SOMETHING YUMMY, SOMETHING CHOCOLATEY
One day two school time friends, both of them IT professionals working in large high-tech corporations, decided to start their own business. They came up with a number of ideas – from an IT startup to… a chocolate factory. Driven by the business potential of the venture, they agreed on the chocolate factory. The truth is that neither of them knew much about chocolate production but thanks to books and websites their knowledge on the topic soon became such that they were able to move on to the next level.
Equipped with all the theory on the chocolate-making process, Krzysztof Stypułkowski and Tomasz Sienkiewicz set themselves three objectives, the attainment of which was to be a test of whether their dream was at all feasible: first – to choose the right cocoa beans, second – to get the right machinery, third – to find the right premises.
FIRST – THE COCOA BEANS
As it turned out there is only one company inPolandthat imports cocoa beans. Their minimum order amount – a cargo container of 22 tons, or else it is not even worth entering a new client in the company data base.
Ultimately the two wannabe chocolatiers managed to overcome this obstacle but let’s keep the details a secret. They began experimenting with roasting, taking note of temperature, roasting time, and most importantly - taste. Finally they came up with a perfect recipe.
SECOND – THE MACHINERY
When trying to solve the problem of machines and equipment, Krzysztof and Tomasz found out that today’s chocolate is essentially made on fully automatic production lines, which may be good for large-scale production but NOT FOR A MANUFACTURE. They wanted to select and roast the beans themselves, then grind them and cook them. One of them remembered that when inIndiahe had seen locals making rice flour using very simple machines. Could they be used for cocoa processing too? To Krzysztof and Tomasz’s delight, it turned out that they could.
THIRD – THE PREMISES
They soon also found the right place for their business, which was a piece of cake compared with the other challenges they had successfully faced.
Later they found out from a friend working in the coffee industry about work abuse on coffee and cocoa plantations, about slave and child labor. The cocoa tree is also the second, right after cotton, most heavily fertilized plant in the world. It naturally grows in tropical rainforests, in the shadow of other plants. In such conditions its large-scale cultivation is very onerous, which is why planters grow cocoa trees in vast fields instead. Without intensive fertilization, delicate cocoa trees would dry and die in no time.
Krzysztof and Tomasz are determined to manufacture products of the very finest quality and ethical issues matter too. Hence, they have been using organic and free trade ingredients right from the beginning. The main difference is that organic cocoa tree farmin relies on small patches of land deep in the rainforest, which are owned and managed by local farmers. What is more, frequent and thorough quality controls contribute to the strengthening and promotion of fair trade standards.
Chocolate products bearing the logo of Manufaktura Czekolady (Chocolate Manufacture) are a true breath of fresh air in the Polish market – they are handmade from scratch, they guarantee the highest quality ingredients, they contain no artificial preservatives or flavor enhancers, and they boast intriguing combinations such as chocolate with sea salt, roasted cocoa beans or chili. Interestingly enough the latter combination was already known and appreciated by the Aztecs!
The two Polish maîtres chocolatier (chocolate makers) did not rest on laurels. Their plan now is to make a selection of “Grand Cru” chocolates made from cocoa beans from different countries around the globe so that chocolate lovers can discover and enjoy a whole new range of rich and diverse chocolate tastes.
The Dreamers: Krzysztof Stypułkowski and Tomasz Sienkiewicz
Photo: manufakturaczekolady.pl
