I started Making chocolates when i was 8 years old, I would put them into decorated egg boxes as gifts for my family and ever since then I have had the bug. I studied at the Cassio College in Hertfordshire and was the recipient of the Renshaw Challenge cup in 1987..... that basically set the tone for the rest of my carreer. I ran away to the Netherlands in 1993 and became pastry chef, head chef and chocolatier at the extremely popular Ma Brown's in Haarlem, there made the British tradition…

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The Innovators In Pursuit of the New for 100 Years Felchlin

Company histories are usually all about change, about leaps forward, highs and lows; they are a patchwork of differences. However, the Felchlin company history is different. In the 100 years since its foundation, it has been shaped by a remarkable amount of continuity: 

- The products – these have developed over time but…

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Raw cacao nibs just arrived and how lovely the scent of roasting them fills the air.  I smell chocolat brownies and yummy goodness.  Roasting Nib Time: 250'F - 30 minutes

I am learning to appreciate the taste of the cacao nib.  When they arrived they were sharp, violently bitter, aggressive, abusive.  My kind oven tamed them and now, they're delicate, soft, obedient, pleasing and ready to be made into chocolat.  Batch #7 will be made with roasted nibs and batch #8 raw nibs.…

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Batch # 5 is under my belt and I am feeling like a proud momma. I’ve made a 70%, 55% and a milk chocolat 45% all with a Peruvian bean. After much making and tasting I have decided the Peruvian bean is not for me. Yes it makes Chocolat. The Chocolat is not bad but the Chocolat it makes is tart and fruity. Maybe it’s great Chocolat and I’ve just eaten too much. My audience has been pleased. I’ve ordered beans today from Ghana, Venezula, Madagascar and Ecuador. I joyfully await there arrival as I… Continue

I designed these 4 wrapper yesterday evening with the goal of using them on my bean to bar chocolat.  The two artist of the images are Bolivian and African   You are only seeing the front view.  The back view entails the ingredient listing, weight and a paragraph about making the chocolat from bean to bar in studio.  I would love any feedback, criticism or suggestions.  We are all consumers, what do these images inspire?…

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I'm now on batch six to making Bean to Bar Chocolat. I'm pleased and the process hasn't been to difficult.  It took me to batch six to realize I must have at least 2 pounds of nibs in the machine with the cocoa butter for the cocoa town to run properly.  Anything less and the wheels spin slowly and often stop.  The first batch was the worst.  Not necessarily bad but I didn't have a formula yet to provide me with guidance of ratios of nibs, to beans to sugar and so forth.  Batch #2 was better…

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Just back from a trip to Spain. Only managed to sample the delights of Spanish Chocolate in the cities of Barcelona, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Madrid and Santiago de Compostela. The best place for chocolate was without doubt Barcelona. The number of shops selling chocolate in bars or truffles was mindboggling. From shops selling a small range of truffles to complement other products to large chocolate only shops. Seems churros and hot chocolate is the signature cocoa experince in Spain. I…

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Triple white chocolate cake with chocolate…

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