Sabi Phagura goes behind the scenes of the super-premium Firetree chocolate company in Cambridgeshire to find out more about the ingredients of success.
If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to eat healthy by avoiding chocolate, and you’re now falling by the wayside, don’t fret.
There’s a solution to keep you on track whereby you can have your chocolate and eat it. The answer to this ‘problem’ goes by the name of Firetree, a British brand all about quality and taste.
There’s no denying that Brits are a nation of chocolate lovers. They consume more chocolate than Switzerland, a country renowned for its sweet treats.
It is hardly surprising when it’s forever being reported that it is heart-healthy due to the flavanols in cocoa beans.
As antioxidants, they may reduce damage to cells. However, before we sugar coat it, chocolate – including the dark variety – is still high in sugar and fat, and is laden in extra calories.
An Idea is Born
The single-estate rich volcanic chocolate from the remote Pacific Islands and Madagascar was the brainchild of David Zulman, Martyn O’Dare and Aidan Bishop.
The trio, who between them have amassed 85 years of experience in the chocolate industry, had the vision to create a brand of the sweet stuff like no other.
David grew up playing in cocoa sacks in his grandfather’s chocolate company in South Africa, while Martyn worked for chocolate manufacturer Cacao Barry before becoming a UK General Manager of Cargill Chocolate.
They came up with the idea in a north London pub in 2016 and spent nine months carving out plans.
Fast forward to today, and the Cambridgeshire-made chocolate is now a bespoke high-end chocolate manufacturer and boasts vegan and dairy-free credentials. The current Firetree collection comprises seven bars with a variety of complexity and intensity, each from a separate high-quality farm.
The Collection
Tasting the products at Firetree was of paramount importance, and I tried several different types of chocolate during my visit.
I learned there are certain hallmarks to expect from good quality chocolate – two of the most important ones being the ‘snap’ when you break it and that ‘slow melt in the mouth’ when you taste it.
I was even given precise instructions on how to enjoy it. “Just like a good wine or coffee, good chocolate is something to be savoured since the unique flavour profile of our single-estate bars can take a while to come through,” said Martyn.
“So first, snap a piece off the bar and breathe in the aroma, allowing those different scents and fragrances to linger. Now place the chocolate on your tongue and allow it to slowly melt. You’ll gradually find those subtle tasting notes building up over time,”.
I did as instructed, and what an experience it was for my taste buds! I tend to find dark chocolate bitter, especially when it’s over 70 per cent cocoa, but hands down, this chocolate had none of the bitterness or after-taste.
It literally melted away in the mouth like the milk chocolate variety. I could be converted, and it looked like I wasn’t the only one.
Going from Strength to Strength
Since its launch, Firetree has collected an impressive list of B2B customers, both in the UK and abroad, as the brand capitalises on the premiumisation trend in the chocolate market.
The company has gone from strength to strength, initially supplying its high-quality chocolate to prestigious retailers and chocolatiers such as Harrods, Paul A Young, Melt and Rococo and Artisan du Chocolat.
Not to be complacent, they recently managed to convince Chocolatory (Nestle) Japan to buy their volcanic chocolate. Perhaps it’s because, at Firetree, they like to do things a little differently.
Best Quality Cacao
“Our dedication to creating the perfect taste is a lengthy process”, Martyn told me. And indeed, it is.
The remote islands of the southern Pacific and Oceania are part of what is known as “the ring of fire” – a circle of 452 volcanoes surrounding that ocean. This is where you will discover the firetree, or cocoa tree, with its flame-hued pods.
The firetree thrives on the rich, porous volcanic soil that is found on these islands. It’s here and a few other places in the world, like the volcanic island of Madagascar, where the manufacturer sources the cocoa from.
Cocoa pods need to ripen to perfection and require the experience and expertise of local farmers to pass through several times during the harvest to check on them.
Only perfectly ripened pods are picked before fermentation of the cocoa beans can begin. This is more of an art than a science, and the best farmers can tell if they have fermented for long enough just using their sense of touch.
The beans are then sun-dried before being sent to the chocolate factory where the skilled craftsmen roast, grind and conche the mixture. This brings out the cocoa’s sumptuous flavours and helps create rich volcanic chocolate.
Martyn tells me they only deal with farmers directly. “There are a few reasons we like to pay a premium. Firstly, because we believe that if you want great-tasting chocolate, you have to be prepared to pay extra for the ingredients.
“Secondly, it means that the farmers can afford to maintain high ethical and sustainable standards and still provide for their families.”
The Future
Firetree aims to have a presence in every key market that appreciates indulgent products, and they have started to build the export business, initially focusing on the US, Canada, the Middle East and Asia, with other markets to follow.
There’s certainly demand out there for high-quality chocolate, and Firetree certainly knows how to tap into it.
Firetree – Where and How?
All seven Firetree single-estate varieties, which range from 69% to 100% cocoa, are available to buy in a box set at £45. For more information on Firetree, visit www.firetreechocolate.com.
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