Back to basics

Being immersed in the world of fine chocolate during last week’s UK Chocolate Week got me thinking. Chocolate is a particularly exciting sector to be involved in at present for many reasons, but the more I know and understand about the issues that affect those who work in the industry, the more interested I become in where it all begins, and that is with the ingredients that go into chocolate, and particularly the most important one, cocoa.

I have gathered insight and information via many events and individuals since becoming editor of CP, but the past week has joined all the dots for me.

I was lucky enough to be invited to attend a chocolate tasting course run by Martin Christie, founder of chocolate brand Seventy% and fine chocolate and cacao consultant. The course provided a total overview of the chocolate sector as well as the skills to promote the ability to taste and appreciate fine chocolate. I’ll be reviewing the course in more detail in a future issue of the magazine.

On Thursday, the Academy of Chocolate held its biannual conference, which was themed around the question ‘What price chocolate?’ at The Royal Automobile Club in London. The event was attended by representatives from every sector of the industry, from cocoa farmers to producers, large and small, as well as writers, experts and self styled chocolate enthusiasts. Again, there is too much to mention here, so it will be the topic of a more detailed piece in a future issue of the magazine.

And finally, on Friday, the London edition of the Chocolate Show, provided another opportunity for chocolatiers and experts to share their passion and spread the word about what differentiates fine chocolate from many of the standard mass produced chocolate bars that we are used to seeing on supermarket shelves.

There is a lot within the industry that is changing, but what I find interesting is the fact that consumers haven’t yet picked up on something that has really caught their attention when it comes to other areas of the food industry, the ingredients. So many people are now concerned about what is in the food products they choose, but how, where and by whom cocoa is grown is something that we don’t really think about. Companies and individuals who source their cocoa direct from the farmers do now have some control over the quality of the cocoa they use, but overall most of the cocoa that goes into the wider chocolate industry is not traceable. There are no enforceable standards for cocoa farmers to adhere to and there are many complex reasons for this. It is certainly an area that I will be exploring further and I look forward to hearing your views.