My Mission
To celebrate and share the world of bean-to-bar chocolate.
To connect you to ethical bean-to-bar chocolate makers from around the world via my free bean-to-bar app.
To help you learn about chocolate making, tasting, history, science, and more via my free Learning Center.
To offer you unique and incredibly satisfying experiences with chocolate via my online shop and virtual events.
Photo of a cacao tree with cacao flowers and cherelles (immature cocoa pods). Image by Bean to Bar World.
My Values
+ Celebrate and showcase the craft and skill of chocolate making
In the bean-to-bar sector, skill and craftsmanship are often overshadowed by other aspects such as packaging, awards and certificates, social issues, and nutrition. Although most of these are important to some degree, it is the craftsmanship that I am most concerned with. If we don't celebrate craftsmanship of chocolate above all, we are no different than the bulk commercial chocolate industry.
+ Promote and encourage small bean-to-bar businesses and entrepreneurs
The term "bean-to-bar" goes beyond the literal definition of making chocolate from the bean. It also encompasses quality and purity of ingredients, ethical and transparent cacao sourcing, and for me, entrepreneurs. This is the age of small-scale chocolate making, and as many know, running a private food business (especially one focused on quality) is extremely difficult. I make it a priority to encourage such businesses.
+ Educating the public from unbiased research-based sources
Since I began my journey into the fine chocolate sector, much of the chocolate education I encounter even to this day is based on redundant watered-down, unreferenced, and sometimes misconstrued information. Coming to this with a background in biology and a love for research, my approach has always been to source and share primary research and well-referenced information about the information I share online and in person.
+ Encouraging chocolate thinkers, not chocolate consumers
I want to encourage all of you not to simply blindly accept what I or others in the industry say. I want you to feel confident enough to ask questions and challenge the ideas which exist in the chocolate realm. One of my unique approaches is that I do not encourage people to use the awards on bars (or foods in general) as a guide of which to purchase. I rather you be informed on what to look for, what to taste for, and rely on what your own senses are telling you about the chocolate. To make decisions based on what you know and experience, not simply on what you are told or persuaded to think.
I do not focus on or promote chocolate bar awards because although award ceremonies have their place, they are no substitute for one's own informed decisions. I much rather you support a small local chocolate maker doing incredible work, than order in bars from across the world simply because a few people agreed it deserves an award. The food industry can be messy, and awards are simply a guide for some who choose to follow it. Informed and critical thinkers do not use awards as their guide.
Any informed chocolate judge will have the humility to admit they do not possess any tasting superpower which you do not possess (or cannot attain). And depending on how long you've been a part of the bean-to-bar world, many judges are no more informed than yourself. The bean-to-bar sector is extremely new, less than 15 or 20 years really. It will take many more decades to have the type of well-informed critical thinkers needed to give these awards more credibility.
Any food award is simply an opinion based on a very small group of people, which may or may not be well informed. Many people nowadays purchase food based on awards or what is promoted in the industry itself, which can be very biased. A better approach I believe is to inform people on the food they consume, and allow them to make judgement calls based on those informed decisions. To have the confidence to rely on your own senses, rather than someone else's.
+ Making the best information on chocolate accessible to all
I learned while in University and after graduating that there is a wealth of incredible information that is sadly not accessible to most people. It is often locked behind over-priced paywalls making it inaccessible sometimes to those who need it the most.
Sadly, even in the bean-to-bar industry which prides itself on educating the world about chocolate making, much of the best information again is locked away behind overpriced certificate programs and courses which often only cater to a certain demographic. Also keep in mind that the information that is locked behind those programs and courses is not unique to them. Rather, it is information already published in textbooks and research that is simply re-packed with a very high price tag on it. Although certificate programs and courses can have their place, they do need to be fairly priced (and have unique information) if they are to justify the expensive price tag.
My goal at Bean To Bar World has always been to increase the public's general knowledge of fine chocolate to a point where they can make informed and confident decisions. Decisions based on facts and knowledge, not marketing and persuasion. This goal will not be reached by making quality chocolate information difficult to access. This is why I work to make this information either free or at a fair price in my educational tastings and classes. If we want the world to be better informed, we have to make that information accessible to all.
+ Foster a chocolate culture which is inviting and inclusive to all
In any fine food realm there is a degree of pretentious thinking and an in-group out-group divide. Even though many in the bean-to-bar realm talk about transparency and helping others, the actions of some speak otherwise. There is also a lot of soapbox style preaching (speaking down to the public) where one is to feel guilted into supporting the craft chocolate industry. This mentality existed when I began, and it continues to exist today. I reject this method of reaching others as I find it turns more off, and those who are convinced, are convinced not of their own accord.
I believe that quality ingredients and quality craftsmanship can be respected and honored without having to be pompous and condescending about it (AKA a snob). This is why when people enter my shop, my classes, my virtual events, I make it clear that I am here to present ideas and information, and that it is up to them to draw their own conclusions. I wish for everyone to understand their opinions and ideas of the chocolate and information I present is of value, and that they have a choice of what to support instead of feeling guilted into it.
The basis of the bean-to-bar industry truly is incredible, and for those who want a chance to learn and taste what it is about, I'm here to guide you through it.
“I encourage everyone to find their place in the world of bean-to-bar, be it a voyeur, beginner, connoisseur, taster, chocolate maker, cacao grower, distributor, retailer, educator, researcher, or all around bean-to-lover. There is a place here for you!”
Oh Deer! A 100% chocolate bust of a deer I created when working as a chocolatier in Vancouver. No modeling chocolate here - only hand carved, painted, and piped tempered dark chocolate.
Let us be Genuine
The website was created solely for promoting the bean-to-bar chocolate movement.
Any promotion of businesses you see here is free, by my choice alone, and for the sake of promoting bean-to-bar entrepreneurs. I do not take kickbacks to promote or advertise any businesses or products here.
My approach to everything is honest and straightforward.
Support The Free Resources
Both the Bean To Bar World Map App & Learning Center are 100% FREE. I am an independent entrepreneur and receive absolutely no funding from any third party. I keep pricing on products and virtual events fair as this is an education-first business.
If you find these resources helpful and wish to contribute to help them grow, please do so here. I appreciate your generosity!
About Geoseph Domenichiello
CHOCOLATE SOMMELIER · CHOCOLATIER · BEAN TO BAR MAKER · INSTRUCTOR
Educating since 2008
Check out my media page to see, watch, or listen to some media coverage of my work.
The brief story
From an early age I had a triad of passions: animals, art, and food. I studied both biology and fine arts at the University of Toronto, where I received my Bachelor of Science. Upon graduating, my passion for food drew me towards George Brown College, where I honed in on my skills in their Pastry Arts Program. It was there where I came across a position as a chocolate sommelier assistant, and after taking on the position in 2008, I have been forever dedicated to chocolate. I realized right away that working the realm of chocolate would forever satisfy all three passions. My curiosity for biology is satisfied through the my constant study of the science on cacao and chocolate. My passion for art is satisfied when I get to be in the kitchen creating recipes and beautiful chocolate works of art. And my passion for food is satisfied by, well, the daily intake of Vitamin C (Chocolate).
The Longer Story
After graduating from both UofT and George Brown College (in the same year funny enough) I soon moved to Vancouver in 2009 where I began working a chocolatier for many years. I loved using chocolate as a medium to create wonderful ganaches, beautiful bonbons, and fanciful figurines. However, this wasn’t satisfying enough for me. My curiosity had me spending most of my free time reading textbooks and research articles on all things connected to chocolate. It wasn’t enough to be able to work with chocolate, I needed to know how chocolate worked. At this time there were no chocolate tasting or sommelier programs that existed, and so I had to start this journey on my own, from scratch. I utilized my skills in biology and began digging up primary research on the science of cacao, botany, chocolate manufacturing, flavour and gastronomy, and thereby developing my own chocolate tasting curriculum.
I had no plans to start my own sommelier certification courses (even though people had asked), nor charge thousands of dollars for information that, frankly, wasn’t even mine. All the knowledge I gathered was already published by various researches over the past few decades. Which is one reason why I do not support the chocolate sommelier certification courses. One, they do not do a great job of informing their students well. Two, they do not come up with any novel information, but rather repacking what can be accessed for free for much less while also supporting the original authors. My intent was never “How can I capitalize on this information?” but “How can I get this to those who need it most?” That being, the general public. Therefore, I built up my website initially with free information on the science and history of chocolate, then tasting information, and also research summaries. I wanted to create a place where people could find quality information and resources should they wish to dig deeper themselves. After a short stint working at a chocolate maker in New Zealand in 2016, I returned to Vancouver and started going full force with chocolate tasting workshops geared towards the public. Something that is packed with incredible information but a very fair price that most can afford.
Of course, it was only a matter of time until this passion for chocolate got me to making my own chocolate from bean-to-bar in 2017. Surprisingly it was a delicious success, and so I began hosting bean-to-bar chocolate making classes in Vancouver as another way to educate the public.
Image by @rourgant
Education Over Marketing
Currently I focus predominately on educating on all things bean-to-bar. Why? After all these years, there is still a huge void of knowledge among the general public when it comes to bean-to-bar. Part of this, I believe, is due to the the bean-to-bar sector copying facets of the fine wine and coffee world which helped increase business at the cost of creating another pretentious fine food sector where educating comes second to marketing. Not something I wish to be a part of. This is why I dedicate a great deal of time researching and reading, hosting tastings and classes, tutoring others, growing the free learning center and the free bean-to-bar map app. I do all this because the best future for the bean-to-bar chocolate maker is a future of informed consumers, not simply convinced consumers. A consumer who can be easily convinced to follow trends or be guilted into a product can very easily be convinced out. However, a truly informed consumer, who has the facts, will appreciate the craft to the fullest, appreciate the value of the work involved, be confident in their decisions, and the best kind of spokesperson for the future of the bean-to-bar world.
The Original Bean To Bar World Map App
While hosting my tastings, people would often ask where they can locate the makers of the incredible chocolate they tasted. If they lived in Vancouver, I could easily point to the few local ones which existed at the time. However, many people were from out of town. And what if people were to travel to places abroad and wished to discover makers there? It was a real challenge for consumers to find the makers, and for makers to be found!
I looked online to see if any bean-to-bar map existed that I could share, but unfortunately it did not. So I took on what felt like an impossible undertaking, and in 2017 began creating the very first map dedicated to bean-to-bar chocolate makers. I added a category for retailers who focus on selling products by these makers as well. I soon realized that this map could also be used within the industry itself as a way to connect makers to cacao distributors, growers, equipment manufactures, and researchers, and vice-versa, so I added these categories as well. Eventually this map became an app with the help of a bean-to-bar friend, and here we are! An incredible tool that is free for everyone to use, share, and connect to.
It is important for me to note that unfortunately this map has been commandeered by an organization within the bean-to-bar industry without any significant changes. To this date they have never offered any acknowledgement to it’s original creator. I reluctantly point this out to make it clear that if you do come across the duplicate map, know that this map and app, the concept and categories, all originated here.
The original map was a desktop version, which you can still access here.
If you enjoy and appreciate this tool either as a consumer or as someone working in the bean-to-bar sector, please share it with as many people as you can. The app is free to use, and free to be hosted on. You can download some free pdf marketing literature and hand leave it or post it at local public venues (libraries, communal poster boards, cafes). Or if you have any idea of how I can help you get the word out, don’t hesitate to reach out and contact me. And should you feel the desire, you’re welcome to donate to help with my time and effort in growing and updating the app. Your generosity is always appreciated. A passion project from my heart, to your fingertips, for the sake of the craft of bean-to-bar chocolate making.