From experimenting with raw chocolate to opening up a chocolate-inspired café, Anthony tells us all about his job.

He is the Co-founder of a small, artisanal chocolate company in Cape Town, and he gave us a sneak peek into his day-to-day life, so we could learn more about the chocolate industry.

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Anthony is one of two founders of the well-known Honest Chocolate café, located in Cape Town. Anthony’s career kicked off after an experiment with raw cacao. “I was making healthier chocolate for myself because I wanted to cut out sugar and dairy,” he tells us. Anthony’s friends loved his chocolate creations, and he soon realised that there was a gap in the market for a healthier alternative to the chocolate sold commercially. “I started packaging the chocolates and working on the brand, and made them available to the market a few years ago.” A friend of Anthony’s, Michael de Klerk, was doing something similar in London, and together they joined forces to establish Cape Town’s very first chocolate-inspired café.

We asked Anthony what he loves most about his job, and this is what he had to say: “It’s the creativity and freedom of expression that I get from working with chocolate. You can do so much with chocolate - such as creating different flavours and products - you can even have fun with creating the packaging,” he says.

Check out more about Honest Chocolate on Food24.

So what qualities make for a good chocolatier? Firstly, a good eye for detail, Anthony says. Chocolate is very volatile. After making a batch, it’s important to check it for consistency and whether there are any leaks or cracks. Secondly, Anthony suggests a lot of patience. “[Chocolate making] is a long process,” and so you need to be able to fill your time with other things. There is a certain level of multitasking involved too.

To those who would like to get into his line of work, Anthony offers the following advice: “Get your foot into the door of a chocolate manufacturer. There is no formal education in chocolate making in South Africa. Even if you go to a chef school, there is no specific programme for making chocolate. Go online and read up as much as you can about chocolate.” Honest Chocolate also offers short-term internships in which aspiring chocolatiers have the opportunity to learn more about chocolate. “People can learn how to make chocolate, and eat it too,” Anthony remarks.

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