With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we’d like to highlight Bullion Chocolate, a fabulous bean-to-bar chocolate company, making their own chocolate here in Yorkshire. Bullion produce Single Origin 70% dark chocolate from countries as diverse as Haiti, Bolivia and Guatemala, with each chocolate bar having its own distinct taste. We chatted to founder Max Scotford about his huge passion for chocolate and what inspired him to start his own production.
What was the inspiration behind your business?
Bullion developed from a passion, and being a trained chef made me want to dig deeper. Over years of research and fine-tuning the process, I found myself total immersed in the world of chocolate.
I learned that the Ancient Mayans actually used cocoa beans as a form of currency and were valuing the humble cocoa bean more than gold! This really inspired me to restore this sense of value by sourcing and using the highest quality beans in order to make the best possible chocolate.
Ultimately, I really want Bullion Chocolate to speak for the growers and the unique personality of the beans they produce. It is a platform to give cocoa the appreciation it deserves.
What are the benefits of a bean-to-bar chocolate?
Bean-to-bar is the best thing to happen to chocolate! Similar to that of craft coffee or craft beer, it’s a movement based around passion, care, and innovation. Bean-to-bar chocolate is made all under one roof, with a lot of attention paid to highest quality ingredients and craft methods. This small-batch approach uses minimal processing and unlocks a whole new world of potential flavour profiles from a single origin.
Are there any great chocolatiers that you admire?
There are many people that I think are doing great things for the world of chocolate. But the guys at Dandelion Chocolate are really doing bean-to-bar justice over in the states. They’re considered pioneers of the moment and are producing some truly delicious chocolate.
Are you looking to introduce any new products next year?
We’re looking into making some smaller bars, perfect for snacking and we’re in the process of developing some new bar types but I’ll have to keep that under wraps. We’re also moving into the realms of hot chocolate and cooking with our chocolate so watch this space.
How would you suggest enjoying your chocolate? What would you drink with it? beer/wine/port/tea??
I’m a big fan of having the chocolate as pure as possible so you can really taste the nuances from each origin. That being said, we recently teamed up with The Yorkshire Wine School and paired each of our bars with a variety of Malbecs – they were very complimentary and I would highly recommend if you’re wanting to indulge.
What is your favourite place/part of Yorkshire?
I have fond memories of the east coast, and I’ve visited every year since I was a child. Fish and chips in hand, can’t beat it!
Bullion’s 3 distinct bars are available to buy in SWEET FINK and are often on taste, so pop in and see if you can taste the difference!
For more information visit the website at www.bullionchocolate.com or follow Matt on social media.
