It’s that time of year when only something warm, rich and indulgent will shake off the chill, the dark and the damp. So it stands to reason that our drink choice this season is a steaming cup of proper hot chocolate.
As bakers, we believe that quality ingredients make quality food. And as chocolate lovers, we obsess over a good hot chocolate. Which is why we’re proud to partner with our friends at Islands Chocolate. This family run business has reinvented the chocolate supply chain by nurturing every part of the process and you can taste it in every sip.
Islands Chocolate has been making their award winning chocolate for many years now and do so in a very unique way. Having pioneered the seed-to-bar movement, they are both the farmers and makers of their chocolate, truly committed to cocoa, community and craftsmanship. Located on the beautiful island of St Vincent in the eastern Caribbean Sea, they plant only the finest varieties on their cocoa farms - the result of which is chocolate that’s ethical, hand crafted and utterly delectable.
From Seed To Bar
Champions of radical transparency, join us in delving into Islands’ unique chocolate-making process:
1. Nurturing the plants.
Islands Chocolate starts from seed. Seedlings are grown in reusable bags, grafted with carefully selected cocoa from the gene bank, then planted out under the natural shade of the rainforest canopies.
2. Harvesting the Pods.
It can take five to seven years before a tree reaches maturity. Pods are then picked every two weeks and are cracked and processed immediately to ensure maximum flavour. The husks are returned to the land as fertiliser.
3. From Bean to Belgium.
The raw beans are then fermented, washed and dried, before being bagged up and ready to transport to Islands’ chocolate experts in Belgium.
4. The Transformation Begins.
First, the beans are lightly roasted to bring out the aroma. The shells are removed from the nibs which are then ground to a ‘liquor’. This is then combined with sugar, cocoa butter and sometimes milk powder for ‘conching.’ This process agitates the mixture to further develop the flavour and create that unique, chocolatey texture.
5. Chocolate Takes Shape.
Finally, the chocolate is tempered to give it shine, snap and a smooth melt. The liquid chocolate is then poured into moulds or set as buttons before being cooled and packaged.
Chocolate at GAIL’s
Every cup of our Hot Chocolate is made with Island’s single origin cocoa beans, grown in rich volcanic soil and bronzed in the Caribbean sun. Made by melting 75% chocolate buttons into creamy dairy or alternative milk, our hot chocolate is the perfect excuse to come in from the cold and treat yourself to a moment of pure indulgence (with a freshly baked pastry on the side).