Tag: Chocolate Tour

Wellington Chocolate Factory

On By exploringthelongwhitecloudIn North Island, Wellington RegionLeave a comment

I have always had a sweet tooth. I’ve been told I didn’t try my first chocolate until I was at least 2 years old, but it did nothing to prevent me from being a chocolate lover.

Today, Mum and I did a tour at Wellington Chocolate Factory. The first time I tried their chocolate was about 4 years ago and to be honest, I wasn’t really a fan. I was comparing it to the mass produced, super sweet, candy style chocolate I had grown up with from the supermarket. About 3 years ago I went refined sugar free for a year. The one exception being a 90% cocoa chocolate that had about 5-6 % sugar. It was during this time that my palate really developed and I was able to start appreciating the sophisticated flavours that come through in good quality chocolate.

Wellington Chocolate Factory (WFC) is on Eva Street which, in recent years has transformed from a dodgy feeling alley way, to a very popular artisan food street.

When I first step foot inside the building, the first thing I notice is the rich, sweet smell of warm, decadent chocolate. The aroma wafting through the New York Loft style building.

We are introduced to our host Jess and taken through into a quiet room to learn all about the ‘Bean to Bar’ process.

Artisan chocolate, like the ones produced here, are not as processed. They are treated in a way that enhances and celebrates the natural flavours and characteristics of the cacao beans. The ‘Bean to Bar’ practise is becoming more popular now in New Zealand, but WCF were the first to start doing this in NZ. Ethics, innovation, fair trade and sustainability are all key pillars for the company. They work directly with fair trade suppliers, like Trade Aid and the growers to source their beans.

The beans that WCF use are sourced from Central South America (Peru and Dominican Republic) and the South Pacific. Chocolate originates from South America and dates way back to the Aztecs and Mayan times. However, today, about 80% of the world’s cacao actually comes from the Ivory Coast and Ghana in Africa. Sadly, there is a big monopoly there and it does play a part in child trafficking and slavery.

There are many varieties of Cacao trees, one of the oldest being the Criollo from Peru. It has some beautiful fruity tones and this is the one WCF use for their single origin dark chocolate. From the Dominican Republic they source another old variety called Trinitario which is known for it’s earthy, citrus tones.

Just like wine, the growing conditions, the soil, weather, climate, etc, all contribute to the flavour notes and characteristics of the bean.

After harvesting, the beans are fermented and dried. They are then packed and shipped off to manufacturers. It is at this stage that WCF receives their beans.

While munching on our complementary vegan chocolate chip cookies, Jess talks us through the process of how they make their chocolate before taking us on a short tour of the factory to see it with our own eyes.

The first step is sorting. WCF remove any beans that are broken, have holes in them, shriveled or fused together. They are also on the look out for foregin things, such as stones, sticks and string. Apparently WCF have also come across a bouncy ball, lizard skull and a barbie doll shoe in their bag of fermented, dried beans.

Roasting happens next. This is the most important stage. Over roasting will kill the flavours, getting it right will celebrate the natural characteristics of the bean. We get to try a roasted Peruvian bean. It’s crunchy and bitter, but not nearly as bitter as I was expecting. It has a beautiful nutty flavour and I really enjoy this. Pieces of this roasted bean are what is known as Cacao nibs. They are a super food, high in antioxidants, selenium and endorphins.

The cacao nibs are then ground in a stone grinder. This process takes 3 days. Sugar is added at this stage, along with milk or flavours if they are being used. We learn that you can’t add liquid to the chocolate, so to add milk, it needs to be milk solids.

We all gather around the little room, peering in through the glass, watching the grinder mix all the glorious, smooth liquid chocolate. The stuff in here has been grinding for 2 days and Jess scoops up a cup for us to try. It has a very fruity flavour but it’s not very smooth yet. It still needs another day in the grinder to properly mix in the sugar and cacao.

After 3 days, the chocolate will be poured into tins to set. It will keep like this for a long time and WCF are starting to experiment with aging the chocolate at this stage. (It’s starting to sound a bit like wine) Any flavours added to the chocolate are infused into it during the grinding stage. They don’t have the equipment to have chunky bits embedded into it. Instead, if desired, they will sprinkle textured flavours onto the back. (Like the salted caramel brittle, which is amazing by the way!) Once set, the bars are then hand wrapped and ready for sale.

And there you have it. The Bean to Bar process.

But the tour is not complete, we still need to sample the goods. We were able to try 10 different flavours (and I have to say, they were pretty generous with their tasting sizes). From single origin chocolate to a vegan coconut chocolate to collaboration with Scale Grace gin, there was no shortage of deliciousness and innovation. My favourite was the single origin (honestly, I had no idea a plain chocolate could have such complex, interesting flavours) This is the take home bar I choose, but it was a tough choice, the dark salted caramel was also outstanding. Even the coffee one was pretty good, and I don’t even like coffee!

The tour was meant to last an hour but our group had a lot of great questions and we found ourselves there for the best part of 2 hours. It is the most fascinating tour and Jess’ passion and enthusiasm for the products shine through. It is so refreshing to see a business that builds its foundations upon fair trade and sustainability.

We ended our tour with a complementary cup of their hot chocolate and a greater appreciation to the love and effort that goes into making our favourite sweet treat.

Exploring Dunedin

On By exploringthelongwhitecloudIn Otago, South IslandLeave a comment

It’s an unusually still day for Wellington, raining, but still. I have been day dreaming lately about moving away from Wellington, somewhere warmer, sunnier, like Nelson perhaps. But even on wet days like today, when there is stillness, it’s a beautiful place to live.

Once we take our seat on the plane, I go straight for the in-flight magazine, Kia Ora. It’s one of my favourites and I have been looking forward to an uninterrupted hour with it. It doesn’t disappoint. I am so engrossed in the articles that I hardly even look out the window. There is one on Fiji which gets me very excited for my upcoming trip and another one on Japan, a place that is moving higher up on my bucket list.

It’s a pretty smooth flight and when we land, I have only made my way through half of the magazine, the rest will be a good read for the flight home. We disembark the aircraft and walk across the tarmac to the terminal. There is a bit of rain in the air, but it’s not too cold. Mum and I catch a shuttle to the city, drop our bags off at the hotel and set out to explore.

We are in Dunedin. The last time I was here was 20 years ago! I am excited to not only explore the city centre, but also the peninsula. Our first stop is the old historic railway station. I have been looking forward to seeing some of the old buildings. Dunedin has strong Scottish heritage and some well preserved Edwardian architecture. Unfortunately, half the station is behind scaffolding, but I can still enjoy the beautifully manicured gardens out front and some of the architecture. It’s a magnificent building.

We are there on market day so we take the opportunity to wander around the farmer’s stalls. There is fresh produce, like fruit and vegetables, but at least half of the stalls are selling artisan breads, pastries, chutneys and even gin. There is a delectable selection of goods.

We then wander up towards The Octagon. Otago University Graduation is on. The students are walking in a parade and family and friends have gathered to celebrate this milestone. We then carry on with our walk, consulting a map every now and again, arriving at our next destination, Ocho.

Ocho is a local artisan chocolate company and we are booked on one of their tours. As we step inside, we are greeted with a warm, comforting smell of chocolate, very different to the overly sweet, sickly smell of Cadbury (a tour I did when I was here last). The chocolate smell at Ocho is refined, it draws you in, inviting you to taste its delights. We are a little early so we wander around the shop and have a chat with the staff. All of their beans come from the Pacific, mainly Paupa New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, but only 1% of all the cacao beans grown actually come from this region. The majority are from Africa.

As we begin our tour, we are given a tasting box with 10 samples and led into a hexagonal room with big glass windows so you can see all the machinery. It’s not operating today, but our host talks us through the process, pointing out the different machines and what they do. Our guide then leaves us to watch a video that takes you through the bean to bar process. The samples in our box line up with the different stages. I first try the roasted bean and accidentally eat the husk, which isn’t very nice. Once I realise and remove it, its much better. We then move onto the cacao nibs followed by un-tempered chocolate. It’s bitter, but there are some beautiful flavours that shine through. Best of all, it’s actually good for you – filled with antioxidants.

We then get to the 70% PNG and Vanuatu chocolate. They are made from the same variety of bean, but the different soil and growing conditions create quite different flavours. I love the Vanuatu chocolate and the fact that they each have their own unique taste.

Next in the box is a more standard, off the shelf, commercial chocolate. It is one I am familiar with and generally enjoy, but in comparison to the other two, it doesn’t taste so good. The texture is gritty and feels waxy in my mouth.

The last samples we try are Ocho’s salted caramel and beekeeper chocolate. The salted caramel is devine and my favourite of all we try. The beekeeper one is interesting – a strong cocoa taste that finishes with very distinctive honey notes. Although the tour has now officially finished, the host lets us try a few more flavours that weren’t in the tasting box. 70% Solomon Islands, horipito & kawakawa, (very kiwi), hotcross bun and an 88% and 100% cocoa. I walk out of the shop with 4 different flavours to take home.

After all that chocolate tasting, we are ready for some lunch. We find a nice little cafe near The Octagon called The Corner Store Cafe. I get a delicious pumpkin, chilli & lemongrass soup with sour dough. It’s beautifully presented and certainly hits the spot.

We check into our hotel, The Levaithan. It’s basic, but clean and comfortable and the building is beautiful, decorated with old furniture and stained glass windows. But there is still more to explore, so we head across the road to the Toitū – Otago Settlers Museum. It has a really interesting collection, including a room filled with portraits of early settlers. On the digital boards, you can look them up to find out their names and some have further information about them. I even find a Geary among them and wonder if they were related to my husband’s family.

After dinner we head back to The Octagon. This afternoon it was filled with students, this evening it is filled with smudged lights reflecting on the watery surfaces. Bars and restaurants are packed and despite the cold, patrons are still enjoying their meals and drinks outside.

We step off the street and head into the opulent Regent Theatre. It’s beautiful inside with chandeliers and ceiling roses – a bygone era frozen in time. We are here to see the Royal NZ Ballet perform Romeo & Juliet. It’s a perfect venue to watch this tragic love story unfold. The costumes are vibrant, floaty and mesmerizing. The dancers are expressive, passionate and the story is so moving. It was a wonderful evening out.