During our several journeys through Brazil and Colombia, we had the privilege of working directly on cacao plantations alongside the producers themselves. Immersed in the lush, vibrant nature of these regions, we experienced what can only be described as love at first sight with cacao. That encounter changed everything.

As a Belgian artisan chocolatier, we have carried this passion ever since, with one clear ambition: to honor the terroir and the centuries-old expertise of cacao growers across the world, in Nicaragua, the Philippines, India, Colombia, Indonesia, Peru, Brazil and Venezuela. Each origin tells a story, and each farmer contributes knowledge passed down through generations.

This is why we choose only the finest origin ingredients, working with beans that are cultivated responsibly and respectfully, to create a Belgian chocolate that is not only authentic but also deeply connected to the people and lands from which it comes. Our commitment is to craft chocolate that celebrates both tradition and sustainability, offering an experience that goes far beyond taste, one that reflects respect, transparency, and excellence at every step of the journey.

Honoring cacao and its origins

With our chocolate, we aim to celebrate the terroir and centuries-old knowledge of cacao farmers, embedding our artisanal savoir-faire within a sustainable and respectful approach. For us, creating an exceptional Belgian chocolate begins with one essential step: selecting only the finest cacao beans.

All of our cacao is fully traceable and sustainably sourced. From the moment the beans are harvested to the final stages of production in our Brussels workshop, we know exactly where our cacao comes from and who the farmers behind it are. We work only with trusted partners who cultivate their beans with respect for the environment, biodiversity, and human rights. This ensures not only exceptional quality and unique flavors, but also a chocolate that reflects our commitment to fairness, sustainability, and transparency.

Authentic belgian craftsmanship

From sourcing to blending, through the meticulous sorting and refining of the beans, every stage of production is personally overseen by ourselves. Our workshop is one of the very few in Belgium to both roast and conch its own beans, ensuring that every creation reflects true authenticity and artisanal expertise.

We are officially certified by the belgian government as a true and honest handcraft chocolate maker. This certification is a recognition of our dedication to artisanal methods, authenticity, and transparency. Unlike industrial producers, we craft our chocolate entirely by hand, starting from the cacao bean itself, which we roast, refine, and transform in our own workshop in Brussels. The certification is more than just a label, it is a guarantee for our clients and partners that every chocolate we produce respects Belgian craftsmanship traditions, ethical sourcing, and the highest quality standards.

100% pure cocoa butter and no soy lecithin

As part of our ecological commitment, we made the choice to completely eliminate soy lecithin from all our recipes. While widely used in the chocolate industry, soy cultivation is one of the main drivers of illegal deforestation in the Amazon, causing irreparable damage to ecosystems, biodiversity, and local communities. For us, contributing to this destructive cycle is simply not an option.

Instead, we craft every one of our chocolates with only pure cocoa butter, the very same cocoa butter produced from the beans we source directly from smallholder farms. This guarantees not only the integrity and traceability of our ingredients, but also a consistency in taste and texture that reflects our dedication to quality. By removing soy lecithin, we align our artisanal savoir-faire with our environmental values, ensuring that every bite of our chocolate respects both people and the planet.

Boycott of CCN-51 hybrid beans

We have made a clear and lasting commitment never to work with CCN-51 (Castro Naranjal 51), a hybrid cacao variety created in Ecuador. Although this strain is praised for its extremely high yields and resistance to disease, its cultivation comes at a heavy environmental cost. CCN-51 requires vast quantities of water, exhausts the soil, and encourages monocultures that threaten local ecosystems. Even more concerning, its spread endangers biodiversity by pushing out native cacao varieties; many of which are less profitable but infinitely richer in flavor, history, and cultural heritage.

By boycotting CCN-51, we stand firmly in defense of the environment and of genetic diversity in cacao. We choose instead to work with farmers who cultivate traditional and fine-flavor varieties, often handed down through generations. This decision ensures not only a more sustainable agricultural future, but also preserves the complexity and authenticity of chocolate itself, safeguarding a rich mosaic of aromas, terroirs, and traditions that industrial hybrids can never replace.

No child labour and full respect for human rights

The plantations we partner with strictly follow the principles set out by the International Labour Organization and UNICEF. We categorically refuse to source cacao from any farm where child labour, exploitation, or practices that undermine children’s health, education, dignity, or future are present. For us, protecting childhood and ensuring safe, fair opportunities for the next generation is non-negotiable.

Respect for human rights is not just part of our policy; it is a cornerstone of our identity as a chocolatier. We take care to ensure that every worker in our supply chain benefits from decent, safe, and fair working conditions, in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This commitment goes hand in hand with the way we purchase our cacao: we pay farmers a price that is entirely independent of the fluctuations of the international commodity market. Our price is always higher, and when the amount farmers ask for does not truly reflect the value of their labor, we go further, increasing the price to guarantee they are fairly compensated.

By choosing this approach, we support farming communities in building stable livelihoods, preserving their dignity, and continuing to cultivate cacao in ways that respect both people and the planet. For us, this is what honest Belgian chocolate should stand for.

Toward the most responsible Belgian chocolate possible

We are fully aware that sourcing the finest cacao from around the world comes with an ecological cost. Every journey to Brazil, Colombia, Peru, or the Philippines to meet farmers, select beans, and build strong, transparent relationships leaves a footprint on the planet. Acknowledging this reality is essential to us, because responsibility begins with honesty.

This is why we are deeply committed to steadily moving toward carbon neutrality across every part of our operations. Our ambition goes far beyond words: it guides how we choose our partners, design our production methods, and organize our logistics. In our workshop, we have invested in energy-efficient machinery to reduce electricity consumption. For packaging, we deliberately avoid plastic, opting instead for recycled cardboard, bio-sourced PLA films, and natural inks. For e-commerce, we use biodegradable cornstarch fillers that dissolve in water or compost, ensuring our deliveries leave no trace behind.

We also favor short circuits wherever possible: all of our chocolates are packaged locally in Brussels, in our own shops, to reduce unnecessary transport and strengthen the local economy. At the same time, by paying higher-than-market prices directly to our farmers, we help them continue to cultivate cacao in agroforestry systems that protect biodiversity, capture carbon, and enrich the soil; a natural ally in the fight against climate change.

Our path to carbon neutrality is a journey, not an endpoint. Every year, we set new goals to minimize our impact and improve our practices, because for us, making exceptional chocolate means nothing if it is not also respectful of the Earth. When you taste our chocolate, you are not only discovering the richness of bean-to-bar craftsmanship, but also supporting a vision of sustainability that connects farmers, artisans, and chocolate lovers around the world.

Our chocolate factory embraces the “bean to bar” philosophy, a commitment to crafting chocolate in an artisanal way, starting with a careful selection of cacao beans. This approach ensures that every stage of production, from roasting to conching, is handled with respect for tradition, quality, and authenticity.

But the story does not begin in our workshop. When we meet the men and women who cultivate these beans, we are reminded that the “tree to bean” dimension is just as vital as the artistry that transforms beans into Belgian chocolate. The work of the farmers, their care for the soil, their respect for biodiversity, their ancestral knowledge, is the foundation upon which true chocolate excellence is built. Without their dedication, there could be no genuine bean-to-bar chocolate.

By valuing both ends of this journey, from the cacao tree to the final bar, we ensure that our chocolates not only carry exceptional flavor but also embody fairness, sustainability, and a deep connection to the people and lands where cacao is born.

Many chocolatiers, even some very famous ones, purchase their raw material from specialized suppliers, working with pre-made couverture chocolate that has already been processed industrially. In contrast, the “bean to bar” movement represents a return to authenticity: an artisanal process that begins not with finished chocolate, but with the cacao bean itself.

This philosophy changes everything. From the careful selection of beans to the slow and precise roasting that unlocks their unique aromas, every stage of production is carried out in-house. The beans are cracked, winnowed, ground, refined, and conched all under our watchful eye. We value and protect a savoir-faire that is increasingly rare in Belgium. By mastering these steps, we ensure complete control over the final flavor, texture, and quality of the chocolate.

This is what we call “bean to bar” an artisanal journey from cacao bean to finished chocolate bar. It is a process that requires patience, dedication, and passion, but it also guarantees a chocolate that is truly honest and authentic. Each bar reflects not only the terroir of the cacao origin but also the craftsmanship that transforms a raw bean into a Belgian chocolate of exceptional character.