- 1 day
- Sun 14 May 2023
- 9:00am - 4:30pm
- Belmont Estate, Grenada
- $275
Foundation level course in Chocolate Tasting.
Chocolate Tasting Course and Chocolate Festival with Belmont Estate cacao farm and factory
A great chance to take your Level 1 Certificate in Chocolate Tasting courses in the beautiful Caribbean island of Grenada. Join us at Belmont Estate and also enjoy a whole range of chocolate and cacao activities at the Grenada Chocolate Festival, which takes place after the course.
The course will be held in the grounds of Belmont Estate cacao farm, surrounded by cacao trees and the Belmont chocolate factory. A specially cooked Belmont lunch will be provided during the course days and you can book your stay at one of the hotel or lodging options suggested.
The final day of Level 2 will include a guided walk in the Belmont farm for a live introduction to cacao varieties, running alongside the Chocolate Festival.
If you want to join us for both courses, make sure to check the details on the Combined Level 1 & 2 Certificate in Chocolate Tasting page.
Accommodation
The course fee includes lunches but does not include travel to or from Grenada, hotels or other accommodation, but we can recommend some venues on the north of the island, which are reachable for Belmont Estate each day.
See the list of recommended accommodation venues on the Combined Level 1 & 2 Certificate in Chocolate Tasting page.
Grenada Chocolate Festival – Rum Edition
The chocolate festival takes place around the island from 16 – 21 May and 2023, the 10th anniversary of the festival, sees a special ‘rum edition’, including distillery visits and a chance to develop your understanding of a common chocolate flavour note.
The main program includes plantation days, chocolate making workshops, rum masterclasses, chocolate history, art and yoga, a chocolate dinner and closing party.
The final day of Level 2 will overlap with the festival, with a study of cacao varieties growing at Belmont Estate.
For full details of the program, see the festival website https://www.grenadachocolatefest.com/schedule/
Level 1
Level 1 Chocolate Tasting lays the sensory foundation for your journey as a Chocolate Taster, introduces chocolate making in the fine and craft chocolate world, and takes you through where cacao comes from and how it is produced.
During the course you will experience the sensory elements used in chocolate tasting through a series of tasting games and experiments and you will practice using a formal approach to chocolate tasting.
The Foundation course is designed to run over a single day workshop, as three evening class sessions or as three online webinar sessions plus self-study. Level 1 course provides a good grounding in chocolate tasting and includes 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 chocolate tasted includes examples of well made craft chocolate origins and examples of defects and industrial production.
The course finishes with a 30 question multiple choice exam based on the course content. Certificates will be issued upon achieving a pass mark.
- Training the chocolate senses
- Taste and explore flavour in fine chocolate
- Introduction to the origins and varieties of cacao
- Overview of how cacao is produced
- How fine or craft chocolate is made
- How cocoa butter and cocoa powder are made
- Taste and recognize flaws in chocolate
- A look at direct sourcing of cacao
- Study booklet
- Certificate for exam passes
- All the chocolate and sensory samples you will need*
This course will be ideal for you if you:
- Love chocolate, and want to know more about its flavour and origins
- Are a chocolate maker who wants to expand their sensory skills
- Are an educator or events organiser looking for more information to pass on to your audience
- Work in the catering/pastry/fine chocolate industries
- Want to improve your clients’ experience of chocolate you are working with
- You are considering launching a fine chocolate business
- You want to buy a fascinating and unique gift for someone
- You want to see just how good your palate is for chocolate