FROM BEAN TO BAR - CRAFT CHOCOLATE
Seed Chocolate - About Us
We create small batches of award winning craft chocolate from our micro factory in Stoke on Trent. Every process, from the moment the cacao beans arrive at our kitchen (from origins such as Peru & West Papua) is overseen by head chocolate maker James Walter. After spending 20 years as an award winning chef in the hotel and restaurant i
ndustry, James always held the belief that his passion for fine flavour & food chemistry would one day guide him down a slightly different path. An unfortunate accident to the spine would prove to be a blessing in disguise. It would be the year whilst rehabilitating to walk again, that James delved into the chemistry of cocoa, whilst searching far & wide for the specialist equipment to start Staffordshire's first bean to bar operation. In 2017, our journey had begun. Seed Chocolate was born.​
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THE PROCESS
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Once the cacao beans arrive, they are then delicately roasted (to develop flavour) & winnowed by hand to remove the husk. We are then left with the raw ingredient (cocoa nibs) to stone grind into delicious chocolate. This is then aged to develop further flavour, before the final process of tempering the chocolate (a good snap & shine) into bars, for you to simply enjoy. Every step affects the finished flavour profile of each origin. This attention to detail sets craft / fine chocolate apart from the poor commercially mass produced stuff we know today. The ultra premium cacao we use to make our chocolate, is sourced directly by us from small farms & cooperatives from around the equator, ensuring the best possible price for the farmers in some of the world's poorest regions. This is known as direct trade. We operate a zero child slavery policy when sourcing our cacao, unlike many of the larger well known brands. Fair trade isn't necessarily fair when it comes to child slavery in the chocolate industry. You can check here for ethical chocolate makers by searching the Food Empowerment Project. Our belief in ethically sourcing through direct trade ensures transparency within the whole supply chain. So whilst tasting great, It's helping the planet also. OUR AWARDS
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INTERNATIONAL CHOCOLATE AWARDS
World Finalist 2019 - 75% Dark Chocolate - Gran Chililique - Peru
Silver - 75% Dark Chocolate - Gran Chililique - Peru
European, Middle East & African category 2019
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THE ACADEMY OF CHOCOLATE AWARDS
Silver - 75% Dark Chocolate - Gran Chililique - Peru - 2019
Bronze - 75% Dark Chocolate - Gran Yapatera - Peru - 2019
Bronze - 75% Dark Chocolate - Gran Nativo Blanco - Peru - 2018
Bronze - 40% Toasted White - Peru - 2018
Bronze - 40% White with Coconut & Vanilla - Peru - 2018
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GUILD OF FINE FOOD AWARDS (GREAT TASTE AWARDS)
2 STARS - 75% Dark Chocolate - Gran Chililique - Peru - 2020
1 STAR - 88% Dark Chocolate - Gran Nativo Blanco - Peru - 2020
2 STARS - 75% Dark Chocolate - Gran Yapatera - Peru - 2019
1 STAR - 75% Dark Chocolate - Gran Nativo Blanco - Peru - 2018
1 STAR - 40% White with Coconut & Vanilla - Peru - 2018
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THE TASTE OF STAFFORDSHIRE AWARDS
Specialist Food & Drinks Retailer of the Year - 2018
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GREAT FOOD CLUB UK - Accreditation from 2019
