Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Making Intensive
A full-day immersive chocolate making experience
Join Nicola - founder, chocolate maker, and author of The Self-Taught Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Maker - for an intimate hands-on exploration of how chocolate is made from cacao bean to finished bar.
Designed for curious makers, chocolate lovers, and those drawn to a slower, more thoughtful approach to learning, this small-group intensive offers the opportunity to experience the bean-to-bar process in depth within a real working chocolate space.
Throughout the day, you’ll taste a range of bean-to-bar chocolates, explore how flavour develops at each stage of production, and take part in key parts of the chocolate-making process yourself - from roasting and refining through to tempering and working with chocolate by hand.
Alongside the practical process, we’ll explore:
how origin, fermentation, roasting, and refining shape flavour
what makes bean-to-bar chocolate distinct from industrial chocolate
the sensory side of tasting and evaluating chocolate
the craft, patience, and decision-making behind small-batch chocolate making
This is a relaxed but immersive day designed to deepen your understanding of chocolate through tasting, making, discussion, and hands-on experience.
No prior experience is needed - only curiosity and an interest in the process.
What You’ll Experience
Guided tasting and comparison of bean-to-bar chocolates
Insight into how flavour develops throughout the chocolate-making process
Hands-on involvement in key stages of production
Chocolate tempering and working with chocolate by hand
Practical understanding you can continue exploring at home
Who It’s For
This workshop is ideal for:
those curious about how chocolate is really made
aspiring bean-to-bar makers
bakers, makers, and food enthusiasts who enjoy understanding craft and process
anyone drawn to slower, more intentional learning experiences
Details
🗓 Saturday 11 July
🕒 10:00–16:00
📍 Nicola’s Chocolate, Exeter
👥 Limited to 6 places
💰 £149 per person
Includes a copy of The Self-Taught Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Maker to continue your learning at home.
What’s Included
Guided small-group instruction throughout the day
Tastings and all materials
Chocolate to take home
A copy of The Self-Taught Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Maker
Additional Information
A calm, focused, and hands-on experience with plenty of opportunity to ask questions, explore the process in detail, and develop a deeper understanding of bean-to-bar chocolate making.
Booking
Places are intentionally limited to keep the experience personal, immersive, and hands-on.