Venezuelan Black from Willie Harcourt-Cooze

UK viewers can catch a Seventypercent tasting tonight on Channel 4′s docu-drama series Willie’s Wonky Chocolate Factory.

The series is all about Willie’s long journey from buying a plantation in Venezuela to producing his own ‘chocolate bars’ (actually cylinders of 100% roughly ground cacao) in Devon. Not quite finished chocolate as we know it, more like cacao liquor with some extra refining. This is a very traditional South and Central American type product, which can be used a cooking ingredient or used to make hot chocolate.

While light in style, the series is at least getting the idea that the source, variety and treatment of cacao beans that are used to make chocolate products matter, and that the best tasting chocolate comes from a process of artisanal production and care, not industrial bulk production.

Last week featured top UK chocolatier William Curley making truffles from Willie’s products, something we’re hoping to try in the near future if we can persuade William to make some more!

If you want to try some of Willie’s chocolate in person and find out more about Venezuelan beans and chocolate, come along to our next monthly tasting in London on April 8th.