Where is the best place to find and purchase fine bean-to-bar chocolate?
Image by @sadswim
For those delving into the realm of fine chocolate, it can be very challenging to 1) Where to locate them either in your neighborhood or online and 2) when you do find a new brand, to know if it is indeed a bean-to-bar chocolate maker and not just a private label or chocolatier product.
The Bean To Bar World Map App
Image by Bean To Bar World
This really is the best place to at least find bean-to-bar craft chocolate makers. It is the first map of it’s kind I created many years ago, and then eventually turned it into the app. This map came out of the frustration of of many people like you who don’t know where to find actual bean-to-bar chocolate makers. There are many chocolate brands out there that appear to be bean-to-bar, but are not. The map/app is a great starting place to find a maker near you or somewhere you will visit. It’s a great way to travel the world of craft bean-to-bar chocolate makers.
Remember that most craft chocolate makers are very small scale, like your local artisan bakery. They don’t have big marketing budgets, and seem to fall into obscurity against the more publicized commercial chocolate makers or chocolatiers which are much more easier to find. If you don’t see your favourite chocolate shop on the app, it could be that they actually don’t make their chocolate from scratch, and are chocolatiers instead. Or, they may just not be on the app yet, so feel free to suggest them!
The app is free to use, and free to be hosted on, and self-funded (no adds or third party affiliates). The goal was to offer a resource for consumers and makers alike so people could find the chocolate they are looking for and makers will have a better platform to reach consumers who are looking for them. Keep in mind you may not love every maker on their just as you may not like every bakery or restaurant in town, even if they are making quality food. However, it is a great place to start especially if you are looking to support small business, chocolate entrepreneurs, and buy directly from an actual bean-to-bar chocolate maker and support their work and the artisan craft of chocolate making.
Although the app is the best place to find the makers, the best place to purchase their products is always from the maker themselves. After that, you can find in-store or online retailers of their bars usually listed on their website. And of course, some brands you may also purchase here at Bean To Bar World!
Start local
Image by @arthurlfranklin
Whether using the app or not, see who is around in your city or region first. Gone are the days where the best chocolate comes from Switzerland or Belgium. You may have an incredible chocolate maker right in your own backyard. Many people on social media or Instagram seem to repeat a very narrow range of makers that they promote, when in reality there are hundreds of makers around the world and more start ups all the time. This may sound cliché, but some of the best ones are not very well known. Just like enormous commercial chocolate brands overshadow the craft chocolate makers of the world, the big brands in the bean-to-bar chocolate world often overshadow equally good if not better smaller-scale brands. Don’t be afraid to try a new small bean-to-bar maker, as you may be discovering a gem, and it may be right under your nose!
Places you visit
Use the app when you are traveling if you want to see if there is a bean-to-bar maker near you that you can visit, or try some of their chocolate sold at local shops in the area. If you are a chocolate enthusiast, incorporating an experience at a fine chocolate shop is a great way to enhance your vacation or trip. It’s also a great way to get an idea of the differences in fine chocolate from country to country and culture to culture. People in various parts of the world have different expectations of what chocolate should taste like, and incorporate their culturally specific ingredients into some of their flavoured bars. It’s a great way to travel the world through taste, and via fine chocolate.
Word of mouth
Image by @saeedkarimi
Sometimes a friend or contact of yours is the best way to discover new incredible chocolate. Many times, what you see promoted on social media is highly biased. Some makers will offer free chocolate or even pay influencers to discuss their chocolate. Some of the feedback you see may be honest it, some of it may not. Everyone is doing what they can, and good for them. However, don’t assume that every brand you see promoted over and over is necessarily a high-quality product, or a product you may love. Some of it comes down to subjective preference as well. Don’t be afraid to get feedback from those around you, even if they are not a self-proclaimed chocolate sommelier.
At the end of the day, you need to decide which brand offers you the flavour you’re looking for and aligns with your values and what you value. As a new chocolate enthusiast, it may seem overwhelming. However, as you learn, pay attention, and make decisions based on what you know instead of what you are told, you will begin to be more confident in your chocolate choices. There is a great deal of free content on this website, the Bean To Bar Compass is a great tool for learning to discern fine chocolate, and I’m always just a quick email or chat away if you have any questions!