Once the beans arrive from farms, they’re sorted by hand before being slowly roasted. Each bag of beans has a different roast length due to the fact that they’re all grown in slightly different environments. The beans are quickly cooled to stop the roasting at the right point. 

Beans are removed from their shells and cracked into nibs. This process is called winnowing, where the heavier nibs fall to the bottom, while air lifts the lighter shell and separates the two components. 

The nibs are then stoneground to fine granules, then finer still into cocoa liquor by a stone melanger, a giant stone wheel on a stone slab. Sugar is added (unless making 100%) and the liquor is fed into the three roll refiner. This incredible machine is tasked with breaking the particle size down to 30 microns, for the perfect melt on the tongue.

The chocolate is then conched, and this is the true alchemy of the process. The chocolate is aerated and kneaded, particles are rounded and evenly distributed throughout the chocolate, acids dissipate, flavour compounds react, and the chocolate’s character is brought to life. 

When the chocolate is ready, it is poured out of the conch to be matured in huge blocks for around 40 days to develop the flavour.  

After ageing, the chocolate is tempered and poured into individual moulds, wrapped in our plastic-free packaging and ready to go straight to your door… or your mouth, if you’re as impatient as we are! `

We have a factory full of renovated antiques - call it a museum if you like. There are some great characters.