Chocolate product guide | Henley Bridge

TASTE SENSATION
Belcolade is the ultimate
in true Belgian chocolate.
With over 30 years’ experience crafting real Belgian
chocolate, the finest cocoa is carefully sourced
from around the globe, whilst every step of the
manufacturing process is conducted in the classic
Belgian style. The result is a chocolate with
outstanding flavour, texture and functionality.
From Belgian taste favourites to single origin gems,
Belcolade offers a unique flavour for every creation
with a superior taste which remains true to the original
cocoa bean. From buttons to blocks, there’s a format
to suit every occasion.
CHOCOLATE HERITAGE
Based in Erembodegem, just west of Brussels, Belgium,
Belcolade is part of the international Puratos Group.
Back in the 1980s, when many of Belgium’s large
flagship chocolate companies were taken over by
foreign groups, Puratos decided to protect one of
the most precious elements of Belgium’s culinary
heritage: real Belgian chocolate. Everything was built
from scratch: from the brand itself to the flavour
profiles and the factory.
A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR CHOCOLATE
Belcolade has pioneered Cacao-Trace, a sustainable
cocoa sourcing programme that is redefining the
standard for chocolate. Cacao-Trace was launched
in 2013 after the company decided to develop its
own approach for better control of the cocoa chain.
The programme – which is validated by independent,
third-party certification – focuses on taste
improvement rather than productivity, and adds
to the typical industry standards of training cocoa
farmers and fair pricing.
‘FERM’ FOUNDATIONS
Proper fermentation is the key to great tasting
chocolate. Belcolade’s team of experts work closely
with cocoa farmers to help them to produce cocoa
beans of superior quality. Traditionally in chocolate,
different quality cocoa beans are bulk-blended to get
a standardised quality and taste, but Cacao-Trace takes
a different approach. Instead, cocoa beans are selected
for their character and their quality is carefully checked.
EXPERT HELP
The beans are fermented in post-harvest centres close to the farmers in Ivory Coast, Mexico, Papua New Guinea,
Philippines and Vietnam. This way, the natural taste potential of the beans can fully develop and can eventually be
expressed in the final chocolate. By adapting the fermentation criteria, it even allows them to adapt the flavour from
the same beans to personal preferences. Delivering wet beans to the post-harvest centres (instead of fermenting and
drying themselves) also gives cocoa farmers more time to spend on other activities on their plantation.
WIN WIN
The end result is great tasting chocolate which earns
the cocoa farmers more money. They also receive an
additional Chocolate Bonus (of 10 cents) for every kilo
of chocolate sold, which can add up to one or two months
of additional salary. Chocolatiers benefit by having access
to chocolate of the highest quality - so it’s a win-win for
everyone. The Cacao-Trace programme also runs projects
to improve local communities in cacao-growing regions.
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