Chocolate will not release from the mold
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques
Comprehensive advice there...my only point to add would be that possibly your layer of chocolate was too thin which can sometimes make release difficult.
Forum Activity for @Diana
Software for Chocolate Industry
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools
I'm happy enough with my current solution...not least as I found it for free, but I was just giving some feedback on what might be useful for your future potential customers! I think it may be worth writing such a piece of software. The small, artisan side of the industry is booming (in the UK certainly) and cost control is difficult when couverture prices fluctuate so much. No business can be successful if it can't monitor it's costs!
Software for Chocolate Industry
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools
I have recently been searching for some recipe costing software to help with my ongoing business. I have settled on a programme made for the bakery industry which is generally everything I need, but is very much tailored to bakery.I would have liked something which easily allows the costing of a variety of bonbons in bulk,giving a cost per piece and then the creation of a collection (with one of each piece) costed automatically from the database of product costs. My programme does do this, but it's a bit of a long process and not exactly intuitive.One more point...most programmes out there cost a fortune!
Is there such a thing as a "true chocolatier"?
Posted in: Opinion
I always find slurs on the competition (however veiled) off-putting and unprofessional. I'm sure I'm not alone, and the public will soon show their thinking.
Question regarding the use of a commercial kitchen
Posted in: Opinion
Are you going to be sub-letting a small part of the kitchen as your own, or will you be using areas common to the other producer? Make sure you have a written agreement for who is responsible for maintenance, repairs and even cleaning. Shared space can be good but it is full of potential for disagreements! I would recommend a full contract as mentioned in a previous post.
How small can a small shop be?
Posted in: Opinion
It's been a very long haul, but we are now nearing completion on our industrial premises. Check out our progress on facebook... http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lick-the-Spoon-UK/97969759316?ref=mf#/pages/Lick-the-Spoon-UK/97969759316?ref=nf I have to say that the stress is starting to get to me! Every day I come across "professionals" who simply can't do their job (not chocolate professionals...more like graphic designers, financial advisers etc). Honestly, it's money for nothing what some of these guys do!Despite having the conversation "is it all worth it, there must be easier ways to make a living" (with myself and my husband) on a regular basis, we're still passionate about it, and determined to make it work!Wish us luck!Diana
How small can a small shop be?
Posted in: Opinion
Hi Andre,After 2 years of working from home with the kids around my ankles and a hundred other distractions, I have decided to do just that! We (myself and my husband) have bought a small unit on an industrial estate and will be fitting it out as our chocolate production facility. We are coupling this with a small shop in a recently refurbished retail outlet. The main advantages are that, in the UK, retail space costs a lot more than industrial space, and is generally charged per square foot, so this way, we get plenty of production and storage space, with just enough retail space to sell the chocolates and some ancillary beverages. Our final choice of shop is 350 sq ft, but we had looked at one which was 250 which would have been perfect and much cheaper! Someone beat us to it though! This dual-location set up also allows the opening of a second or third shop without the need to kit out 3 separate kitchens. I'll keep you up to date on what is going to be an exciting (but probably stressful) journey!Diana
Calling all Chocolatiers: What are YOU Making Special for Easter This Year?
Posted in: News & New Product Press
We have just surfaced from the rush and waved the white flag yesterday! Nothing else in stock on our site until after Easter.My eggs this year were a mix of funky and traditional, with a nod to the spring fashion colours of vivid orange, green and pink.We had some great coverage on national TV and a good link in from Nigella Lawson's site which really boosted sales.Pics attached!
Newbie
Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself
That's what I'm hoping too! I have to say I've been quite successful in negotiating reductions but they are still a way off what I feel comfortable with. The landlords here haven't been reading the news! They are still holding out for an easy way to boost their pension funds for the most part. I've even enlisted the help of local government to try and convince them that we are better off with full premises at low rents than having empty buildings and a town centre which is slowly closing down for good.
Newbie
Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself
Hi,I'm joining you from the UK, so hi everybody. Like those of you working at being a chocolatier, I don't have much time spare, but like to browse through anything chocolate related when I get a moment to myself! I've been working with chocolate for a couple of years and hope to find premises soon (despite the economic gloom) before my husband and kids report me for filling every inch of the house with packaging and couverture!I look forward to getting to know you all.Diana
updated by @Diana: 04/17/15 06:30:20PM
looking for French white chocolate
Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted
Hi, they are available online here... http://www.histoiresucree.com/product_pages/quenelles_de_lyon.html but you could have a go at making them yourself if you have access to basic ingredients like praline paste and decent chocolate. I would imagine you could add a little cocoa butter or chocolate to the praline paste to firm it up (about a quarter of the weight of the praline) then pipe it out in long tubes, cut into sections when firm and dip in tempered white chocolate. Valrhona's ivoire would be a good couverture to try if you can get hold of it.Good luck!Diana
Cool Tool: Chocoflex Spherical Truffle Mold
Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools
Anyone willing to share a caramel recipe that works in these moulds? I currently make a salted butter caramel (divine, but tends to "fudge" after a while even when enrobed). I pour these into a square red silicone mould which is easy as it's open faced, but not sure if I could manage to pipe the hot mix into the small opening of the sphere mould.For ganaches I'm thinking that the sphere mould would pay for itself pretty quickly versus the cost of shells, so I want to give them a try.