Start by checking our chocolate Process Page.
This will explain the techniques and the processes
involved in starting-up on a professional level.

Take a look at

Then check the Entry-Level Page for ideas on
some of the equipment you might need for a starter
package.

Once you have read that information, you should decide what type of manufacturing you intend to undertake. 

There are 3 main types of chocolate manufacture:

• Moulding
• Enrobing
• Spinning

We will try to briefly explain the pros and cons of each of these methods.

Moulding

Moulding is the way in which chocolate bars, mint crisp, pralines (or chocolates) and some hollow figures are made. Chocolate is poured into moulds, which are made of a plastic called polycarbonate or Macrolon.

If solid bars are being made, the chocolate is poured into the moulds and left to set. When making pralines (or chocolates) the process is slightly different and more complex.

When making pralines chocolate is poured into the mould, and the majority of it tipped out again. In this way a chocolate ‘shell’ is made. Into this the filling of fondant, truffle or ganache is deposited, and more chocolate is poured onto the mould to ‘cap off’ the filling.

When making hollow figures chocolate is poured into the moulds, and the excess drained off, leaving a shell of chocolate in the shape of the mould.

Moulding is most profitable when making solid items such as bars or mint crisp. It is fairly labour intensive when making individual pralines.

Find out more about this chocolate-making process

Enrobing

This is how product such as Mars bars and Bounty bars are made. A centre, which can be fondant, fudge, toffee or fruit is passed through a curtain of chocolate causing it to be completely coated.

This method is most commonly used for making small fondant filled peppermint creams, chocolate coated brazil nuts and coated biscuits and cakes.

Enrobing is ideal if you are coating centres which require very little preparation such as brazil nuts, but becomes more complicated when preparation of the centres is needed.

Find out more about this chocolate-making process

Spinning

Spinning makes hollow figures such as Easter eggs, Father Christmas’ and bunnies. Special magnetic moulds are half filled with chocolate and then placed on a spinning machine. This machine spins the moulds causing the chocolate to flow around the mould cavity and make a complete hollow centred figure.

Spinning is a simple production method best suited to low to medium output requirements. However the ranges of products is fairly limited, and beyond entry level the cost of machinery is expensive.

Find out more about this chocolate-making process

Although the three methods illustrated above are very different there is one factor common to all the methods: chocolate needs to be ‘tempered’. Tempering is how the crystal structure of chocolate is changed, which allows it to set quickly to a high gloss, and prevent it from sticking to moulds.

The first thing to do is decide what your market will be - luxury chocolate boxes, market stalls, cash & carry outlets - and then look at what type of products suit these markets.

Having decided this you will then need to calculate the level of output you are looking for. Realistically this would need to be a minimum of 20 tons per year (around 50Kg per day) to make the venture worthwhile.

This is really only a brief introduction to chocolate and chocolate manufacturing. There is much more to it than we are able to explain here at the website. Check our Frequently Asked Questions Page, fill in our form & we can go from there. 

We also recommend the "Belgian Chocolates" book by world-renowned Belgian Chocolatier Roger Geerts.

If you would like to make chocolate on a smaller scale, we recommend that you check the Entry-Level Chocolate page. 

• Click here for the Vantage House Guide To tempering File or here for the Working With Chocolate File

Also check these links:

• Click here for Start-Up / Entry-Level chocolate making

• Belgian Chocolates Book - Traditional Belgian Chocolate Recipes!

• View Our Product Index

• View Our Site Index

• Designing your own chocolate mould

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Glossary Of Chocolate Terms

• Contact Us

• Read What Our Customers Say About Us!
  

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