Fine chocolate, like many fine foods, is a niche market. These markets can grow, and in some ways shift the mainstream idea of food, but there will always be limitations because of the product itself. Some enthusiasts within the fine bean-to-bar chocolate world get frustrated when people don’t seem to appreciate what they do. I myself don’t quite understand that. Many people have different priorities and value foods differently. These people keep asking themselves “how do we get consumers excited about craft bean-to-bar chocolate?” The answer is very simple, knowledge and exposure. We need to educate those who walk into our shops or engage in our tastings. They imagine there is some secret key that unlocks a magic door. There is not. I even heard of someone going to “research” how to convince people to appreciate fine chocolate. That’s ridiculous in my opinion. We already have tons of information on consumer trends and behaviors. The hardest part is rolling up your sleeves, getting out there, and getting the public involved in fine chocolate through tastings, classes, events, and make it approachable. It’s hard work, but very simple. All you need is someone willing to do it.

My goal, ever since I entered the fine chocolate world nearly 15 years ago, was to share this chocolate and this knowledge with the general public. I know that those who are into fine foods, and those who have the money to spend, will do so regardless. In fact, sometimes those consumers can also buy it not because they appreciate it, but because you tell them it’s fine chocolate and it has a high price tag. Nothing wrong with that! But I wanted to really change people’s opinions on chocolate. I wanted people to truly appreciate fine chocolate like I did when I first encountered it.

The truth is, If you want a crowd, you appeal to the crowd. This often means lowering your standards. If you want the masses to appreciate your chocolate, you’re going to have to appeal the masses. And we already have brands that do just that: Nestle, Callebaut, Hershey, Godiva, Lindt, and, well you get what I’m saying. We can’t appeal to the masses because fine chocolate isn’t for the masses. Here I will go over some of the main hurdles within the fine bean-to-bar chocolate industry.

The High Price Tag

The price of fine chocolate is the biggest hinderance for the general public. In a day in age when food prices are soaring, even in well developed countries, there is a wider need to be more frugal. If someone comes across a local small bean-to-bar maker, even if they appreciate the quality and that it was made locally, they still may not be able or willing to pay for it.

As for me, someone who has worked within the food industry since a teenager, I understand this dilemma. Many chocolate sommeliers or even chocolate makers did not come from the food industry, so they have no idea the amount of work, stress, and little money one receives even when working at high end establishments.

Even as someone who appreciates fine food, I had to compromise what I wanted with what I could afford. This meant not buying fine chocolate as often (and appreciating it so much more when I did!). For me, obviously, chocolate is an important food in my life (like good tomatoes and fine cheese, but I digress). I chose to spend a little more on chocolate in order to get the best, and spend a little less on other foods or items that were less important to me.

You often hear by other sommeliers “fine chocolate can run you around $12-14 on average, that’s nowhere as near the cost of a very fine wine!” This is true, but the same people can’t afford to or can’t budget for a fine wine either, so that argument doesn’t quite work. For those who enjoy fine chocolate frequently, it can certainly add up. The point of this being, even though fine chocolate doesn’t cost as much as fine wine, it’s still a big difference for people who are very money conscious. This is something many within the fine chocolate word don’t quite understand or have not had to experience. For the general public, this is most often the case, especially today.

What is a solution? Lower the cost? No, that will lower the quality of the bean, ingredients, and decrease the sustainability of the business. We must educate the public the value of this price tag. I will discuss one practical way below, but many of them will spend the money once they not only experience it, but also appreciate it. That means enjoying it with others who can help educate them in a very welcoming and non-pretentious way.

How to enjoy fine chocolate on a budget

One thing I recommended for those who love chocolate, that I mentioned earlier, is to buy less fine chocolate. Instead of 3 or 4 grocery store bars, buy 1 or 2 fine bars. Instead of buying chocolate bars every week, buy them once a month and enjoy them sparingly.

The point of fine chocolate isn’t to gorge, but to enjoy small amounts on their own, with a tea or coffee, or at the end of your meal. For those who appreciate fine chocolate well, you understand how much flavour and satisfaction you can get from taking 5-10 minutes enjoying a few bites of chocolate. One thing I like to do is enjoy with tea. Drink some tea, take a bite, pick out the aromas, enjoy them, and then drink more tea. It should be a relaxing moment, where you are present, really getting the most out of your food.

This may sound funny to some: “just eat less!”, but it’s true. Some bars are so flavour packed and interesting you can’t even eat a whole bar in one sitting if you try. Keep in mind that sometimes when we gorge on some foods, especially when we’re not even that hungry, is because the food is so mediocre and unsatisfying, a few bites won’t suffice. Since the flavour doesn’t satisfy us, we keep eating until we feel full and satisfied in that way. In the end, we feel a bit gross and sometimes regret eating all that chocolate or whatever it was. Something to be aware of.

It’s not always worth it

Keep in mind that just because a chocolate bar costs $10-15, does not mean it is worth it. Many makers or private labels jump on the trend of chic fine chocolate, and can sneak into the market and trick the naïve customer. Sometimes these brands know what they are doing, sometimes they don’t understand what fine chocolate is either and just doing what they think is most marketable. And in some cases, you have a genuine maker who just is not producing very good chocolate. It may cost them a great deal of money, and have to sell it at $10-12 a bar, but in my humble opinion, is just not worth it. This is where some experience and knowledge with fine chocolate would be helpful. Also, there are some incredible bean-to-bar makers who are too humble and underpriced, but that’s another story. Don’t assume just because one fine bar is $10 and one is $16, that the more expensive one is higher quality or that you will enjoy it more. It may be the case, but it also is often not. There could be a very good honest reason why the one bar is $16, such as the beans cost more due to the time and money spent to obtain them.

Accessibility To The Makers

One of the most frequent questions I get asked after a tasting is: “Where can I find fine bean-to-bar makers”? This ties into what I said earlier about the fact that there are expensive bars out there not worth the price tag, or not even really fine bean-to-bar chocolate (just mass produced commercial chocolate re-packaged as fine). Even many boutique shops or high-end grocery stores like Wholefoods sometimes sell fine chocolate, but also mix it with (or only sell) well-branded commercial-grade chocolate at a high price. So, if you are new to the fine chocolate world, it’s going to be a challenge unless you were to buy it and taste it for yourself (which is usually what one needs to do anyway).

Find makers on the Bean To Bar World App

For this reason specifically, it is why I developed the very first Bean To Bar Chocolate World Map, and why I even took it further to make it into an free app. I did this because I wanted to help support fine bean-to-bar makers, and connect consumers to them. You can learn more about it on this page. Take a look, download the app, and see what makers are in your city, region, or country. It’s a great way to travel the world of fine chocolate! Keep in mind, that this focuses on privately owned, small craft bean-to-bar chocolate makers. And like I said earlier, some of them I don’t consider fine chocolate. Sometimes it’s also subjective, whether you like how a maker makes their chocolate or not. So I encourage you to try a few, and if you’re unsure, try a few from my online shop as a place to start and go from there. Some fine chocolate may be high quality and well made, but you just may not enjoy the flavour profile.

So I encourage you to try a few bars from one maker, and a few makers, before you decide if you like fine chocolate or not. There are some bars from a maker I love, that if I only tried that bar, I would have never given them a second chance. There are also some brands out there that if I though this is what fine bean-to-bar chocolate is, I would have never went any further.

Flavour & Texture Expectations

Commercial chocolate, regardless of quality, more or less tastes the same. You may so, no way! A Lindt bar and Cadbury bar are very different! And yes, they are different, but the degree of difference is very minute when you look at the full spectrum of chocolate which exists. One reason why we love our chocolate to taste a certain way, especially our mass-produced commercial chocolate, is because we have developed expectations over the years through the chocolate we have eaten.

The expectations of what dark or milk chocolate should taste like have been set from an early age. The craft or fine chocolate world creates chocolate which challenges those expectations. Chocolate doesn’t just taste like chocolate anymore, and many people actually don’t like that. Some may like it in time if exposed to it by a friend or family member. Some may never like it because they have expectations of what they want chocolate to taste like.

For myself, I actually did not like chocolate very much growing up, especially dark chocolate. When it came to desserts, the chocolate flavoured ice cream or cake was usually my last choice. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did other flavours. That all changed when I experienced fine chocolate. I thought, if this is what chocolate can taste like, then I’m in. This is why many people enjoy fine chocolate, because it offers what commercial chocolate does not.

That said, there are many people who stick to what they know. Or they believe chocolate, or even beer or coffee, must taste a certain way. And that’s okay! But that’s a good reason why some don’t hop on board the fine chocolate train. Anything that deviates from their expectations they do not enjoy. I’m not trying to say this is a wrong way to think. What I am saying, is that our expectations of food really dictates what we will buy and consume, regardless of the quality.

There are those like me, who once introduced to fine chocolate, are hooked. There are others who try it, appreciate it, but still prefer the chocolate they know. Others just don’t like the different unique flavours found in fine chocolate. There are those, like me, who love to explore. Be it food, countries, or whichever. We’re curious, and we’re willing to try most things. There are others who are not as adventurous, at least not with their food, and it’s these people who seem to have a harder time appreciating fine chocolate. That said, there is likely a perfect bar out there for them as well, but their chance of finding it is slim being the less adventurous type.

Conclusion

There are many reasons people delve into fine chocolate There are those who truly appreciate the craft. There are those who like the idea of buying expensive food, without the discernment of being able to identify quality. There are those who are open to it, but have yet come across a fine chocolate they love, or whose appreciation is still growing. There are those who appreciate it, but won’t or can’t budget for it according to their lifestyle. There are those who appreciate it, but just don’t care for chocolate enough. There are those who honestly like what they have grown up with, and have no desire for the unique and unexpected flavours of fine chocolate.

For those of us who truly appreciate fine cacao, fine chocolate, and the craft itself, all we need to do is continue to share it with guidance, persistence, and with patience.

The Challenge Of Selling Fine Chocolate