Mark Ocampo, co-founder and managing director of Auro Chocolate, says that a bean-to-bar business is feasible for anyone who wants to try their hand at making artisanal chocolate. 

He says that the process can be intimidating, but it’s important to take it one step at a time. Ocampo shares these specific steps: Start with a melanger, a stone grinder for cacao beans; grind dried and fermented beans, roast them in the oven, and then experiment from there. In the interest of experimentation, visit farms and work with local producers to source for more beans and create different flavors. 

Take it from the team behind Auro Chocolate. From three types of cacao beans, the bean-to-bar manufacturing company now yields an assortment of chocolate bars: dark chocolate in different percentages, white, and milk chocolate with additional ingredients such as cacao nibs, cashews, and Arabica coffee.

By crafting its own chocolate products, Auro Chocolate aims to contribute to the sustainable development of the Philippine cacao industry and to continue sustainably sourcing and globally distributing refined single-origin cacao and Philippine chocolate products. 

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive all the tools and solutions entrepreneurs need to stay updated on the latest news in the industry