The similarities between these coffee and chocolate are quite astounding from bean to bar, fruit to cup it really is an amazing adventure to follow. It's firstly important to understand the global shift in the way that we consume products which have greatly influenced both industries. This shift has seen more and more people demanding transparency in production processes and encouraging an emphasis on artisanal or handcrafted products.
This is something we have seen in chocolate with the so-called 'bean-to-bar' chocolate movement hitting Singapore now and we are starting to see this trend spread throughout the Southeast Asian area. However, it is not just chocolate that this movement has affected, from coffee to beer the trend is here, and looks likely to stay.
This focus on quality and traceability has been at the core of Hello Chocolate business since the beginning as we strive to bring you an a-grade product every time. Our ethos is to know the farmer and the maker and to support each step to your table. We want to live up to what craft means - a person or place known for making something very well.
With this premise, we hooked up with the good people at Common Man Coffee Roasters to pair together some of their delicious chocolate with our coffee. Their entire range is specially curated to bring together a range of espressos and filtered coffee which showcase different textures and flavours. They also only carry products which pay attention to the source of ingredients and show a strong sense of social responsibility towards everyone involved in the production process - just our sort of people!
Just a brief comparison between the two industries, both coffee and chocolate are produced by tropical trees grown between 30 degrees north or south of the equator. Although they are grown at different altitudes (cacao in lower, warm climates whilst coffee much higher, cooler conditions), both trees are harvested for their seeds which then are processed (fermented, washed or sun-dried in most cases) to produce the beans we then roast to create the final product.
Interestingly there are also two original varietals of coffee (robusta and arabica) and cacao trees (criollo and forastero) with further species which are hybrids of these being found throughout the production region.
The night was filled with espresso and filter fun as we encouraged the guests to let the chocolate slowly melt on their tongues before letting the coffee flow over it bringing out all those delicious ever evolving flavour combinations.
The best part of the night was that all proceeds from ticket sales where donated to The Leukaemia and Lymphoma Foundation Singapore who provide financial and emotional support for people with blood cancers and their caregivers.
Watch out for more events like these subscribing to our Hello Chocolate mail list, and remember if you would like to host a party or a chocolate appreciation workshop get in touch with us here.