Share
Tweet
Share
- What does the label bean-to-bar mean?
- Why crafted at origin is a viable solution for bean-to-bar products?
- What makes crafted at origin special?
- The future of craft chocolate.
How could you describe the taste of good chocolate? if you were to stop and really describe the flavour, you may find yourself discovering sweet, sour, earthy or floral notes and even subtle hints of fruit.
Chocolate can have many different flavours, but not only does this reflect the cocoa variety, it includes the richness of the soil and growing region of the culture it comes from.
Whilst regions do allow for cocoa beans to have their own distinct flavour, many consumers have been programmed to expect every bar of chocolate to taste the same. This is due to large-scale chocolate-making companies standardising the taste and using a blend of beans, with a lot of added sugar and vanilla.
In reality, people no longer want this experience. Instead, consumers are looking for something special with a story behind it. This is where Luker comes in and the concept of ‘bean-to-bar’.
WHAT DOES THE LABEL OF BEAN-TO-BAR MEAN?
Bean-to-bar by definition means that the maker of the chocolate oversees the entire process, from growing the initial beans to roasting and turning them into chocolate.
The concept of bean-to-bar all stemmed from a few decades ago, with coffee. Originally, single origin coffee only existed in coffee shops. Today, it enjoys global recognition as consumers have recognised the quality and benefits of intricate flavours. It is this movement that has expanded to different products whose origin sets them apart, offering a premium quality that you cannot find elsewhere.
Consumers recognise this added value more because not only does it bring the best characteristics of an origin but its traceability throughout its creation is easier to find, making sure that what you are consuming comes from a place where things are done in the right way.
Instead of creating a uniform product, the focus is on bringing out the variety of flavours and creating something special. Normally, this means usings beans from one country or the same farm to harness the unique flavour. This type of chocolate is called single origin, but at Luker we like to take it one step further by crafting our chocolate at origin.
WHY CRAFTED AT ORIGIN IS A VIABLE SOLUTION FOR BEAN-TO-BAR PRODUCTS?
Crafted at Origin is an approach we’ve learned over decades of working with cocoa farmers. plantations and chocolate businesses. It’s also our own way of doing things, the Luker Way. It entails, having full control, and hence the responsibility, of all actors in the cocoa value chain which helps us understand and maximise the value for all of them.
We frankly believe this approach provides bean-to-bar brands with:
- A process responsible with the environment where the product gets sourced.
- A process which will maximise the economic value for the cocoa farmer.
- A process with total transparency. We can pinpoint any variable that might be fundamental for the product to succeed.
Down to earth, consumers do prefer products that can demonstrate the origin of their ingredients but ultimately, if the source is doing good for the planet or not.
85% of consumers globally say information on what is in their food is of significant importance whilst 59% want to know where their food comes from and how it is made Innova Consumer Survey 2021
WHAT MAKES CRAFTED AT ORIGIN SPECIAL?
The meaning of ‘crafted at origin’ can be explained by splitting the term in two. When we talk about something being crafted, we are talking about something that was made with a lot of care, hard work and has a story behind it. And then we have origin, which refers to special features that describe a unique place.
Put these together and we have our crafted at origin chocolate – a chocolate that is carefully made with Luker’s detailed expertise since the early 1900’s, processed from bean to bar in the single origin of Colombia.
Usually when people talk about single origin they talk about a cacao bean coming from just one region or a process made in one place. We combine these two options to have a completely crafted at origin chocolate.
The idea of crafted at origin chocolate is not just knowing the maker, but the farmers and processes behind the cacao beans. While Luker’s chocolate is crafted at origin, there are multiple cacao growing communities in Colombia that help us make one of the finest chocolates in the world.
The fact that our chocolate comes from farms all around Colombia means that Luker gets to work first hand with communities that also grow Cacao Fino de Aroma. Luker currently has three farms that support surrounding communities to provide the best quality cocoa beans and support them directly to follow best practices and make the most income out of their harvest.
SUSTAINABLE BEAN-TO-BAR CHOCOLATE MANUFACTURER
Together, we can form the exact properties we’re looking for in the most sustainable way and grow together. We have ongoing projects with these communities not only to help them grow high quality cacao but also to grow as a community in different aspects like education, well-being and more.
These close relationships we’ve built with farmers and their communities also allows for full transparency across each part of the process. At Luker Chocolate, we are working everyday to make sure that our clients are aware of the importance of the traceability that comes with a crafted at origin product. Sharing how it can benefit their own storytelling and the efforts towards creating a better world through chocolate.
THE FUTURE OF CRAFT CHOCOLATE
What is next for crafted at origin chocolate and Luker?
“Our chocolates are crafted at origin, allowing us to assure the quality and stability of the product tastes relevant to current consumers’ demands inclined for high end products.
We are putting the necessary effort and knowledge to bring innovation in our product development approach to innovate. For us, this requiresto be connected to what’s happening at origin.
Everyone must keep assuring the quality of the cocoa crops and the well-being of the people in that cocoa value chain. That’s what allows chocolate entrepreneurs to locate a reliable business partner to manufacture their products.”
Crafted at origin has certainly started a movement. For Luker and our clients, we don’t want to just sell a product, we want to connect with consumers and make everyone feel like they are part of something bigger.
The growing demand for attributes including sustainability and socially responsible certifications has played a key role in the development of the industry. Not only are we able to distinguish ourselves for our fine flavour, but already Luker adheres to ethical practices and is focused on improving the working conditions of our suppliers.
We can only hope to continue working with our clients to become a best practice example and prioritise the sustainable development of the communities we work with.
