World Class Flavour: Mortimer Chocolate Company

Photos: © Mortimer Chocolate Company

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The Mortimer Chocolate Company is very much a family business run by Adrian Smith and his wife Felicity who helps out in between looking after their three young children.

The company was started after Adrian decided to leave his position at Masterfoods where he’d enjoyed a successful career for nearly 20 years managing well known hot chocolate drinks brands as well as being one of their top cocoa tasters.

Major chocolate manufacturers blend cocoas to make a product that tastes the same year after year, a process which Adrian felt was depriving the consumer of real and distinct chocolate flavour. This spurred him on in his mission to find and produce fine quality chocolate from around the world. By focusing on small growers who nurture their cocoa to produce fine quality beans, the cocoa is made into a 100% plain chocolate powder, retaining its unique flavour, with no need for additives.

Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, which, like coffee and wine, vary in flavour according to the soil, season and region in which they were grown. Adrian uses his experience and knowledge to select cocoas direct from origin, such as West Africa, Ghana, Ecuador and Venezuela, to produce a 100% chocolate powder, ideal for making delicious chocolate drinks. This way the consumer can experience and understand the variety of cocoa flavours from around the world.

Mortimer Chocolate works with local growers towards Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade Accreditation. Although some growers are just too small for such a step, Adrian is currently working with a co-operative in Ghana to do just that.

As well as making delicious hot chocolate drinks, this unique range of global chocolate powders can be used for cooking, particularly in recipes requiring a good quality dark chocolate.
Felicity’s nutritional and culinary expertise quickly revealed the extent to which the quality plain chocolate powders can be used. By experimenting with a variety of recipes, it became clear that they can be used in savoury,
as well as sweet recipes, not to mention making actual bars of real luxurious chocolate.

Find out more about Mortimer Chocolate Company on The Artisan Food Trail here