Bean to Bar Chocolate

Manufacturing Class Course Certification Workshop India

Experience the first Bean to Bar Chocolate Making Manufacturing Course in India! Learn how to create chocolate from scratch using micro-batch equipment. Over three days, you will dive deep into the world of cacao and chocolate, exploring topics such as cacao origins, flavor profiles, agricultural impacts, harvesting, post-harvesting processes, and the complete bean-to-bar process.

In this comprehensive program, you will master cocoa butter pressing, roast profiles, cracking, winnowing techniques, refining, grinding, conching, tempering, molding, adding flavors, recipe formulation, packaging, storage, transportation, equipment, raw materials, scaling up, financials, business planning, market strategies, and pricing. We have also added a segment on nut butter making.

The course is led by Poonam Chordia and L Nitin Chordia, India’s only certified chocolate tasters. You will work with Indian-origin cocoa beans and experiment with various recipes. Many students and alumni from Cocoashala have achieved recognition, winning awards at the Asia Pacific ICA 2023.

• Award-winning Bean to Bar Chocolate brands include:
  – Gold: Paul And Mike – 57% Vegan Milk Indian Style Masala Chai
  – Silver: Paul And Mike – 72% Dark Sula Dindori Reserve Shiraz
  – Silver: Kocoatrait – 65% Dark Masala Chai
  – Silver: Savorworks Roasters – 72% Gin & Tonic
  – Silver: Paul And Mike – 64% Dark Chocolate with Gin & Ginger
  – Silver: Paul And Mike – 64% Dark Sichuan Pepper & Orange Peel
  – Silver: La Folie – Silk Route
  – Silver: Chitra’m Craft Chocolates – White Chocolate Masala Chaas
  – Silver:  Paul & Mike – Pistachios & Idukki Cardamom Milk Chocolate (2024 Asia Pacific)
  – Bronze: Paul And Mike – 87% Dark Chocolate
  – Bronze: Manam Chocolate – 43% Milk, Lam Dong, and Ben Tre, Vietnam
  – Bronze: La Folie – Kelagur Coffee Bar
  – Bronze: Paul And Mike – 64% Dark Rum & Rummy Raisins Chocolate
  – Bronze: Paul And Mike – 64% Dark Beer Chocolate
  – Bronze: Manam – Cocoa Butter
  – Bronze: Manam 67% Dark Chocolate

Join us for this unique opportunity to become a certified Bean to Bar chocolate maker! Read on for day to day schedule.

 What’s included on Day 1:

Presentation on:

• Virtual trip to Cocoa Farm
• Cocoa Varieties (Popular Indian Varieties and associated Myths)
• Cocoa growing Vs Processing Countries
• Introduction to Post Harvesting methods (The right and the wring ones!)
• Cleaning, Grading & Sorting of Cacao
• Determining quality of Cacao
• How to roast Cacao (Taste Low, Medium & High roasted cocoa and Chocolates)
• Removing shell & preparing nibs
• Grinding, Refining and conching for flavour development
• Introduction to Chocolate tempering, moulding & Demoulding (types of tempering)
• Difference between Industrial Vs Micro Batch
• Difference between and definition of Compound, Pure, Courverture and Bean to bar chocolates
• Definition of Bean to Bar chocolate (FSSAI rules)

Followed by:

• Hands-on live step by step demonstration of chocolate making using small batch equipment
• Small Batch Equipment selection and discussion on Pros & Cons, Limitations of each equipment .
• Hands-on chocolate making steps (Including Roast Profiles, Cracking Techniques, Winnowing Techniques, Grinding, Conching, Adding Flavours, Tempering, Moulding)
• Raw Materials discussion – The sources of raw materials & Equipment externally shall not be discussed.
• Grade, Roast, Crack & Winnow Cocoa beans to prepare for making the chocolate.
• Some raw materials and equipment are available at Cocoashala for purchase.
• Approach to Recipe Development for Bean to Bar, Couverture, Industrial Chocolate & Compound
• Recipes used by mass market chocolate brands and how they reduce costs
• Introduction to the Million Dollar Club of Chocolates. What does it take to make a chocolate recipe that can earn you a Million Dollars and also increase your chances of being selected to be evaluated for an award?
• Initiate the making of different batches of chocolate with various Roast, Fermentation & Drying & Profiles.
• How do you measure the particle size of chocolate and its impact and best practises.

What’s included on Day 2:

• Discussion on variations in each step/stage
• Live Demonstration of Cocoa Butter Pressing
• Bean to Bar Vs Pure Vs Industrial Vs Compound – The differences and discussions
• Craft Vs Bean to Bar chocolate – Discussion
• Discussion on Estimates/Forecast for setting up a Bean to Bar, Pure Chocolate or Compound business
• Challenges and opportunities in Bean to Bar in India
• Tasting of Indian & international origin chocolates and beans (New!)
• Details of “Point of failure” and “Reasons of Success” at each step/stage of the bean to bar making process

What’s included on Day 3:

• Tempering Techniques
• “Finish” (Temper, Mould & Demould) all the 3 batches of chocolates
• Chocolate Tasting/Appreciation methodology
• Tasting of the batch of chocolate that you would make
• Tasting of some defective chocolates (and discussion on reasons)
• Detailed Business Plan for various capacities including Recipe / BOM Costing, loss at each stage and residue strategy.
• Approach to prepare a DPR (Detailed Project Report) for bank loan (New!) – Please note, DPR preparation is the job of a Chartered Accountant (CA) and it must be made by a CA.
• New! More detailed Profit & Loss and Business Plan including ROI (without Balance Sheet)
• Equipments required when expanding (Pros and Cons)
• Equipment and Capacity Expansion Strategy/approach/tips
• Insights into large scale cocoa/chocolate processing equipments
• Infrastructure required (for various Capacities)
• Sourcing approach/Tips
• Branding / Marketing / Sales approach/tips and discussion
• Outlook of the current Indian market & forecast
• GAP in the current market
• Detailed discussion on storage, transportation and packaging

Who should take this On Boarding course?

Our comprehensive 3-day program is designed for anyone looking to expand their current business or start a new venture as a Micro-batch Bean to Bar Chocopreneur.

Recent Update:

Several Indian Bean to Bar chocolate brands have won awards at the Asia Pacific ICA 2023! Notable winners include Paul & Mike (Gold), Kocoatrait (Silver), Savorworks (Silver), and Bon Fiction (Bronze). These brands have been incubated at Cocoashala or are proud students and alumni. At Cocoashala, we aim to ensure more Indian brands participate and win at the ICA, helping India establish a strong presence on the world Cocoa/Chocolate map. We will discuss strategies for winning awards at the ICA, providing you with the best opportunity to succeed, though we cannot guarantee an award. Join us on our Mission ICA!

Testimonials & Reviews

As the world’s only bean to bar chocolate training institute and business incubation center, Cocoashala has made significant contributions to the bean to bar chocolate industry in India and beyond. Below are some testimonials from leading chocolate makers in India who have shared their experiences and recognized our impact in mainstream media. We are grateful for their kind words and honored to be part of their journey.

Video: Reviews of Cocoashala, Chennai: https://youtu.be/_X6OAAQAhR8

“Training and consultation from Nitin at Cocoashala was instrumental in kickstarting Paul And Mike in quick time. In addition to chocolate making, his insights about the Indian consumer were critical to create the right product portfolio” – Vikas Temani—Business Head, Paul & Mike Craft Chocolates, India. (https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/chennai-start-up-cocoashala-churns-out-bean-to-bar-chocolate-entrepreneurs/article66107686.ece)

I had an excellent learning experience at Cocoashala. I gained in-depth and enriching knowledge about chocolate making, especially their teaching techniques and the step-by-step approach to understanding particle size, chocolate formulation, and machinery. Their explanations were always clear and backed by the right technical information, which helped me understand how to solve problems properly. The introduction to chocolate equipment, hands-on learning, and the way they guided us through each process was truly world-class. Their cordial attitude and willingness to answer every question made the whole program even more valuable. Even though my country’s demand is mostly for compound , I strongly believe that anyone who wants to master chocolate must first understand the fundamentals of bean-to-bar making. Cocoashala is the perfect place to learn these core principles. I am truly thankful for the knowledge I received, and I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to learn chocolate making seriously and professionally. – MUHAMMAD Fourkan

“Specifically for bean to bar chocolate, to understand how it is made,” he recommends keen parties pay a visit to Cocoashala School in Chennai. https://www.cntraveller.in/story/india-chocolate-making-how-to-advice-from-6-professionals/

Kumar and Palanisamy of Soklet took samples to Chennai-based L Nitin Chordia, India’s first certified chocolate taster, and asked him to give them a try. “If he wasn’t going to like them, both the idea and the chocolate were going to be binned,” said Palanisamy. But Chordia liked what they’d done and that led to birth of bean-to-bar brand Soklet. – Palanisamy, Co-Founder, Soklet Tree to Bar Chocolate, India. (https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/business-of-brands/farmers-chocolatiers-look-to-create-a-market-for-indian-flavoured-chocolates/68018214)

“In the first workshop on chocolate making, I learnt about the process followed by chocolatiers. The second workshop was a step forward to getting the fermentation right, identifying the right flavours in the cacao, etc.,” – Akhil Grandhi, Founder, Bon Fiction Bean to Bar Chocolates, India. (https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/artisanal-craft-chocolates-made-in-rajahmundry/article66135297.ece)

“It was a coincidence I came across cocoashala when I was searching for things I could do with chocolate. I signed up as soon as I saw they have a bean to bar workshop. What a wonderful coinsidence it was! The wealth of knowledge I obtained from Nithin and Poonam has given me a completely new perspective on the wonders of cocoa and chocolate. Not only was the workshop informative they were very forthcoming with answering all and any of my queries. They took the pains to provide us a wealth of information on trends, flavours, processes, the science behind them and more importantly the opportunities ahead! My personal interaction with Nithin proved to me his motto is to make more and more people fall in love with something wonderful that is chocolate and let everyone in on the secrets of making it. I could not have found a better person to learn from. I wish them and cocoashala all the success they can achieve!” – Akhil Grandhi, Founder, Bon Fiction Bean to Bar Chocolates, India

“I would like to thank Nithin for making the 3 days wonderfull online session during this covid -19 situation.. and could able to deliver the information as much as possible.. He explained the true Bean to Bar process and shown his innovative ideas making sucessfull equipments and materials, which also helped others too.. really enjoyed it the session and learnt a lot, all the questions he could answervery well and shown his expertise.. only the physical feel of the complete setup and process is missing.. But to maximum extent he has shown the actual demo.. waiting to come out from this covid19 .. so that I can have quick tour on Cocoashala and feel the actual setup and process.. With this complete training and support from Cocoatrait, now its a time to pitch in making Bean to Bar Chocolate and educate the people and help Farmer, which will bring more green and organic whixh is very much essential going ahead.. Looking for your guidance and support in the upcoming Cocoa Journey.. THANK YOU again Regards, Balasubrahmanya P S” – Balasubrahmanya P S, Co- Founder, Anuttama Chocolates https://www.anuttamaproducts.com/

“Myself and my wife had a life time experience at cocoashala. Mr Nitin and his wife Mrs Poonam gave us a clear demonstration and hands on experience of bean to bar chocolate making .” – Muralidhar Rao, Moddy’s Chocolate & Modern Stores, Ooty. https://moddys.in/

I attended the 3-day Bean-to-Bar class at Cocoashala, and it was truly the best learning experience ever. It’s the perfect place to explore and understand chocolate in depth. All three days were intense, extremely informative, and packed with hands-on learning. A heartfelt thank you to Nitin sir for generously sharing his knowledge and experience — it felt like going on a complete chocolate work tour. Tasting so many unique and diverse chocolate flavours was an unforgettable part of the journey. The practical, hands-on training by Poonam ma’am was exceptional. She is truly an inspiration with her unmatched taste and mastery — the ultimate recipe queen! Choosing Cocoashala for a complete, from-scratch training was one of my best decisions. I also met wonderful people and am grateful to be part of such a warm and passionate community. – K P Divya

I attended a 3-day workshop that was an incredible deep dive into the art of chocolate making, perfectly balancing technical theory with hands-on practice. Nitin and Poonam were knowledgeable and passionate, guiding us seamlessly from roasting raw beans to tempering the final bar, while also training our palates in chocolate tasting. I walked away not just with delicious chocolate, but with the confidence and skills to start experimenting on my own. Sukesh Kumar

It was a pleasure to be a part of Bean to Bar Community. The 3 day intense workshop on B2B covers the origin and evolutioin of cacao farming in India and Globally. Bean to Bar is an extensive and elaborate process where only the finest quality chocolates are produced. I never heard of Bean to Bar until i came across an article about Cocoashala last year. That lead me to enter the community. The 3 day Course covers topics on equipments, machines, tools used. An indepth knowledge transfer was done on the process of making pure chocolates. To begin with choosing the right cacao bean is vital to achieve finer results (Good quality Chocolate). Lecture covered process like roasting, conching, winnowing and grinding the nibs on a choco grinder. 3 Day workshops gives us hands on experience in understanding the core concepts which includes costing and financial related queries. If you are looking for an academy with pool of knowledge, you are in right hands. Blessed to be part of this B2B community.Blessed to have a mentor like Nitin Sir. Thank you Nitin & Poonam – Founders of Cocoashala. ganesan subhalakshmi

This is truly the best bean-to-bar chocolate-making course ever! Nitin covers almost every topic in detail, and the best part is that you can always reach out to him whenever you have doubts. He even helped me source quality beans and guided me with machine recommendations to get started. Poonam is an absolute delight—so patient, so calm, and incredibly skilled. She makes tempering look effortless! I would highly recommend this course to anyone planning to start a bean-to-bar chocolate business. It’s worth every bit! 🍫✨ – Ananta Gurung

Cocoashala, founded by Nitin and Poonam Chordia, is a great resource for aspiring bean-to-bar chocolate entrepreneurs in India and around the world. Their 3-day training program offers an immersive experience in craft chocolate making, from visiting cocoa farms virtually to understand the beans; to hands-on chocolate making and tempering. It also covers the business side of things, with insights into the financials of chocolate manufacturing. This program is a great way to gain the knowledge and skills needed to launch a successful bean-to-bar chocolate business. If you’re looking for a comprehensive understanding of the world of cocoa and chocolate, this course is highly recommended. – Chinthu Udayarajan, India

“I studied at an institute in Tamil Nadu to master the art of bean-to-bar chocolate making.” – Paweena Wu, Founder, Savorworks Artisanal Chocolate (https://www.indulgexpress.com/food/trends/2023/jul/07/desi-twistindian-chocolatiers-making-waves-in-theartisanal-sweets-making-world-50748.html)

“It was a great experience to attend this workshop and see by myself how a recipe can be calculated, balanced, create, physically make a trial and compare result of 2 similar recipes with some difference. The knowledge of opening your own bean to bar facility at entry level has been so simplified and inexpensive. I am happy that I attended it.” – Munish Gupta, Windsor Chocolatier, Gurugram http://www.windsorchocolatier.com/

“I took a certified course of Bean to Bar Chocolate Making with Cocoashala to understand all the ins and outs of the process” – Sonali Gupta, Founder, Cacaoly Chocolates (https://www.cacaoly.in/story) “Had a great experience with Nitin Sir and Poonam Ma’am in the 3 days bean to bar program. It was so informative,easy to understand yet detailed and a fun learning experience. Thankyou so much.” – Sonali Gupta, Founder, Cacaoly Chocolates https://www.cacaoly.in/

“I enrolled for September batch. It was a lovely experience in learning the art of chocolate making. Nitin & Poonam were very cooperative . They addressed each query very patiently and cleared all the doubts we had prior to class and also during it. They make great mentors and advisors.” – Rushdah Humaira, Rushk Chocolates Rushdah Humaira is a “Bean to Bar” chocolate maker (and operates Rushk Bean to Bar Chocolates) trained from Cocoashala under famous Chocolatier L Nitin Chordia. https://rushkchocolates.com/

“After months of anticipation, endless research, and relentless hard work, I’ve finally found my path to a brighter future, and it feels incredibly rewarding. My journey began with a transformative three-day workshop in Chennai, led by the remarkable Nitin Chordiya, India’s first chocolate taster. It was there, amidst the rich aroma of cocoa and the art of crafting chocolates from scratch, that I discovered my passion for the world of chocolate. I knew there was something special here, something that went beyond just making sweets. The more I learned, the more I saw a world filled with possibilities—a chance to bring pure, artisanal chocolates to life and share them with others. This vision, combined with months of research, gave birth to Cioca.” Samruddhi Walvekar, Founder, Cioca Chocolates.

“My friend and I came from Thailand to have 3 day Micro-batch Bean to Bar Chocolate marking certification class with Cocoashala. We really enjoyed this course ! Nitin and Poonam gave us the excellent understanding in bean to bar chocolate and how to make many varieties of chocolate. The best part of this course is finacial program for business. We really like this course, highly recommend this course to everyone who’s interested in bean to bar chocolate !!! Jib/Oath” – https://maps.app.goo.gl/fTZxED2H1WzP1nup8

“I recently completed a three day bean-to-bar chocolate making workshop at cocoashala, Mr Nithin and Poonam was extremely Knowledgeable ,Friendly and Very Patient , explained and demonstrated the techniques very well at the same time made it an enjoyable experience. Overall I would thoroughly recommended the course to anyone that has an interested in chocolate and would like to improve their skills.” – Renji George, Kerala

“We took the 3 days Bean to Bar course and it was one of the best choices we have made for our passion for chocolates. Firstly the hospitality by Mr. Nitin Sir and Mrs. Poonam Ma’am was so warm and friendly. Their knowledge for chocolates is profound. We got hands on practice in making chocolates from bean to bar and all the necessary theories. We were taught from basics to business. Mr. Nitin Sir patiently clears all your doubts and is ready to help you out with anything. By the end of the third day we were confident enough to make our own pure chocolate and it was very satisfying. We thoroughly enjoyed this course.” Vipin Paul, Ooty

“Hi,..i have attended the 3 days hands on Bean to Bar workshop, which I would say the best classes I have ever come across. Mr. Nitin is so passionate in chocolate, that he knows how to really conduct a full fledged classes in deep even though it’s a 3 days workshop.He handles the chocolate making part with detailed explanation in each and every process, and also makes us to try out the process.Mrs.Punam his better-half is a wonderful woman, she handles the tempering part, truffle, Bon-bon and different butters, where we be doing for us under her supervision. Both of them are very patient enough and truely enlightened in their part. They are always ready to help in any matter related, without any hesitation. I’m also thankful to Sharanya and Vickey Bhayya (their assistants) for the help throughout the workshop. It’s like a PG class were, they inculcate us with knowledge and rest is in our hands to how to take up with further research, trial and error method. I really recommend Cocoashala, All the very best to the team 😊👍” – Mizria Milan, Dubai

“I have done professional chocolate making course in Delhi where I was taught to handle compound and make different types of chocolates. I always wanted to make my own chocolate from scratch which I learnt was called Bean to Bar. I searched the net for learning the above course. My search led to Cocotrait in Chennai. My joy knew no bounds. I called Nitin and visited his place and learnt about the course structure and details. I had the opportunity to do the course in June. It was a wonderful experience learning under Nitin and Poonam who teach with a passion. They have a vast knowledge and abroad exposure. The best was they are full of innovative ideas and were encouraging to establish start up. I am really grateful to have learnt from them. They have set me on my journey to make my own bean to bar chocolates.” – Sepuri Durga, Banglaore

“I had a very good experience and learning with Nitin and Poonam during the bean to bar workshop. Details and technical information was openly shared and we had the opportunity to go through the entire process from bean to bar. I had the opportunity as well to do the cacao and chocolate tasting course. It was a complete journey into the origins of cacao, quality, cacao and chocolate profiles and tasting a variety of chocolates from around the world. The organisation was impecable. Thank you Nitin for sharing your knowledge and your enthusiasm during the course.” Claudia Victoria, Columbia

“I absolutely enjoyed my class in Cocoashala . It was fun and informative session on chocolate that helps me understand how to work with chocolate better as a baker and definitely paves the way for going organic in baking and chocolate making.Thank you Nitin and Poonam for a great session and sharing your passion for the craft of chocolate making. My one suggestion is that you have different classes for chocolate making and another to understand the business part of bean to bar.” – Suganya Kannan, Chennai

“I consider myself to be very lucky to have been introduced to a whole new world of chocolate making from bean to bar. It was lovely meeting Nitin and Poonam who(to my knowledge) are an authority to chocolate making in India. I enjoyed every bit of the chocolate making sessions at Cocoashala. I was spellbound to know the richness of chocolate and the history behind it. I am sure that this association with Chocolates and Cocoashala is going to go along way. Bhavesh Doshi, Belgaum.”

“Excellent bean to bar in Chennai, easy to see the passion they put on CACAO and the extra interest of maintaining traceability and transparency. I have also taken the CACAO tasting courses taught by the INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE AND CHOCOLATE AND CACAO TASTING highly recommended” – Cesar Magana, France

“Had gone for the bean to bar course and it was an amazing learning experience. I would say this is a must do course for all the chocolatiers out there. Nitin’s energy and way of conducting the course is also too good :)” – Nadheem Mohamed, Kerala/Dubai

“I recently completed a three day bean-to-bar chocolate-making workshop at Cocoashala. These courses are rare and so I was glad to find this one which currently runs monthly (approx.). Overall I was highly satisfied with the experience – from the communication beforehand right through to the workshop itself. The hospitality was first class and it represented good value for money. Nitin and Poonam divided the workshop between them which was good as I got the perspective of two people on the various stages of bean-to-bar. Secondly, because the workshop is run inside the actual facility where this business operates, one gets a very real sense of what it is like to work in the industry. Therefore it makes it easier to visualize what the needs and space requirements are if one were to set up business. With respect to areas of improvement, I would suggest adding more videos and photos to the educational component on farming. Obviously, the fermentation and drying sections of the course were only covered theoretically for obvious reasons. However, given the importance of these stages, I think an expanded stock of videos would enhance the experience. Last but not least, if it were at all possible to offer escorted tours to farms, I think there would be huge interest. Although I realize this may be difficult in practice. Best wishes for the future.” – Conor Kilgallen, Scotland

“Had an amazing experience attending the Bean to Bar and Levels 1 &2 Chocolate Tasting Certificate courses conducted by Cocoshala. Thoughtfully structured keeping in mind both national as well as international trends in craft chocolates, between Nitin, Poonam and Martin, the entire 7 days felt like Charlie’s guided tour of the Willy Wonka factory…for craft chocolates! Worth every penny and every minute spent with them. Nitin and Poonam proved to be the most amazing couple, absolutely passionate about making chocolates as well as imparting the knowledge to everyone around them. Proof of the proverbial pudding (or chocolate, in this case) lies in the international diversity of the participants who attend their courses.” – Roshini Alexander Korath, Kerala

“I had a great experience with Nitin ji in the Bean to Bar course. Lots of discussions and from cocoa bean to bar chocolate done at home was really awsome with the aroma still lingering in the mind….thanks a lot Nitin ji.” – Vidhya Shree, Bangalore

Hey all chocolate lovers !!!
Anything Chocolate A to Z Cocoshala is definitely a go to place. Both Nitin ji n Poonam ji Are great teachers n mentors. Very enthusiastic n warm n welcoming personalities. I thank them both immensely !!! – Neetu Gupta

It’s a wonderful and the best learning opportunity I got through cocoashala on my chocolate making intrest .Mr Nitin -this man transfers his hard gained experience to us very easily which makes us more engaged towards the making..Mrs Punam -perfectionist who will make you to realise why we need to follow process and how to achieve a perfect product. Thanks both for the opportunity. kamalraj M

 

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