Food & Drink: Honest Chocolate Artisanal Chocolatier
Honest Chocolate [South Africa]
[Image credits: clockwise from top left, Bonbons, Chocolate Spread, Chocolate Slabs – Honest Chocolate]
Experimentation using raw cacao to produce a healthy treat led to the creation of Honest Chocolate; a small artisanal chocolate company based in Cape Town, South Africa. The company’s founder, Anthony Gird began teaching himself the art of chocolate making and was soon joined by Michael de Klerk who had also been experimenting with raw chocolate whilst in London. Using ‘traditional, old school chocolate-making methods’ small batches are handmade by a team of four that includes Anthony and Michael.
Honest Chocolate chocolates are made using raw organic cacao that comes from Ecuador; raw refers to cacao beans that are not roasted and therefore said to be higher in antioxidants and good for you… any excuse to eat more chocolate! Honest Chocolate’s products contains no preservatives or artificial flavours, and are free of dairy and processed sugar; the chocolate is instead, sweetened with organic Agave nectar The end result is a dark pure chocolate with natural flavours; I am noticing that the more I eat dark chocolate the less palatable I am finding milk chocolate. The chocolate range includes: bonbons with a soft melty praline centre encased in a hard chocolate shell; hand moulded chocolate bars that are flavoured either with Orange; Kalahari Desert Salt; Coffee; Maca, a root from Peru that is said to be a source of vitality and energy; or Nibs, crushed cacao beans sprinkled onto the slab; and a rather decadent looking chocolate spread. From beautiful boxes to distinctively illustrated wrappers, all the chocolates are either boxed or individually hand-wrapped on the premises.
Additional details:
For further information about Honest Chocolate and to find stockists visit: http://honestchocolate.co.za
