- 4 days (1 day optional supplementary learning)
- Thu - Mon, 20 - 24 Mar 2025
- 10:00am - 6:00pm
- Louth, Lincolnshire, UK, United Kingdom
- £775
Combined Foundation and Intermediate level courses in Chocolate Tasting.
In person classroom course from our UK based IICCT school.
An exciting new opportunity to study in person for your combined Levels 1 and 2, in the market town of Louth, a traditional foodie destination in the heart of the Lincolnshire Wolds. The teaching team will be led by IICCT Teacher and Chocolate Educator Kathryn Laverack and the course will be delivered at her recently launched teaching and tasting venue in Louth town centre. Louth is also just a short drive away from Duffy’s Chocolate factory and there is an optional visit to the factory with a talk on micro-batch production with tasting practice on Friday 21 st March between the Level 1 and Level 2 teaching programs (transport provided).
You can travel to Louth by car, bus or train, the nearest railway stations are Grimsby Town, and Market Rasen. Contact Kathryn for any pre-booking enquiries and information on the venue, public transport options, parking and accommodation: cocoaencounters@gmail.com.
For general location information visit: https://lovelincolnshirewolds.com/louth
Early Bird price: £695 (bookings received before 30th December 2024)
The supplementary activities on Friday 21st March can be booked alongside the course program.
The afternoon of Friday 18th October will be taught at Duffy’s Chocolate in Cleethorpes (transport will be provided).
The course fee includes £50 for registration with our UK-based accreditor, FDQ for Level 1 and issue of an official Ofqual (UK Government) approved certificate for the “FDQ Level 1 Foundation Award in Chocolate Tasting“, should you pass the assessment. Retakes will require an additional fee which will be charged in Euros and invoiced by IICCT directly 60€ (incl. VAT) for Level 1 and 100€ (incl. VAT) for Level 2.
Lunches are provided on teaching days. Please let us know of any dietary requirements.
Please note: the venue for this in-person course is situated on the second floor of a Victorian building, which does not have a lift. Please contact the Course Provider for a full Accessibility Statement for the venue.
The IICCT Reasonable Adjustments or Special Considerations Policy is available to download here.
Combined Level 1 & Level 2
The Combined course takes you directly through to Intermediate level in a concentrated four day workshop course, or a six week program of webinars and self study.
Level 1 provides in introduction to a sensorial approach to chocolate tasting and a good grounding in chocolate tasting, including tasting of 9 or more different origin or blended fine dark chocolate bars, tasted in different forms for an understanding of aroma, length, texture and taste.
The first day finishes with a 30 minute multiple choice exam for Level 1 based on the course content. Certificates will be issued upon achieving a pass mark.
The Level 2 intermediary course explores the world of fine and origin chocolate in greater depth, looking in detail at the styles of different chocolate makers and different approaches to chocolate making, from micro-batch to large scale. Treatment and flaws in cacao are examined as well as the chocolate production chain and how these contribute to flavour.
The course explores chocolate history with an emphasis on taste and the current chocolate market. Over 25 chocolate bars and samples are tasted, with repeat tasting, profiling and blind tasting to gain a full understanding.
Level 2 introduces the Institute’s online chocolate profiling system, which will be used throughout the course working with laptops of tablets. Spare tablets will be provided if you are unable to bring your own device.
The course is held over an intense three days and provides fuller understanding of fine chocolate and its flavour possibilities.
The course finishes on the final day with a 60 minute multiple choice exam based on the course content and a blind tasting test. Certificates will be issued upon achieving a pass mark.
- What is fine chocolate
- Training the chocolate senses
- The main origins and varieties of cacao
- Cacao production, quality and flaws
- How chocolate is made and how it affects flavour
- Direct sourcing, sustainability and ethics
- Chocolate types and styles
- Sensory exploration, practice and physiology
- Tasting practice and profiling with our online system
- Understanding and tasting flaws in cacao and chocolate
- Cacao farming and economics
- Chocolate history from a taste perspective
- Take away study guides
- All the chocolate and sensory samples you will need
- Certificate for exam passes
This course would be perfect for you if:
- You want an in-depth start to your chocolate tasting journey
- You’re a professional in the catering/pastry/fine chocolate industries and want to develop a full sensory understanding
- You are considering launching a fine chocolate business
- You want the ultimate, intensive gift the chocolate fanatic in your life
- You want to develop your tasting skills towards a professional level