Our process from bean to bonbon
Selection of the cocoa beans
Everything starts with the cocoa beans. In our workshop, we select them by hand. We remove beans that are moldy, eaten away, or otherwise not in good condition. This is a time-consuming task, but absolutely necessary. A single bad bean can affect the flavor of the entire batch. We want to be sure that only the best beans move on to the next step.
Roasting at low temperature
After selection, the beans go into the oven. We roast them at a relatively low temperature to bring out the flavors without burning or making them bitter. During roasting, we carefully smell whether the beans develop the desired aromas; this is also a moment when we can still adjust. Roasting too briefly results in a flat taste, roasting too long often makes it too bitter.
Cracking and winnowing
After roasting, we carefully crack the beans so they break into nibs and shells. The nibs are what we want to use, as they are the pure cocoa meat. We separate the shells with a winnowing machine. This device sucks away the light shells from the heavier nibs. It is important that we carry out this process precisely, because leftover shells give an unpleasant, woody taste. That is why we then perform a manual check to remove the last shells.
Cocoa shells as mulch
At Atelier de Bruijn, sustainability takes a tangible form: our cocoa shells get a second life as natural mulch in the vegetable garden. Especially with the strawberry plants, they prove their worth by protecting the soil, retaining moisture, and limiting weed growth. These strawberries then find their way back into our refined ganaches — a circular process where flavor, craftsmanship, and respect for raw materials come together.
Caring for quality
We perform every step in our process with care. We measure temperatures, smell, feel, and taste where necessary. It is our job to ensure that the base, the nibs, are clean and perfect. Only then can we proceed with grinding, conching, and tempering, and ultimately making our bonbons. It is hard work, but the result starts here, with our hands and our care.
