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 e're
very proud to be one of only a few specialist chocolate retailers in the
world whose chocolate making still begins with the raw cocoa bean. A quality
product can only be created using the best ingredients. This is why at Haigh's,
we insist on complete control from start to finish. |
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| The
cocoa tree (theobroma cacao) is a small evergreen tree that grows naturally
under the rainforest canopy. Like wine grapes, cocoa beans have different
characteristics depending on variety, area of origin and processing. We
have agents who source the very best cocoa beans for us from plantations all over the world such as
Ecuador, Papua New Guinea and some parts of Africa. Simon Haigh oversees the blending and processing of beans as meticulously as any winemaker, using his highly developed sense of taste and smell.  |
 The art of turning a cocoa bean into chocolate involves a number of carefully controlled processes. • First, the beans are roasted at high temperature in a revolving bean roaster. The heat changes the colour and flavour and removes moisture from the bean. • The winnower is attached to a series of blowpipes, rather like a church organ. Here, the beans are cracked and the outer husk blown away. Cocoa beans have now become cocoa 'nibs'. • The nib mill grinds the beans into a cocoa liquor. |
• In the melangeur (French for 'to mix'),
the cocoa liquor is pressed and mixed with extra cocoa butter and icing
sugar. If we're making milk chocolate, we also blend in milk powder.  |
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