What Is Bean-To-Bar Chocolate?
Around the year 2000, a new wave of artisan bean-to-bar chocolate makers began popping up around he world, particularly in the United States. These makers thought of chocolate like wine, with its own distinctive flavours and intensities that were highly dependent on sourcing quality cocoa beans and treating them well throughout every stage of the chocolate making process.
As the cost of small scale chocolate making machinery started to fall, no longer did chocolate need to be made vast soulless factories. Instead, practically anyone could make it; sourcing beans directly from farmer co-operatives and producing bars with a passion and attention to detail that matched the finest of wines.
But the chocolate world is continuing to evolve, and a world that was once the reserve of geekiest of chocolate enthusiast is now open to anyone. Bean-to-bar chocolate is no longer an exclusive alternative. It's the default.
That's why Bean&Bar exists. Our aim is to give all chocolate lovers access to this new world of chocolate. To let you share your opinions and to give you the tools to discover more of the kinds of chocolate you love.