What does the future hold?

‘Remember that lovely chocolatey waft when the lid was first popped open? The rustle of the padded menu card that listed all the different types? The first glimpse of the chocolates themselves, crouching obediently in their individual berths, a battalion of taste grenades ready to be detonated?’ These are the memories of Jan Moir, in a recent article from the Daily Mail about the disappointment in Cadbury’s Milk Tray. This comes after a number of unsatisfied customers complained on social networking sites about the quality of the chocolate. It is believed that there has been a change in the texture and taste, and people are now describing the product as ‘cheap’, ‘boring’ and ‘bland’.

Mail on Sunday reporter Valerie Elliott discusses the worry about ‘the loss of another historic British brand’ and possible reasons behind it. There is some suggestion that the change was caused by the takeover of Cadbury by American food company Kraft, but they have been quick to defend Milk Tray. A spokesperson stated; ‘We have not seen any increase in complaints about Milk Tray’, adding that in the UK there is approximately £20 million worth of sales every year. Moir writes that ‘generations of British children understood that Cadbury made the greatest chocolate in the world. But that was then and this is now’. It is rather disappointing to think that a once loved recipe has been changed to cater for the demands of a modern society. Many people remember the ‘thick, glossy’ chocolate, which is now ‘waxy and thin’ due to a switch to ‘cheaper ingredients such as soya and vegetable oils.’

I wonder if the disappointment expressed in these articles will continue to grow as we progress into the 21st Century. It is a shame to think that a British brand such as Cadbury, which has brought so much happiness to people’s lives, has fallen victim to rich overseas companies.

Something that is very important to people in today's society is the preservation of the planet. Many companies have policies in place to protect the environment, by replacing what they use, if possible. I found this interview with Philipp Kauffmann, a conservationist who is the co-founder of Original Beans, a company which was set up to replenish any cocoa that is consumed. Here is what he had to say about chocolate. The full interview can be found at: http://www.festivalchocolate.co.uk/2012/02/masters-of-chocolate-interview-philipp-kauffmann/

Q. Where did your love of chocolate begin?

A. In the rainforests. Cacao is a magical tree, mythical like our olive and apple tree. I love the tree, with its beautiful flowers, the funny fruit on the stem, with this uniquely fine perfume and taste of lychee, pear, citrus… And I love the gentle humid air of a tropical forest, with all the endless sounds and all this abundance. That is what I want to taste in a chocolate.

Q. Tell us one fact about chocolate that you find fascinating.

A. That the evolution of chocolate is actually just the beginning. All the really exciting developments – discovering and protecting the diversity of cacao, developing flavours through fermentation, changing the industry to become sustainable – are ahead of us.
At Original Beans, we use Domori’s ratio that of 100% end product quality, 50% comes from nature (i.e. variety, soil, biodiversity, shade, etc.), 25% is added by the craftsmanship of a cacao farmer (farming, harvest, fermentation, drying), and only 25% we add in the factory (roasting, grinding, conching).

The industry has hardly invested in the last 25%, i.e. good manufacture. Let alone in the remaining 75%. Now that the consumer is slowly discovering all of this, there is so much to develop and change for the better.

Q. If you were stranded on a desert island which chocolate would you most crave?

A. One that doesn’t melt too quickly! So: dark cacao, but enough sugars to taste fruit flavors. You can already hear: I’d have to bring a library, like Original Beans ‘Story of Cacao in 4 Bars’.

Further research about the company's work showed me just how important chocolate is, and the necessity to keep replenishing stocks so that the world can continue to enjoy the pleasures that chocolate provides. I think it's brilliant that people are guaranteeing the protection of the environment, as well as providing us with delicious chocolate.

Another development in the chocolate world is the creation of a chocolate printer. It is now possible to design something unique that you can then use the machine to 'print' in chocolate. It makes you realise just how many uses people can find for chocolate.