My annual trip to visit family in Barcelona at some stage always turns into a bit of a chocolate safari. And the trip I have just returned from is no exception. My chocolate soul has been nourished by the people I met, the chats we had, the chocolate we sampled. I also met in real life two people who I have only known beforehand through social media and virtual events - and it was a joy to spend time with them, as well as the three new chocolate businesses in Barcelona this trip that I met through their recommendations.
Lauren Heineck has been a guiding light for me along my long chocolate journey; she had her own business WKND Chocolate, and realised that other chocolate makers were spread thin on the ground at the time and set up a wonderful Facebook group, Well-tempered. This became a much loved and needed forum for small artisan makers and I always enjoyed Lauren's series of interviews that she did online with interesting folk from the small but growing-fast artisan world. She is Barcelona based, and it was such a treat to finally meet her properly. She is not currently working in chocolate, but obviously still interested and a good person to ask for guidance in Barcelona.
Marc Torrano is also based in Barcelona, and has many chocolate entrepreneurial and facilitator hats he actively spins. I know him through the International Institute of Cocoa and Chocolate Tasting, and it was wonderful to meet him and hear more about his plans. He works for IICCT, in admin as well as becoming a trainer; he also works with small chocolate businesses and helps them develop plans and products, as well as running his own tasting sessions and is planning to develop that side of things more in the future. He kindly came into the city during a difficult transport week so that we could visit Kina together.
On one level there is a lot of chocolate in Barcelona – loads of shops selling bonbons, bars, hot chocolate, even a Museum of Chocolate, but finding makers that work themselves with cocoa and chocolate is more difficult, and I don’t think I would have found the three businesses below without the guidance of Marc, Lauren and Nerea.
I will describe them in more detail below, but all three are small spaces, packing huge talent and creativity. The businesses are being built from passion, skill, research, practice, ethics and belief in chocolate being more than a confection.
Danielle has a small and very chic space in Sarrià,
where she makes her beautiful bonbons and small bars. As I was so excited to meet her, I failed to
take any photos – but as you can see from the box of bonbons – she has an
elegant style, focus on flavours more than anything. She works on her own, and I really do not
know how she or the others I met, manage to get anything done – anytime a
customer comes in you need to stop what you are doing – whether you be mid temper,
mid moulding, mid piping ganache, and attend to them. You need to keep the workspace clean – no
easy matter – as it is on show all the time.
I take my hat off to them all.
Danielle does not make her own bean to bar chocolate, but
uses couverture from two ethical sources.
I had heard of Xoco Gourmet from Nicaragua, but never had the chance to
taste any – and was delighted to be able to try. The chocolates are rich and fruity, with a
lovely brightness to them.
We bought bonbons, small bars (the pistachio filled one was delicious) and a beautifully tinned box of cocoa nib clusters – a delicious treat. I love the nuttiness of nibs, and these are a delight – of both flavour and textures.
Danielle sent me a message suggesting I visit a new business
by a friend of hers – and it was very near where we were staying. Catcao – run by Norbert – has only been open
a few months and I am so glad we were able to visit. Again, a small but powerhouse business –
Norbert has so much energy and creativity.
He is a bean to bar maker, and at the moment focussing on Kokoa Kamili
beans from Tanzania. He has a small
production space, with an oven, winnower built by his father (very ingenious)
and a small squadron of Premier grinders.
As a graphic designer he has created a great brand – Catcao – the Cat
both short for Catalunya, as well as a cute logo.
He was so welcoming and enthusiastic and we really enjoyed trying his different chocolates – I love the 65%, 75% and 85% progression of chocolates – it is intriguing how the different levels of sugar and cocoa butter change the way the cocoa flavours play around your senses. He also experiments with white chocolates and we tasted his vegan white with Tonka – and I so wished that I had a bar of our Sweet woodruff to share with him to compare tonka and vanilla notes. We tried his chocolate and hazelnut spread as well – just sumptouous. Few bean to bar makers in the UK make chocolate and hazelnut spreads – but almost all seem to in businesses I have visited in France and Spain. As someone who has never had a Nutella-habit, I was slow to try them – but my, they are delicious. The choice of chocolate, levels of sugar, and the oil used to keep it from setting are all really important components of the flavour and mouthfeel, and Norbert had found a wonderful sweet-spot of balance, using the Tanzania cocoa and olive oil.
The third chocolate maker we visited was Kina – I had been
introduced to their chocolate by Nerea the previous year, but had not been able
to get to their shop during that visit.
This trip though, I was accompanied by Marc, and Daniel – a student
currently studying in Barcelona, who comes from Costa Rica where his parents
farm cocoa and vanilla. We formed quite
a crowd in Oscar’s shop/workshop/production space. Six people work in a space not much bigger
than my workshop at home. The
level of organisation and discipline to work in this space is awe inspiring – especially
as they are constantly innovating and pushing boundaries in what they can do
with cocoa. And offer a continuous diary
of workshops and tastings.
Oscar was the quiet, controlled, master in the centre of all
this, and he juggled guiding us through his work, responding to other
customers, as well as creating new products, with extraordinary calm and charm. Two of his team were working on a macambo
bar, a new creation using the white beans of Theobroma cacao’s cousin, T
bicolor, and we were treated to tastes – the first just as it was being
tempered, and then the second when they had on the spot decided to tweek the
recipe by adding a little salt – which just took it to another level. I loved witnessing this – so much of my own processes
are carried out in this way – just challenging myself to push a flavour a
little further. And the macambo
chocolate was divine – so nutty.
We tasted many of their innovations, cocoa liqueur, cocoa fruit pastilles, the macambo samples, and a really delicious caramelised cocoa bean – ooh, they are so good; whole cocoa beans, coated in a crisp caramelised sugar shell – like those crunchy, caramelised peanuts you sometimes get in winter from street vendors. Oscar’s partner has created the branding work, which is lovely – they are able to ensure gorgeous wrappers, boxes and labels for all their products.
