ABOUT
CONSCIOUS CACAO
BEAN-TO-BAR PROCESS
Every step of the chocolate making process is executed by us, from the bean to the bar.
1. HARVEST
Our farmers harvest cacao pods that are allowed to ripen on the tree. Beans are removed from pods to be fermented on the same day.
2. FERMENTATION
Fresh cacao beans with the pulp are placed in wooden boxes, covered and allowed to ferment for upto a week to develop flavour.
3. DRYING
Fermented beans are dried in covered enclosures for 2-4 days before being hand sorted, packed and shipped to us.
Once we receive the beans, we execute the following steps at our factory:
4. SORTING
Beans are hand sorted, checked for quality & graded by Mason & Co factory staff. Unusable beans are sent to local farms to be used as fertiliser. Nothing is wasted.
SORTING
ROASTING
CRACKING
WINNOWING
GRINDING
TEMPERING
MOULDING
PACKAGING
4. SORTING
Beans are hand sorted, checked for quality & graded by Mason & Co factory staff. Unusable beans are sent to local farms to be used as fertiliser. Nothing is wasted.
4. SORTING
Beans are hand sorted, checked for quality & graded by Mason & Co factory staff. Unusable beans are sent to local farms to be used as fertiliser. Nothing is wasted.
5. ROASTING
The cacao beans are slowly roasted to develop flavour and sterilise the beans.
1. HARVEST
Our farmers harvest cacao pods that are allowed to ripen on the tree. Beans are removed from pods to be fermented on the same day.
2. FERMENTATION
Fresh cacao beans with the pulp are placed in wooden boxes, covered and allowed to ferment for upto a week to develop flavour.
3. DRYING
Fermented beans are dried in covered enclosures for 2-4 days before being hand sorted, packed and shipped to us.
At Mason & Co much of the chocolate-making are non-mechanised and done by hand.
The highly skilled workforce at Mason & Co consists of an all-female team from surrounding villages who are trained in the art of chocolate making.
These ladies are the heart and soul of our enterprise and the secret to our delicious tasting chocolate!
Our highly skilled staff, led by Saraswathi ensure we have total control from sourcing to the quality and flavour of your chocolate bar.
These ladies are the heart and soul of our enterprise and the secret to our delicious-tasting chocolate!
Our highly skilled staff, led by Saraswathi ensure we have total control from sourcing to the quality and flavour of your chocolate bar.
P.S. Our packaging is also handcrafted by trained screen printers in Pondicherry.
OUR ARTISANS
An artisan can be defined as a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand.
ORGANIC
SINGLE-ORIGIN
All our cacao comes from organic certified farms in South India; we never add preservatives or chemicals to our products.
ORGANIC SINGLE-ORIGIN
All our cacao comes from organic certified farms in South India; we never add preservatives or chemicals to our products.
Cacao thrives in a diverse & ecologically balanced food forest free of pesticides and harmful chemicals. Chemical pesticides are not used in any of our farm partners as they threaten the existence of naturally occurring pollinators that are essential for growing cacao.
At Mason & Co, we strongly support organic farms and farmers as we believe organically grown produce is healthier for consumers and the environment.
All our cacao is traceable and our trade is direct and transparent. We do not use any mass-market cacao and work closely with farmers and co-ops to source cacao directly and ethically.
The farms we work with are in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and are certified by USDA, EU and India Organic. This organic certification process is one of the ways we can ensure traceability and transparency in our cacao.
FARMER DIRECT
We work directly with farmers and co-ops on their post-harvest processing to improve the quality and flavour profile of cacao while also increasing the value and price farmers can sell their cacao.
Cacao beans in India have traditionally been sold to mass-market chocolate companies where the focus on quality & flavour development is minimal. The type of chocolate we make requires the highest standard of farm-level processing because any ‘off flavours’ cannot be masked by excess sugar, milk or preservatives.
By working in Direct Trade with farmers & processors, we do not use any ‘broker’ and we can be sure the purchase price of the cacao goes directly to the farmers. At Mason & Co we have been pioneers in the improvement of cacao processing in India and the increase of cacao prices for farmers in India.
If you are a farmer or a person connected to growing cacao (in India or elsewhere) & would like to get in touch, please write to info@masonchocolate.com.
We would love to hear from you!