Cocoashala announced a live version of their Bean to Bar chocolate making program.
The program will use the latest available technology and break distance barriers to enable first-time entrepreneurs, MSME sector professionals, and home-based chocolatiers and bakers to participate from the comfort of home or office. It will allow participants to use local ingredients, reduce reliance on imports of chocolates, and make the most productive use of the time available on hand during this lockdown period.
We wrote an article in May about the founder of Cocoashala, L Nitin Chordia (you can read the article here: https://bartalks.net/indian-cholatier-wants-to-train-a-new-generation/).
L Nitin Chordia said that this was the first time a live three day professional Bean to Bar chocolate making program is being administered anywhere in the world. Cocoashala would ship a full kit of ingredients and equipment (including measuring spoons) of Indian origin and will enable the participant to touch and feel, follow and practise what they are demonstrating in a Live and Interactive setting.
This initiative would also support the Indian economy as all the ingredients and equipment supplied are of Indian origin and would further help become self-reliant on local Indian products.
This program is limited only to participants from India. The online Bean to Bar chocolate making course is a three-day event.
Day one includes a presentation on:
- A virtual trip to Cocoa Farm
- Cocoa Varieties
- Cocoa growing Vs. Processing Countries
- Introduction to Post Harvesting methods
- Cleaning & Grading Cacao
- Determining the quality of Cacao
- How to roast Cacao
- Removing shell & preparing nibs
- Grinding, Refining, and conching for flavour
- Introduction to Chocolate tempering and molding
- Difference between Industrial Vs. Micro Batch
- Difference between Pure Vs. Compound chocolates
- Definition of Bean to Bar chocolate
Day two includes:
- Discussion on variations in each step/stage
- Discussion on Estimates/Forecast for this business
- Challenges and opportunities in Bean to Bar in India
- Tasting of Indian origin chocolates
- Details of “Point of failure” and “Reasons of Success” at each step/stage of the bean to bar making process
- Business Planning for various capacities, including Raw material Costing, loss at each stage, and residue strategy.
- Profit & Loss and Business Plan (without Balance Sheet)
- Equipment required when expanding (Pros and Cons)
- Equipment and Capacity Expansion Strategy/approach/tips
- Infrastructure needed (for various Capacities)
- Sourcing approach/Tips
Day three includes:
- Tempering Techniques
- “Finish” (Temper, Mould & Demould) the batch of chocolates
- Chocolate Tasting/Appreciation methodology
- Tasting of some defective chocolates (and discussion on reasons)
- Branding / Marketing / Sales approach/tips and discussion
- An outlook of the current Indian market & forecast
- GAP in the current market
- Detailed discussion on storage, transportation, and packaging
The program’s delivery format is similar to its offline format, with some module changes and pre-work done to accommodate a live delivery. The participants have to register at least seven working days in advance so that the full kit can reach them. The first live session is scheduled for 16-18th June 2020. The price for the course is £679 or $852. Cocoashala plans to continue this format and host one such session each month.