THERE’s chocolate and then there’s chocolate. Like ice cream it can be a synthetic, industrial product or a bespoke assembly of the finest ingredients. Manchester’s own Dormouse Chocolates definitely belong to the latter camp, scooping a a trio of gongs at this year’s Academy of Chocolate Awards.
This global arbiter of cacao perfection last year named the Old Granada Studios based ‘bean to bar’ chocolate makers their UK Rising Star, awarding a gold, silver and bronze for their three bars entered.
In 2018 they have exceeded even that feat. They won the only gold in the Bean to Bar White Chocolate category for their Toasted White, which took off immediately after being launched on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch last summer. A second gold went to their 56% Philippines milk bar, one of two golds in the Bean to Bar Milk category). There was also a silver for their 71.5% Philippines Dark and a bronze for their 100% Cacao Guatemala bar.
Competition came from a record 1,200 entries, made up of chocolate produced in more than 45 countries, reflecting growing awareness of the origin, craft and sustainability of real chocolate.
So what exactly is bean-to-bar chocolate? A quest for artisan perfection, first sourcing the finest cacao beans from far-flung arms and co-operatives, bringing them back to the UK to roast them and do all the rest of the small-scale processing.
Founded by Isobel Carse, Dormouse has only been in business three years, experimenting with new origins, flavour combinations and techniques. Their products are available from stockists and farmer’s markets across the North West, or online here.
They also run a Bean to Door Club, where every month they will end you a new bar crafted in micro batches plus details of the origin of the bar, and exclusive information about the inspiration behind it. Subscriptions start from £18 for 3 months.