+ What's included?

• The chocolate and dry ingredients needed to make the truffles
• Guests will need to supply their own wet ingredients (which may include items such as cream (or cream substitute mentioned in the handout), butter (optional), and flavour ingredients such as vanilla, zest, or spices (optional). A list of ingredients will be included in the kit.
• A list of tools required to make the truffles will be included in the kit. These are your average household items, which most people have.
• Mini Tasting Sampler (5 samples)
• Flavour Wheel Keepsake

+ Does it include milk or dark chocolate?

The kits you order will include dark chocolate. Don't worry, it's not bitter dark chocolate. It is a high quality couverture dark chocolate perfect for ganaches/truffles. If guests want, they can add some sugar to the cream if they want it sweeter.

The reason it is dark chocolate only is because it will set more quickly, and we require it to set quickly (within 20-30 minutes), before we roll the ganache into truffles.

+ What kind of truffles do we make?

We will be making very simple hand rolled traditional chocolate truffles. No knowledge of tempering is required, since will be hand rolling them in a coating, and not in chocolate. This allows the recipes to be followed by virtually anyone, children and adults, and no thermometer is needed.

There are a few kinds of truffle kits to choose from. Please see the form below to see the available flavours and their corresponding costs.

+ So what exactly will I or my guests need?

Ingredient wise, you only need the cream (or substitute - suggestions are given in the handout). There are optional ingredients to flavour it, but these are not required. Most are regular pantry/fridge items.

Tool wise, the handout will list what you need or an alternative. For each kit you will need:

• A stove and small pot (or microwave and microwavable bowl)
• Whisk/Spatula to mix it
• A plate and a bowl or two (whatever one has in their cabinet)
• Ideally a freezer, and space in it to place a plate with liquid ganache on it. We use the freezer to firm up the ganache quickly.

+ How many people can I have in the group?

This class works best a few dozen people or less. If you don't mind losing some if the interactive elements, then it can be accommodated for larger groups, but not likely more than 50 people.

For very large groups, the virtual chocolate tastings may be more suitable.

+ What about allergies or dietary restrictions?

The dark chocolate and cocoa powder for the truffles are dairy/nut/gluten/alcohol free. However, I can't guarantee they may not contain traces of these and other allergens at the place the chocolate/cocoa powder was manufactured.

The traditional truffles we will make require cream and butter, but there are also non-dairy alternatives.

The sampler kit will include some dark and some milk chocolate. If guests prefer non-dairy alternatives (all vegan), please mention in the booking form.

+ I or my guests can't have dairy

No problem! Some great alternatives to heavy cream is:

• coconut cream
• almond/oat milk
• fruit puree
• orange juice
• soy milk

These are suggested in the handout.

Butter is not necessary, but nice if you can have it. Vegan butter or coconut butter can be substituted if they wish.

+ How many truffles does each kit make?

We don't make a huge batch, only because of time. We require a small volume of ganache so it can set quickly. Therefore, the total weight of the finished ganache is about 225-230g, which can make about 12-16 small truffles.

+ How will you instruct the class?

We will keep it light and fun, but I will get right to the point. There will be some room for questions depending on the size of the group, how interactive they are, and how much time you allot.

I will guide you through the process, and have some video and images to help along the way. If people have questions, I will answer them as we go along.

+ Tell me more about the chocolate

The chocolate used will be a high quality couverture from France, or a high quality craft chocolate (whatever is available to me).

+ How does it work?

It's very easy. After you fill out the reservation form below, I follow up with you and send you an e-invoice once we iron out details.

Once paid, your date is reserved, and I prepare to ship out your kits.

Don't worry, we will go over any details and you will have the chance to ask questions before payment.

On the day and time of your event, you and whoever is joining meet me on zoom.

+ How do we interact with you?

This depends on the size of the group. The smaller the group, the more interaction we have. I love questions, so guests will feel welcome to ask away.

For larger groups guests can use the chat feature in zoom to include messages/questions/comments and I will try and read them as we go along.

+ How are kits prepared?

All kits are made to order. There is no standard selection of chocolates. Kits are customized to your requests and dietary restrictions (no dairy, no nuts, all dark, etc.)

Kits are prepared with fresh chocolate samples, taken from fine chocolate bars which range in cost for $10-14+. Chocolate from various bean to bar makers in various countries worldwide are sampled.

+ I have allergies or dietary restrictions.

I cannot guarantee any samples or products did not come in contact with your allergy or dietary restriction.

You may request to have no chocolates that contain nuts, gluten, dairy, etc.

However, many products were not made in a nut-free facility, and since many chocolate bars are made in small craft maker kitchens, I will never guarantee there was no cross contamination.

+ Are the tastings interactive?

Yes. Depending on the size of the group, I will often call on people from the group for feedback throughout the tasting. The smaller the group, the more interaction, and the more questions you can ask. The best way to get the most interaction is to have a group of 30 or less where everyone is on their own computer as opposed to one room. I can host groups all in the same room, but due to ability to hear everyone clearly, it's more challenging to interact as well than if everyone was at their own computer.

Larger groups of 50+ have the option of being divided into smaller groups if you wish. If it is not important to have all your guests in the same tasting event, then we can have smaller groups so everyone has more interaction time.

The chat feature in Zoom is also encouraged, and I do my best to read questions put into the chat throughout the tasting.

+ I have done a tasting with you before. Can my next one contain new samples?

Yes, of course. I keep a record of the samples from most past tastings, so if you let me know which tasting you were a part of I can be sure to create a kit with all or mostly new samples.

If you are doing multiple tastings with different groups, there's no reason why you need to sample the same chocolates each time.

Just let me know when you book

+ Can I customize what samples or bars you include in the kits?

Yes, sometimes I can. For the sample kits, I have more freedom. If there are specific bars, brands, types, you would prefer - please don't hesitate to ask. I will likely only be able to accommodate some of them, but I will do my best. Also, if you requires many bars that are VIC (Very Important Chocolate) then I may have to increase the price of the kits slightly.

As for the full bar kits, I have less flexibility depending on how big your group is. For a handful of people, I may be able to. For large groups I may be able to with a month or two notice depending on the size of the group.

As I said, I can do my best. I may be able to accommodate many requests, or none at all, but it doesn't hurt to ask me!

+ Can I customize how my group socializes before or after the class?

If your group requires special introductions or closing remarks, I can arrange for that. Also, if your group wishes to continue to socialize after the class (such as office team building) that can be arranged as well. Please let me know when you book.

+ Where do you ship?

Kits ship across Canada & the United States. Other countries please inquire.

Shipping rates are flat-rates. See the chart above.

The most important factor is temperature. If the local temperature here is too hot (22*C +), or the temperature of where the kits are going is too hot, I may have to delay shipment until temperatures are more reasonable.

Since the tasting revolves on flavour and taste, and not on appearances due to time, if some products do melt, it will not interfere with your experience. For concerns, please inquire.

+ How much is shipping?

Please see the chart below for more details, or inquire when you fill out your reservation form.

If the deposit and booking details are confirmed more than 2 weeks before the event, generally we can go with standard shipping. If you book less than 2 weeks or a few days before, expedited or even express shipping will be used (which will cost more than standard shipping).

Check the shipping page or the shipping information lower on this page to learn more.

+ Is shipping per kit or per address?

The prices you see in the chart below reflect per address when 1 or 2 kits are sent (which is the norm).

If you require multiple kits sent to one address (such as 10-20), then the cost will be more since it requires a bigger box and will be heavier. However, this is also a good way to save on shipping. For instance, some offices have all the kits shipped to them, and then the guests pick them up themselves.

For international (Non USA or Canadian Addresses) I normally ship the kits in bulk to one address as opposed to everyone's individual address. This is to avoid the variance in timing due to Customs etc.

+ How fast do you ship?

Standard shipping (which applies only to Canada & USA) takes 3-7 business days (not including customs at the US border).

Expedited to the USA and Canada Takes anywhere from 2-3 Days.

I can also ship Express to the USA and Canada (not listed in the chart) if need be. Usually this can ship within 24 or 48 hours.

I ship Expedited to Europe and other countries. Please see the shipping page to learn more or contact me if you still have questions about overseas shipping.

NO SHIPPING TIMES OR DATES ARE GUARANTEED. These days couriers do not guarantee, and so I cannot guarantee. However, 99.9% of my kits arrive on time.

Keep in mind I may need a few days to pack your kits before I ship.

+ How much time do you need between booking and the tasting event?

This depends on the size of your group. For groups of 40 or less, usually 2 weeks is required.

For groups of 50-100, usually 3 weeks, and for groups over 100 I usually prefer at least a month's notice with most of the details finalized.

Every case is different, so please feel free to contact me and we can try and work something out.

Normally the flow goes something like this:

1. You book with the reservation calendar below.
2. We iron out details and go over particulars.
3. You pay a deposit to hold the date (even if numbers are not confirmed).
4. You get me the participant's information by the date I require (two weeks or more normally).
5. I ship out the kits (and let you know via email).
6. We have the tasting on the date you selected!

+ How Do I pay?

You will receive and e-invoice with all the details of your event, shipping, and kits.

Upon reviewing the invoice, you may pay via a secure payment processor using credit or debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.

I do not do bank transfers or cheque. I prefer credit card, especially with the way the e-invoice works. It allows for more flexibility if your numbers change.

Although you will not receive any hard copy invoice in the mail, I will still require a billing address for the e-invoice. You can include this when you book, or I can collect it from you later if you wish.

+ Can I change my event date and time?

You may within reason. This is easier before you have paid or before the kits have been shipped out.

If you are booking now, and not 100% sure on the date or time, that's okay with me! We will work it out.

If for whatever reason there is an issue with shipping or something on your end, the event can be postponed and the chocolate will still be great if kept in a cool place away from heat sources. Contact me right away if this applies to you.

+ Tell me more about the products.

At Bean To Bar World, we focus only on fine cacao and fine cacao products. This means that all the chocolate (including plain dark chocolate) tastes different than your standard commercial chocolate. There is more depth in flavour, and way more variety in flavour! The plain dark chocolates will have notes of berry, nuts, or cookies, without any added ingredients! Those flavours come from the fine cacao and how it was processed.

The dark chocolate only contains cacao beans and sugar.

The flavoured chocolates may contain dairy, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, etc. You have the option to opt out or opt in on ingredients you may not want or want more of!

+ Are the products fair trade? Organic? Vegan?

All products come from cacao that is fairly traded, even if not certified. The focus of Bean To Bar World is to highlight makers who use high quality cacao, which is also fairly traded. Many of the products use organic cacao when possible.

Most of the products will be plant-based or vegan. I will include a few dairy based chocolates unless you request not to have any.

I cannot guarantee that all products are nut/dairy/allergen free. Since I don't manufacture all the products, I cannot say one way or the other. Some makers have "may contain traces of" on their bars. Please inquire if you have any concerns. However, I will never guarantee any product is completely nut/dairy/allergen free. You can request not to have products that contain dairy/nuts/etc., but the ones that do not, may contain trace elements of such allergens.

+ I really want to do a chocolate tasting, but I have very specific requests/format/time frames.

It doesn't hurt to ask. Sometimes I get new requests I have not thought of, and they work out great. Sometimes I cannot.

I have a certain way of conducting my tasting, so I can only compromise within reason. However, feel free to ask and I can see what I can do.