You’re passionate about chocolate, and you’re looking to launch your very own bean-to-bar chocolate brand. Well, you’ve come to the right place. As a team who are also passionate about chocolate and an expert manufacturer of the specialised equipment used to make it, we’ve had the pleasure of helping countless producers turn cocoa beans into exquisite chocolate bars that delight the taste buds of chocolate lovers everywhere. So read on, as we explore some of our most insightful insider tips, and guide you through the essential steps of getting started on your bean-to-bar journey. We’ve even included a checklist that you can use to make sure you’re on track. So bookmark this page and let’s get started.
Sourcing your Cocoa Beans
Welcome to the wonderful world of chocolate making. Let’s start at the beginning. The quality and origin of your cocoa beans are the bedrock of your chocolate’s flavour. So your first step is to purchase beans from a supplier or establish a relationship with a cocoa farmer who will supply them to you. Supporting local growers is a great way to ensure you get premium quality beans, but also supports sustainable farming practices, a fact many customers appreciate. It’s also something you’ll be able to add to your brand story, but more on that later.
As a producer, it’s essential to understand that there are three opportunities we have to influence the flavour of chocolate –
- During the growing/fermentation of the beans
- During the roasting of the beans
- During the conching process
So, by carefully selecting your beans, you’re already taking control of the first flavour-influencing stage. Now, let’s look at the processing of the beans.
Developing your recipe
You’ve secured your beans, now it’s time to dive into the recipe development stage. First, you’ll need to roast the beans using a Roaster, which is where you’ll really be able to start influencing the final flavour of your chocolate. Adjusting your roasting time and temperature allows you to have control over the final flavour profile of your chocolate. It’s just like wine. Different grapes make different types of wine, each with unique and interesting characteristics.
After roasting, the beans pass through a Winnower to remove their husk, leaving only the pure nibs. These nibs then pass through a Pre-Refiner, where they’re broken down into a flakey paste. The paste is then ground in the Ball Mill, which transforms it into a liquid chocolate. During this stage, you’ll be adding other ingredients like sugar or milk powder, depending on the type of chocolate you’re looking to make.
Now comes the real art – conching. Conching removes volatile flavours and impacts the taste, smoothness, and texture of your final product. In a power conche, hot air injection and extraction are used to remove the volatiles.
Raise the bar – The best approach to buying equipment is not to simply buy the smallest equipment because it means less of an investment. We’ve found that small businesses quickly outgrow their smaller equipment and need to upgrade quite quickly, which wastes precious funds. You can future-proof your business by investing in larger equipment for a larger return over time if funds allow it.
Telling your chocolate’s story
Your brand is what will truly differentiate your chocolate in the market. So your brand’s story should connect, engage and resonate with your target audience and tell them why your chocolate is so special. Do you champion fair-trade practices? Support local farmers? Is sustainability a core value? Your goal is to introduce yourself by sharing this story through your packaging, website, and marketing materials to create a brand that people feel good about supporting.
One of the most compelling aspects of bean-to-bar production is the traceability and transparency you can offer your customers. Being able to say exactly where your beans came from and how they were processed adds credibility to your brand and helps build trust with your customers. You could also consider mentioning the health benefits of your chocolate, or the fact that it is sourced from somewhere unique. One of the first places a customer might experience your brand story is through your packaging, so let’s look at that –
Packaging the flavour
Deciding on a packaging style is about more than just aesthetics. Outside of your branding, it also needs to sufficiently protect your chocolate from light and air, ensuring that the quality you’re offering is guaranteed. We know that choosing the right packaging can be overwhelming, but it’s a crucial step in building your brand identity. Remember, your chocolate’s flavour will be what keeps customers coming back, but the packaging is what catches their eye in the first place. As a start-up chocolate brand, you could explore eco-friendly or artisanal packaging options that reflect your product’s handmade craftsmanship.
If you ever decide to sell your product in large supermarkets, you’ll also need to comply with stringent health and safety packaging standards. This might include special labels, barcodes, and tamper-evident seals, so be prepared to invest in these elements when the time comes.
Raise the bar – Have you considered offering something other than a bar of chocolate? Studies show that snack products are incredibly popular right now. You could also consider snack options like chocolate-coated almonds or dried fruit. Ultimately, it’s about giving people more reason, and more opportunities, to buy your chocolate.
Where to sell your chocolate
Before finalising your packaging, think about where your chocolate will be sold. Are you aiming for high-end boutique stores, large-scale supermarkets, or direct-to-consumer sales through an online store? If you’re entering the premium market, your focus might be on creating a luxury bean-to-bar chocolate experience with hand-crafted packaging and storytelling that speaks about your commitment to quality and sustainability.
Raise the bar – Working with ethical suppliers and focusing on the story behind your chocolate, such as supporting local farmers or minimising environmental impact can become a compelling selling point for your market.
Technique and equipment checklist
Understanding the bean-to-bar chocolate process is essential for mastering the art of chocolate making and getting your chocolate brand off the ground. Now that we’ve been through the process, here’s a quick rundown of the key equipment you’ll need. Like many other chocolate makers, you probably have a few of these, or your own solution to parts of the process, so we’ve included everything – to help you make sure you don’t miss anything.
- Destoners – To remove unwanted materials like stones and debris from unroasted cocoa beans.
- Roaster – To roast the beans. Remember, the roasting profile is a big part of your chocolate’s unique flavour.
- Cocoa Winnower – This separates the husk from the nib, leaving flavour-packed cocoa nibs.
- Pre-refiner – This turns the nibs into a flakey paste.
- Ball Mill – Refines the cocoa nibs and other ingredients added to achieve cocoa mass or chocolate
- Power Conche
- Sifter – To remove the stem (the radical) of the cocoa bean, from the liquid.
- Cocoa Butter Press – This is for those who want to produce single-origin cocoa butter separately. A butter press is used after the Ball Mill to extract the fat from the remaining cocoa mass.
Sweet success
So there you have it – the process in full. The real trick to crafting amazing chocolate is influencing the flavour wherever you can. But more than sourcing the best quality cocoa beans and mastering the chocolate-making process – most chocolate makers will agree that it’s your true love for chocolate that will keep driving you to improve your product.
At Artisan Industrial, we don’t just provide specialised chocolate-making equipment, we pride ourselves on supporting and empowering small businesses like yours to succeed. Our goal is to ensure that you have the equipment, as well as the support you need to reach the goals you’ve set out for yourself on your bean-to-bar chocolate journey. Get in touch with a member of our team, and let’s talk about how we can help you today.
