Cacao beans

Hi everyone.

I,m new to this forum. Next year I intend to start making chocolate from the bean.There doesn't seem to be anywhere I can buy beans in bulk in Australia. I have been looking at Vanuatu for growers but have no idea where to start. Does anyone have any contacts as a starting point?

Cheers

Ross

updated by @ross-stewart-taylor: 04/16/15 12:42:37AM

I have only seen them on the Net, but you could ty these guys

http://spencercocoa.com.au/bulk-beans/

Hi Ross, where in QLD a you? You could grow the cacao yourself if you are around Innesfail or above. There is also Loving Earth sells beans but again none of us have tried them for chocolate making. I have used Nui in the past for vanuatu beans, they also do fijian sometimes too. Other than that there is not a lot of option unless you are mates with a grower somewhere who is prepared to ship you small amounts at a reasonable cost. You also have the option to buys from Chocolate Alchemy, many of us have started that way but shipping is expensive.I also saw you are diabetic, if you start making chocolate you have options to make low GI chocolate using sweeteners such as coconut sugar. I have done this and the taste is very nice in a dark chocolate.

Also check the chocolate down under group for discussion on bean to bar chocolate makers in Australia. It is always fun to benchmark your chocolate against others, there are 16 or so commercial operations now, mostly doing dark chocolates.Enjoy your journey!

Hi Tom,

I am out west of Brissie,so growing my own beans isn't a proposition. I intend setting up my own chocolate business so the product will be sold not all eaten by me. Although my wife loves chocolate,so she will make a very good test subject.

I look forward to another bean to bar chocolate in the Australian market. Just be aware that the greatest issue with making chocolate on a small scale in Australia is the sourcing of small packets of good quality beans. And if you do find a good source making sure that source is consistently good, variability of flavour is fine and almost desireable season to season but some go from good to inedible. Josh Bahen was the subject of an article in the Australian recently and touches on this, saying that he had his equipment for 18 months before putting out any bars because sourcing beans that he was happy to make chocolate out of was a real issue. I will attempt to attach article.