACAO: A MATCH MADE IN THE TROPICS Read More »
At the start of the year, we reported on popular chocolate trends we expected to see becoming more prominent in 2022. A shift towards plant-based products, lower sugar snack offerings, and a focus on unique flavours were all predictions that have already started to unfold. As is often the case, what is in trend can
CELEBRITIES SETTING THE TREND WITH PLANT-BASED COCOA Read More »
Hotel Chocolat is a textbook example of how to pivot in a crisis. With a predominantly bricks and mortar footprint in the UK, the pandemic could have been an existential event. Instead, it encouraged them to look at expansion, using the Internet to sell their products to a broader audience. That in itself is nothing
HOTEL CHOCOLAT’S STRATEGY VALIDATED AS PROFITS SOAR Read More »
Research conducted by the Penn State Sensory Evaluation Centre showed a relationship between roasting levels and bitterness in chocolate. Specifically, using a more intense roast profile appears to reduce levels of bitterness, according to the researchers. The challenge currently facing chocolate companies is in satisfying people’s sweet tooth with less sugar as consumers become more
STUDY FINDS LINK BETWEEN ROASTING PROFILE AND BITTERNESS IN CHOCOLATE Read More »
With Christmas behind us, and Valentine’s day right around the corner, chocolate makers have already started turning their attention to Easter, which will conclude the chocolate-fueled holiday season. Germany’s confectioners have raised concerns over supply shortages and logistics struggles, that could burden chocolate makers this season. Challenges with logistics and costs of materials, such as
SUPPLY CHAIN THREAT TO GERMANY’S EASTER BUNNY Read More »
Chocolate fanatics have another reason to celebrate this year, thanks to efforts by the ‘Vegan Willy Wonka’. While most cocoa enthusiasts have likely already marked World Chocolate Day in their calendars (July 7th in case you missed it), there’s now another noteworthy date to look forward to – and it’s coming up soon. World Vegan
WORLD VEGAN CHOCOLATE DAY COMES IN VEGANUARY Read More »
Recession or Depression? Most of us remember the recent recessions: the Asian financial crisis of 1997/1998, the recession caused by the dot.com bubble in 2001, and the house market crash of 2007/2008. There was always a great panic, economies stagnated, doom scenarios dominated the political landscape, but most economies bounced back after a short period.
3 WAYS FOR A CHOCOLATE MAKER TO SURVIVE AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN Read More »
Imagine if every chocolate lover could be a chocolate maker. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But it doesn’t sound so crazy to say the same about bread, ice cream, coffee or even pasta. People throughout the world can make all those foods at home with a single tabletop appliance. So, why isn’t this true of chocolate?
BUILDING A NEW CHOCOLATE COMMUNITY Read More »
Climate conscious chocolate, Ombar, wants to change the industry dialogue from carbon neutrality to climate sustainable. Chocolate companies already in fact, consider all significant Green House Gases (GHG) as part of their sustainability reporting, but since the public still thinks in terms of carbon neutrality, Ombar has started referring to a Climate Footprint in their
OMBAR CHOCOLATE USE CLIMATE-CLOUD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT Read More »
The Cocoa of Excellence awards are an opportunity to gain insights into what contributes to the great chocolate we enjoy. I love the spotlight on the farmers from all over the world, the sounds of the farm in the background as each explains what it means to them to participate. I appreciate the amount of
COCOA OF EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS – FULL LIST Read More »
This article was provided to Bartalks by Perry Stevens of Anarchy Chocolate In this article, I’m going to give three reasons why cocoa nibs are better than chocolate. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking chocolate, but I do believe cocoa nibs have certain qualities that give them an edge over chocolate as you’ll discover
THREE REASONS WHY COCOA NIBS ARE BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE Read More »
So you’ve started your own chocolate company and have found some loyal customers and gotten a few great pieces of press published. Congratulations! Now you’re looking to scale. But it’s easier said than done to move from a home business to a more professional environment. After 10 years in business, Fruition Chocolate Works knows this
SCALING TIPS FROM FRUITION CHOCOLATE WORKS Read More »
