#x; Smilo | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

rococochocolates · 8 years ago

Text

http://ift.tt/2rINUhD <p>This place and the people that work there held almost mythical status for me, their photos being all over our media and in our shops, and their story such an intrinsic part of that of Rococo. They are perhaps, one of the main reasons that I was attracted to work at Rococo in the first place. I’d used their chocolate for years previously, had won an Academy Award with a caramel dipped in their 60%, and had followed their progress and the sad loss of Mott Green, one of the co-founders and the inspiration behind this remarkable company. For me, spending time here, if you can imagine, was more akin to a pilgrimage than work experience or a holiday.</p> <p>After taking probably our hundredth wrong turn on the maze of unsigned roads, we asked the locals for directions, and pulled up at the wonderful little multi-coloured factory, which sits in the middle of a residential road in the forested hills.</p> <div id="attachment_15382" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img data-attachment-id="15382" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t1O9YN" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rIJuHj" data-orig-size="5184,3456" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Blog-3-Context-is-everything" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2t233hQ" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rINUhD" src="http://ift.tt/2rINUhD" alt="Context is everything" width="690" height="460" class="size-large wp-image-15382" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rINUhD 1024w, http://ift.tt/2rIX2ma 256w, http://ift.tt/2t233hQ 680w, http://ift.tt/2t1OaMl 768w, http://ift.tt/2rJlt2O 600w, http://ift.tt/2t2ibeT 296w, http://ift.tt/2rJd4MN 1050w, http://ift.tt/2t2kYFb 870w" sizes="(max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Context is everything</p></div> <p>I met and talked with Jim, the manager, about all the great things about the company, the challenges facing them, and how I could help during my stay.<br /> I wanted to experience the entire process. I sorted fermented and dried beans with Miss Joyce, who deftly picks through the mounds of beans to remove bad ones, or hard, empty shells.</p> <a href='http://ift.tt/2rJfXgK'><img width="1050" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2t21LDe" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="" srcset="http://ift.tt/2t21LDe 1050w, http://ift.tt/2rJl28A 600w, http://ift.tt/2t2rT0S 296w" sizes="(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px" data-attachment-id="15432" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2rJfXgK" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rINVlH" data-orig-size="2448,3264" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Sorting-beans-with-Mis-Joyce" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2t2icPZ" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rJazdm" /></a> <a href='http://ift.tt/2t1LHBA'><img width="1050" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2rIX6Cz" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rIX6Cz 1050w, http://ift.tt/2t2aMwq 600w, http://ift.tt/2rINWWN 296w" sizes="(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px" data-attachment-id="15433" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t1LHBA" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2t250uv" data-orig-size="2448,3264" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Sorting-beans-with-Miss-Joyce-2" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2rJ4oGf" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2t28eOT" /></a> <a href='http://ift.tt/2rIK0Fu'><img width="1050" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2t1UGma" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="" srcset="http://ift.tt/2t1UGma 1050w, http://ift.tt/2rJmkR6 600w, http://ift.tt/2t28e1l 296w" sizes="(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px" data-attachment-id="15431" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2rIK0Fu" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rJ39Hk" data-orig-size="2448,3264" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Roasted-Cocoa-Beans" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2t1LIp8" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rJltjk" /></a> <a href='http://ift.tt/2t1MfqZ'><img width="1050" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2rJluDU" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rJluDU 1050w, http://ift.tt/2t1tG6E 600w, http://ift.tt/2rIJwip 296w" sizes="(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px" data-attachment-id="15421" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t1MfqZ" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2t2iaHR" data-orig-size="1600,901" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Pouring beans into the hopper" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2rJaztS" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2t1XrEp" /></a> <a href='http://ift.tt/2rJaJl7'><img width="1050" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2t29AJm" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="" srcset="http://ift.tt/2t29AJm 1050w, http://ift.tt/2rJgRKd 600w, http://ift.tt/2t1LHS6 296w" sizes="(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px" data-attachment-id="15420" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2rJaJl7" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rJfAmn" data-orig-size="2448,3264" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Miss-Joyce" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2t1YmV9" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rIJWFC" /></a> <div id="attachment_15396" style="width: 693px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img data-attachment-id="15396" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t1Ob2R" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rJfURU" data-orig-size="3456,5184" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Blog-3-Weighing-Beans" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2t2aMMW" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rJkT5p" src="http://ift.tt/2rJkT5p" alt="Weighing beans" width="683" height="1024" class="size-large wp-image-15396" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rJkT5p 683w, http://ift.tt/2t1LIFE 171w, http://ift.tt/2t2aMMW 333w, http://ift.tt/2rJml7C 768w, http://ift.tt/2t1YuUE 600w, http://ift.tt/2rJ39XQ 387w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Weighing beans: The sorted beans get returned to sacks, then weighed out to go in the large, spherical roaster, usually worked by Edmond, though many of the team, including Ron McDonald, have been there for years and know the whole process too.</p></div> <p>A powerful jet of flame heats the machine while the beans rotate, then after the prescribed time, they are allowed to fall into a rotating cooler underneath. The smell of the roasting beans is intense and glorious. It’s not just a generic smell of chocolate, or cocoa beans in general, but is a unique, scent created by the origin, and the roasting time. Edmond is very careful not to over-roast, as Mott taught him how detrimental to the taste this can be.</p> <div id="attachment_15391" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img data-attachment-id="15391" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t28ehR" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rJ7REQ" data-orig-size="5184,3456" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Blog-3-Roasting-Beans-with-Edmond" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2t29zVO" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rJ4LAH" src="http://ift.tt/2rJ4LAH" alt="Roasting beans with Edmond" width="690" height="460" class="size-large wp-image-15391" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rJ4LAH 1024w, http://ift.tt/2t21MXO 256w, http://ift.tt/2t29zVO 680w, http://ift.tt/2rJ4MEL 768w, http://ift.tt/2t1AQro 600w, http://ift.tt/2rJl3cE 296w, http://ift.tt/2t1XrUV 1050w, http://ift.tt/2rIPfVD 870w" sizes="(max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Roasting beans with Edmond</p></div> <p>Batch after batch of beans are successively roasted, cooled to around 30 degrees, and then carried upstairs in 12kg buckets to be fed into the hopper for winnowing – hard work in the tropical heat! Their winnower is one of the best I’ve seen, with very little shell left in the nib.</p> <p><div id="attachment_15393" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img data-attachment-id="15393" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t1AReW" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rJ4NbN" data-orig-size="5184,3456" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Blog-3-The-buckets-of-winnowed-nibs" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2t25QHD" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rJd6Ep" src="http://ift.tt/2rJd6Ep" alt="The buckets of winnowed nibs" width="690" height="460" class="size-large wp-image-15393" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rJd6Ep 1024w, http://ift.tt/2t1OavP 256w, http://ift.tt/2t25QHD 680w, http://ift.tt/2rJ4OfR 768w, http://ift.tt/2t1YnbF 600w, http://ift.tt/2rJ3biq 296w, http://ift.tt/2t1VbN6 1050w, http://ift.tt/2rJ4PjV 870w" sizes="(max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The buckets of winnowed nibs</p></div><br /> <div id="attachment_15370" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img data-attachment-id="15370" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t1VaJ2" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rJ4PQX" data-orig-size="5184,3456" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"9","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS 600D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1495208727","copyright":"","focal_length":"21","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.0125","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Blog 3 Nothing goes to waste – sorting any stray nibs too large for the winnower" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2t28fCr" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rJ4QnZ" src="http://ift.tt/2rJ4QnZ" alt="Nothing goes to waste - sorting any stray nibs too large for the winnower" width="690" height="460" class="size-large wp-image-15370" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rJ4QnZ 1024w, http://ift.tt/2t23nx5 256w, http://ift.tt/2t28fCr 680w, http://ift.tt/2rJgS0J 768w, http://ift.tt/2t23mt1 600w, http://ift.tt/2rJd5jP 296w, http://ift.tt/2t2rUBY 1050w, http://ift.tt/2rJ4QV1 870w" sizes="(max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Nothing goes to waste – sorting any stray nibs too large for the winnower</p></div></p> <p>Buckets of rich, red-brown nib are then put into the mélangeur, to be roughly ground, with the appropriate amount of sugar for the percentage, then the resulting paste transferred to the refiner for conching. Again, the smell in this room is intoxicating as the just-roasted nibs are ground to a paste and then refined to create the chocolate we know and love.<br /> 2 X PHOTO <a href='http://ift.tt/2t1Z9p7'><img width="920" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2rJ4Rbx" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="" data-attachment-id="15418" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t1Z9p7" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2t25RLH" data-orig-size="920,1632" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"Lumia 640 LTE","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1495442646","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.97","iso":"800","shutter_speed":"0.07505","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Melangeur" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2rIJvuR" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2t2eu9f" /></a> <a href='http://ift.tt/2rJbqL3'><img width="1050" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2t2aO7w" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="" srcset="http://ift.tt/2t2aO7w 1050w, http://ift.tt/2rJbri5 600w, http://ift.tt/2t1ARvs 296w" sizes="(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px" data-attachment-id="15388" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2rJbqL3" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rJbrP7" data-orig-size="5184,2916" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Blog-3-Melangeur" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2t1YZhq" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rJbsm9" /></a> <a href='http://ift.tt/2t1Zatb'><img width="1050" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2rIJXcE" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rIJXcE 1050w, http://ift.tt/2t21Oio 256w, http://ift.tt/2rJbsTb 680w, http://ift.tt/2t28tJF 768w, http://ift.tt/2rIX79B 1024w, http://ift.tt/2t28fSX 600w, http://ift.tt/2rJaJBD 296w, http://ift.tt/2t29Cks 870w" sizes="(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px" data-attachment-id="15387" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t1Zatb" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rJl2FC" data-orig-size="5184,3456" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Blog-3-Melangeur-(2)" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2rJbsTb" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rIX79B" /></a> <a href='http://ift.tt/2t2rUSu'><img width="1050" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2rJ7TfW" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rJ7TfW 1050w, http://ift.tt/2t1Yowf 600w, http://ift.tt/2rJ4pdh 296w" sizes="(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px" data-attachment-id="15369" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t2rUSu" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2t1KLgI" data-orig-size="5184,2916" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"5.6","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS 600D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1495207989","copyright":"","focal_length":"53","iso":"3200","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Blog 3 Melangeur" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2rJlu6S" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2t1LKgK" /></a> <a href='http://ift.tt/2rJ4q0P'><img width="1050" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2t2eupL" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="" srcset="http://ift.tt/2t2eupL 1050w, http://ift.tt/2rIJwPr 256w, http://ift.tt/2t1ARLY 680w, http://ift.tt/2rJaKFH 768w, http://ift.tt/2t1YZxW 1024w, http://ift.tt/2rJfBGX 600w, http://ift.tt/2t1LL4i 296w, http://ift.tt/2rJ7Uk0 870w" sizes="(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px" data-attachment-id="15368" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2rJ4q0P" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2t1LLRQ" data-orig-size="5184,3456" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS 600D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1495207914","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"3200","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Blog 3 Melangeur (2)" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2t1ARLY" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2t1YZxW" /></a> <a href='http://ift.tt/2rJkUX1'><img width="933" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2t28g9t" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="mini melangeur, with micro batch of GROCOCO chocolate" srcset="http://ift.tt/2t28g9t 4000w, http://ift.tt/2rJ7Ssw 500w, http://ift.tt/2t1LMVU 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 933px) 100vw, 933px" data-attachment-id="3608" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2rJkUX1" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2t28g9t" data-orig-size="4000,3000" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"","camera":"FinePix F50fd","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1287233071","copyright":"","focal_length":"8","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.0041666666666667","title":""}" data-image-title="Mini melangeur, with micro batch of GROCOCO choc " data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2rJ7Ssw" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2t1LMVU" /></a> <br /> <div id="attachment_15363" style="width: 693px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img data-attachment-id="15363" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2rJfZ8m" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2t2rV90" data-orig-size="3456,5184" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"5.6","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS 600D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1495209688","copyright":"","focal_length":"35","iso":"3200","shutter_speed":"0.1","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Blog 3 Dwayne transferring from melangeur to refiner" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2rJgShf" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2t1Z9W9" src="http://ift.tt/2t1Z9W9" alt="Dwayne transferring from mélangeur to refiner" width="683" height="1024" class="size-large wp-image-15363" srcset="http://ift.tt/2t1Z9W9 683w, http://ift.tt/2rJfVoW 171w, http://ift.tt/2rJgShf 333w, http://ift.tt/2t25SiJ 768w, http://ift.tt/2rJ4TjF 600w, http://ift.tt/2t29CAY 387w" sizes="(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Dwayne transferring from mélangeur to refiner</p></div></p> <p>One of two things can then happen. The 82, 71 and 60 percentages are cast into eating bars or chefs bars, which are larger 227g bars which we use at Rococo to create our House Blend, and also some of our ganaches. The 100% is either cast into a bar, or put in a tank, which is heated then used to make cocoa butter and cocoa powder. Another impressive bit of kit, built by Mott, the Cocoa Butter presses reminded me of something you’d find in a centuries-old factory in Yorkshire. Heavy, black iron structures which are gradually fed with cocoa liquor, which is then put under hundreds of pounds of pressure, forcing out the liquid cocoa butter into a pot below, and making a solid cake of the drier cocoa powder, which is removed and packed as cocoa powder for the international market, or as ‘Smilo’ for Grenada. They can’t make enough to keep up with local demand!</p> <p> <a href='http://ift.tt/2rIX5hQ'><img width="1050" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2t2aPs6" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="Operating the cocoa butter press with Ron" srcset="http://ift.tt/2t2aPs6 1050w, http://ift.tt/2rIPhgd 600w, http://ift.tt/2t1YoML 296w" sizes="(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px" data-attachment-id="15392" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2rIX5hQ" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rJl3JG" data-orig-size="3456,5184" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Blog-3-Ron-operating-the-Cocoa-Butter-Presses" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2t1YxQk" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rJgTlj" /></a> <a href='http://ift.tt/2t1KLxe'><img width="1050" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2rIPgsF" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="Operating the cocoa butter press with Ron" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rIPgsF 1050w, http://ift.tt/2t1YnZd 256w, http://ift.tt/2rJfCL1 680w, http://ift.tt/2t1KKJG 768w, http://ift.tt/2rIZt8q 1024w, http://ift.tt/2t28ugH 600w, http://ift.tt/2rJ4qhl 296w, http://ift.tt/2t1MgLz 870w" sizes="(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px" data-attachment-id="15390" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t1KLxe" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rJ3bPs" data-orig-size="5184,3456" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Blog-3-Operating-the-Cocoa-Butter-Press-with-Ron" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2rJfCL1" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rIZt8q" /></a> <div id="attachment_15394" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img data-attachment-id="15394" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t1UHXg" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rJlvrs" data-orig-size="4941,3293" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Blog-3-The-cake-of-cocoa-powder-emerges" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2t1OcUt" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rJg1Nw" src="http://ift.tt/2rJg1Nw" alt="The cake of cocoa powder emerges" width="690" height="460" class="size-large wp-image-15394" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rJg1Nw 1024w, http://ift.tt/2t28hdx 256w, http://ift.tt/2t1OcUt 680w, http://ift.tt/2rJfBXt 768w, http://ift.tt/2t1YZOs 600w, http://ift.tt/2rJg3oC 296w, http://ift.tt/2t2525B 1050w, http://ift.tt/2rJkVu3 870w" sizes="(max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The cake of cocoa powder emerges</p></div></p> <p>Bars are cooled and then wrapped by hand, by a small team of packers including Laurel and Rashida, who also both work part-time in the bonbon shop as chocolatiers. <div id="attachment_15440" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img data-attachment-id="15440" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t2ieY7" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rIK1Jy" data-orig-size="2448,3264" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Wrapping-bars-with-Laurel" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2t25Szf" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rJaBlu" src="http://ift.tt/2rJaBlu" alt="Wrapping bars with Laurel" width="690" height="920" class="size-large wp-image-15440" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rJaBlu 768w, http://ift.tt/2t1XsYZ 192w, http://ift.tt/2t25Szf 375w, http://ift.tt/2rJ4SMD 600w, http://ift.tt/2t1LNsW 435w, http://ift.tt/2rJmmZe 1122w, http://ift.tt/2t1tIeM 840w, http://ift.tt/2rJd7br 687w, http://ift.tt/2t1YofJ 414w, http://ift.tt/2rIX5ym 354w" sizes="(max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Wrapping bars with Laurel</p></div><br /> Cocoa butter is cast into cute little blocks, and cocoa powder packed into sachets. The factory also make the most amazing bananas, solar dried just outside with the driers built by Mott. I encouraged them to try other fruits – definitely mangoes!</p> <p>Making chocolate in the tropics is always going to be a challenge, with the associated heat and humidity, but with a lot of ingenuity, and determination, the GCC do an amazing job. Where the occasional bit of air-con struggles, fans help, and in other rooms, the northerly breeze is a welcome relief when it catches you as it blows through the intense heat. Mott and Edmond were very astute in starting off the business refurbishing old machinery or building their own, or creating additions or tweaking every now and then. As the company grew, they invested in bigger machinery which would allow them to increase production.</p> <p>As I finished my final day in the factory, all I could think was how I wanted to stay longer, but how lucky I was to have experienced it, and to understand the true value of the chocolate we’re all so fond of here at Rococo.</p> <p>On the way back to the wonderful <a href="http://ift.tt/2t1KL0c">Petite Anse hotel</a>, I paid a quick visit to our <a href="http://ift.tt/2rJd7It">Grococo plantation</a>. I crossed over Mott’s memorial bridge. <div id="attachment_12714" style="width: 650px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img data-attachment-id="12714" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t1Yy6Q" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rJmnMM" data-orig-size="640,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":""}" data-image-title="Mott Green Memorial Rococo Chocolates Grenada Chocolate Company Bridge Belmont" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2t1Z1py" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rJmnMM" src="http://ift.tt/2rJmnMM" alt="Mott Green Memorial Rococo Chocolates Grenada Chocolate Company Bridge Belmont" width="640" height="960" class="size-full wp-image-12714" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rJmnMM 640w, http://ift.tt/2t1Z1py 333w, http://ift.tt/2rJbuKN 600w, http://ift.tt/2t28i15 386w, http://ift.tt/2rJd933 466w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Mott Green Memorial Rococo Chocolates Grenada Chocolate Company Bridge Belmont</p></div></p> <p>It was quite an emotional moment for me after so many years and so many stories. Bananas and other fruits give way to the cocoa trees, and I took several photos of pods with the Grenadian sunbeams striking them, which look almost artificially lit. Chatting to Kemron, I was struck by how engaged all the GCC staff are, as he spoke to me of harvesting with the Farm team, and the challenges of organic production. We’re resting the GruGrococo bar this year, but I look forward to the next series, as I can now picture the cocoa fields where it grows.</p> <a href='http://ift.tt/2t21OPq'><img width="1050" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2rJ7UAw" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rJ7UAw 1050w, http://ift.tt/2t237y6 256w, http://ift.tt/2rIJxmt 680w, http://ift.tt/2t1AT6y 768w, http://ift.tt/2rJkVKz 1024w, http://ift.tt/2t2aR3c 600w, http://ift.tt/2rJ3cD0 296w, http://ift.tt/2t28vRN 870w" sizes="(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px" data-attachment-id="15386" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t21OPq" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2rJfZFo" data-orig-size="5184,3456" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Blog-3-Grococo-Pod" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2rIJxmt" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2rJkVKz" /></a> <a href='http://ift.tt/2t2ihmL'><img width="1050" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2rJ4TAb" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="" srcset="http://ift.tt/2rJ4TAb 1050w, http://ift.tt/2t1ATU6 600w, http://ift.tt/2rJ7U3u 296w" sizes="(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px" data-attachment-id="15385" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2t2ihmL" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2t1YrrV" data-orig-size="3456,5184" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Blog-3-Grococo-Pod-Sunbeam" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2rJ7SJ2" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2t1YrYX" /></a> <a href='http://ift.tt/2rIX5OS'><img width="931" height="700" src="http://ift.tt/2t2rY4G" class="attachment-big-size size-big-size" alt="Grococo Pod" srcset="http://ift.tt/2t2rY4G 1023w, http://ift.tt/2rJg4ca 399w" sizes="(max-width: 931px) 100vw, 931px" data-attachment-id="640" data-permalink="http://ift.tt/2rIX5OS" data-orig-file="http://ift.tt/2t2rY4G" data-orig-size="1023,769" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"","camera":"FinePix S602 ZOOM","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1113138192","copyright":"","focal_length":"28.6","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.00333333333333","title":""}" data-image-title="Grococo cocoa pods" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="http://ift.tt/2rJg4ca" data-large-file="http://ift.tt/2t2rY4G" /></a> <p>Read my next post to see what it’s like in the Company’s Bonbon shop.</p> The Grenada Chocolate Factory [3/4]

This place and the people that work there held almost mythical status for me, their photos being all over our media and in our shops, and their story such an intrinsic part of that of Rococo. They are perhaps, one of the main reasons that I was attracted to work at Rococo in the first place. I’d used their chocolate for years previously, had won an Academy Award with a caramel dipped in their 60%, and had followed their progress and the sad loss of Mott Green, one of the co-founders and the inspiration behind this remarkable company. For me, spending time here, if you can imagine, was more akin to a pilgrimage than work experience or a holiday.

After taking probably our hundredth wrong turn on the maze of unsigned roads, we asked the locals for directions, and pulled up at the wonderful little multi-coloured factory, which sits in the middle of a residential road in the forested hills.

Context is everything

I met and talked with Jim, the manager, about all the great things about the company, the challenges facing them, and how I could help during my stay. I wanted to experience the entire process. I sorted fermented and dried beans with Miss Joyce, who deftly picks through the mounds of beans to remove bad ones, or hard, empty shells.

Weighing beans: The sorted beans get returned to sacks, then weighed out to go in the large, spherical roaster, usually worked by Edmond, though many of the team, including Ron McDonald, have been there for years and know the whole process too.

A powerful jet of flame heats the machine while the beans rotate, then after the prescribed time, they are allowed to fall into a rotating cooler underneath. The smell of the roasting beans is intense and glorious. It’s not just a generic smell of chocolate, or cocoa beans in general, but is a unique, scent created by the origin, and the roasting time. Edmond is very careful not to over-roast, as Mott taught him how detrimental to the taste this can be.

Roasting beans with Edmond

Batch after batch of beans are successively roasted, cooled to around 30 degrees, and then carried upstairs in 12kg buckets to be fed into the hopper for winnowing – hard work in the tropical heat! Their winnower is one of the best I’ve seen, with very little shell left in the nib.

The buckets of winnowed nibs

Nothing goes to waste – sorting any stray nibs too large for the winnower

Buckets of rich, red-brown nib are then put into the mélangeur, to be roughly ground, with the appropriate amount of sugar for the percentage, then the resulting paste transferred to the refiner for conching. Again, the smell in this room is intoxicating as the just-roasted nibs are ground to a paste and then refined to create the chocolate we know and love. 2 X PHOTO

Dwayne transferring from mélangeur to refiner

One of two things can then happen. The 82, 71 and 60 percentages are cast into eating bars or chefs bars, which are larger 227g bars which we use at Rococo to create our House Blend, and also some of our ganaches. The 100% is either cast into a bar, or put in a tank, which is heated then used to make cocoa butter and cocoa powder. Another impressive bit of kit, built by Mott, the Cocoa Butter presses reminded me of something you’d find in a centuries-old factory in Yorkshire. Heavy, black iron structures which are gradually fed with cocoa liquor, which is then put under hundreds of pounds of pressure, forcing out the liquid cocoa butter into a pot below, and making a solid cake of the drier cocoa powder, which is removed and packed as cocoa powder for the international market, or as ‘Smilo’ for Grenada. They can’t make enough to keep up with local demand!

The cake of cocoa powder emerges

Bars are cooled and then wrapped by hand, by a small team of packers including Laurel and Rashida, who also both work part-time in the bonbon shop as chocolatiers.

Wrapping bars with Laurel

Cocoa butter is cast into cute little blocks, and cocoa powder packed into sachets. The factory also make the most amazing bananas, solar dried just outside with the driers built by Mott. I encouraged them to try other fruits – definitely mangoes!

Making chocolate in the tropics is always going to be a challenge, with the associated heat and humidity, but with a lot of ingenuity, and determination, the GCC do an amazing job. Where the occasional bit of air-con struggles, fans help, and in other rooms, the northerly breeze is a welcome relief when it catches you as it blows through the intense heat. Mott and Edmond were very astute in starting off the business refurbishing old machinery or building their own, or creating additions or tweaking every now and then. As the company grew, they invested in bigger machinery which would allow them to increase production.

As I finished my final day in the factory, all I could think was how I wanted to stay longer, but how lucky I was to have experienced it, and to understand the true value of the chocolate we’re all so fond of here at Rococo.

On the way back to the wonderful Petite Anse hotel, I paid a quick visit to our Grococo plantation. I crossed over Mott’s memorial bridge.

Mott Green Memorial Rococo Chocolates Grenada Chocolate Company Bridge Belmont

It was quite an emotional moment for me after so many years and so many stories. Bananas and other fruits give way to the cocoa trees, and I took several photos of pods with the Grenadian sunbeams striking them, which look almost artificially lit. Chatting to Kemron, I was struck by how engaged all the GCC staff are, as he spoke to me of harvesting with the Farm team, and the challenges of organic production. We’re resting the GruGrococo bar this year, but I look forward to the next series, as I can now picture the cocoa fields where it grows.

Read my next post to see what it’s like in the Company’s Bonbon shop.

from The Grenada Chocolate Factory [3/4]

#The Grenada Chocolate Factory [3/4]

0 notes