Master the Art of the Chocolatier
Forget melting store-bought chocolate. At Lavonne, you learn to roast, grind, and temper your own chocolate from raw cacao beans. It is a messy, scientific, and rewarding journey.
Our bean-to-bar journey starts at the source. We take students to cacao farms to understand the science, craft, and origins of chocolate, exploring the entire process from the tree to the pod.
A collage showing the harvest. Students witness firsthand the hard work of farmers breaking open cacao pods and gathering the beans, a crucial first step in chocolate making.
There's nothing like tasting fresh cacao pulp straight from the pod. This sensory experience is a vital part of understanding the raw ingredient before it's transformed into chocolate.
From raw cacao beans to exquisite artisan chocolate. Our students learn the entire bean-to-bar process, including roasting, winnowing, grinding, and tempering, in this immersive workshop.
A visiting master chocolatier explains the nuances of bean-to-bar chocolate making to our students, sharing expert knowledge on sourcing and processing.
An intimate moment of learning during our bean-to-bar masterclass, where students can ask questions and engage directly with world-class experts.
A chef demonstrates how to load roasted cacao nibs into a grinder, a key step in creating smooth, refined chocolate liquor.
About this collection
Real chocolate making starts with a heavy-duty melanger and a deep understanding of temperature curves. You will be hands-on with roasting cacao nibs, refining liquor, and mastering the tabling method for that perfect snap, ensuring you grasp the science behind every bar before you ever try to build a showpiece.
From Bean to Bar: The Science and The Craft
Chocolate is not just a sweet treat; it is a complex ingredient that requires technical precision. In our bean-to-bar module, we strip away the shortcuts. You start with the raw cacao bean, learning to identify quality, roast to develop specific flavor profiles, winnow, grind, and finally, temper.
Why Technique Matters
Many schools teach you to melt couverture, but we teach you to create it. Whether it is mastering the nuances of a marble slab for tabling or using professional tempering machines, you will understand why chocolate 'blooms' when handled incorrectly and how to prevent it. We dive into:
- The Melanger Process: Understanding how long to refine liquor for a silky mouthfeel.
- Stabilization: Creating ganache that holds its shape in tropical weather like Bangalore or Delhi.
- Structural Integrity: If you want to build a chocolate showpiece that stays standing, you need to understand cocoa butter ratios and structural engineering.
Learning from the Masters
We bring in visiting experts from institutions like EPGB Barcelona to demonstrate these techniques. These aren't just demonstrations; they are masterclasses where you get to ask the hard questions. You will also learn about sourcing, sustainability, and the economics of running a chocolate business. By the time you graduate, you won't just know how to bake; you will know how to produce high-quality artisanal chocolate from scratch, giving you a serious edge whether you are planning to open a boutique shop or join a luxury hotel kitchen.
Lavonne
We are a wild mix of bakers and dreamers who believe that if you are going to make chocolate, you should start at the source. Once you walk into our kitchen, you are part of the Lavonne family, and we will be right there with you from your first roasted bean to your final showpiece.
Find your path in the culinary arts
Search our programmes, workshops, or specialized diploma courses to find what matches your ambition.
More from Professional Pastry Diploma (Diplôme de Pâtisserie) by Lavonne