The ring of fire & volcanoes
From remote oceanic islands comes a rich volcanic chocolate with its own unique taste

Volcanoes
The remote islands of the southern Pacific and Oceania are part of what is known as“the ring of fire”

A circle of 452 volcanoes surrounding that ocean. This is where you will discover the Firetree, or cocoa tree, with its flame-hued pods.

The Firetree thrives on the rich, porous volcanic soil that is found on these islands. It’s here and a few other places in the world like the volcanic island of Madagascar, where we source our cocoa from. But the soil is only the beginning of our story.

Unparalleled Craft
To create a chocolate without parallel, we need cocoa pods ripened to perfection. 

That’s where the experience and expertise of our local farmers comes in. The pods ripen when they are good and ready, and not all at the same time. So the farmers pass through the estate several times during harvest and pick only the pods that are perfectly ripe. 

Then it’s onto the fermentation of the cocoa beans. This is more of an art than a science and the best farmers can tell if they have fermented for long enough just using their sense of touch – and years of experience. 

The beans are then sun dried before they’re sent to the chocolate factory where the skilled craftsmen roast, grind and conche the mixture. This brings out the cocoa’s sumptuous flavours, and helps create a rich volcanic chocolate that is not only vegetarian but Halal and Kosher compliant too.

Our chocolate
Much like the grapes in winemaking, the cocoa beans from each of our estate partners have their own unique taste.

These delicate flavours are what make our chocolate so distinctive. So, each variation we create, only uses cocoa from a single estate or farm holding. This allows you to enjoy the distinct tastes and
nuances of each chocolate in the same way you might enjoy a range of finewines.

But our dedication to creating the perfect taste doesn’t stop here. We make sure that we use the exact percentage of cocoa for each variety, depending on which estate the cocoa comes from: not too little and not too much. It means you can experience the subtle flavours and overtones of each individual variety of cocoa to the very full.

How Best To Enjoy
There are certain hallmarks you should expect from a top quality chocolate.

Its clean shine, the “snap” it makes when you break it, and that slow melt in the mouth. Just like a good wine or coffee, good chocolate is something to be savoured, since the unique flavour profile of our single-estate bars can take a while to come through. So first, snap a piece off the bar and breathe in the aroma

Linger over those different aromas and fragrances. Then place the chocolate on your tongue and allow it to slowly melt, luxuriating in the taste as it develops and grows. You’ll gradually find those subtle tasting notes building up over time as you savour the unique flavour of each variety of chocolate.

our Islands

Explore some of our remote volcanic islands, see where they are located, see the local landscapes, some of the wonderful fauna and of course, meet our farmers.

Our farmers
INSTEAD OF DEALING WITH OUR FARMERS THROUGH AGENTS, WE GO TO THEM DIRECTLY.  

By cutting out the middle man, the farmers get more for their hard work and quality. We pay a substantial premium above the market rate, giving our farmers the chance to provide for their families and commit to the high agricultural standards that makes for great cocoa. There are a few reasons we like to pay this premium. Firstly, because we believe that if you want a great tasting chocolate you have to be prepared to pay extra for top quality. Secondly, it means that the farmers can afford to maintain high ethical and sustainable standards, and still provide for their families. Finally, this allows us to mutually agree the bean quality. Our Farmers are proud of their cocoa beans and delighted to be partners in crating one of the world’s best rated chocolate.

Shop

The collection

Madagascar Sambirano Valley 84%
£3.50
Papua New Guinea Karkar Island 72%
£3.50
Philippines Mindanao 73%
£3.50