Bare Bones Chocolate is a WB approved, micro-batch, bean to bar chocolate company based in Glasgow.

As chocolate and speciality food enthusiasts, Cameron and Lara created their own brand that was built on incredible chocolate with impeccable detail through every process. They make chocolate in a railway arch in Glasgow's city centre in micro-batches. They roast their cacao on a Giesen coffee roaster and have built and modified a lot of their equipment, to get the best possible quality for the batch sizes. They want to highlight the importance of good chocolate – free from emulsifiers and additives.

They designed the branding themselves in a simplistic and minimalist style that compliments the quality of the chocolate inside. They wanted to create packaging that mother nature would be proud of – focusing on reducing their impact on the planet rather than increasing profit margins! All of their packaging is sourced inside the UK. They use packaging that is from recycled sources and which is recyclable or biodegradable/compostable after eating. Their beautiful boxes are made using recycled paper coffee cups and their wrappers are from Vegware - no foil, no plastic.

They want to build a sustainable brand that can make a difference in the chocolate and food scene. They want to share their fascination for cacao with their customers and demonstrate how incredible it can taste – without soya lecithin, vegetable fats or additives. Chocolate should be pure, delicious and ethical. Honouring the farmers, the cacao and the maker.

Bare Bones Chocolate are one of the very few UK producers who craft from their chocolate from bean to bar.

They choose the best cacao beans from rare origins around the world and pay a premium price for them. Buying speciality cacao means paying far beyond the global market fair trade price. Paying for the worth of the cacao is so important in guaranteeing high-quality crops, creating a sustainable future for the farm and building a mutually beneficial relationship with the farmers. It’s not magic – an incredible chocolate bar starts with an incredible farmer.

Once the sacks arrive at at their workshop, their process is long, with care taken at every stage:

They roast their beans in a modified coffee roaster in 5kg batches. They like to roast light and slow – to allow the sugars to caramelise in the bean and the natural flavours to develop.

They then crack the roasted beans to separate the outer husk from the nibs using a modified grain mill. They add the nibs and a small percentage of cocoa butter to a heavy stone grinder called a melanger. Then add sugar and grind for up to 72 hours reducing the particle size of the ingredients. This 3-day process also works to mellow the chocolate, eliminating the volatile acids and bitterness commonly associated with dark chocolate.

They age their chocolate for 2-3 weeks to allow the flavours to develop further. Much like cheese or fine-wine, chocolate changes and enriches over time.

After ageing, the temper the chocolate, aligning its crystal structure to stabilise the chocolate and give it a crisp snap!