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Founders: Aneesh Popat

The Chocolatier explores exciting and experimental flavour combinations and maintains wellbeing as a core value creating handmade indulgent chocolates with a selection of the finest single origin cacao in the world. Using natural ingredients, Aneesh focuses on water based ganaches to discover hidden flavours from within the heirloom chocolates that he uses. His scientific background and passion for fine chocolate has led him to become renowned for his unique and innovative flavour combinations.

What inspired you to start your own independent food business?

I absolutely love chocolate and wanted to share my passion for chocolate and my Indian heritage through a modern, French style of confectionery. I was not so focussed on the business part of the journey as much as I was enjoying the science and artistry of chocolate making which really excites me.

I am born in London and Indian by heritage. I have a degree in Mathematics and studied Philosophy in India post graduating. I fell in love with chocolate because of its unique ability to be all of; delicious as an ingredient, scientific by nature and also versatile in its functionality as a material for art and sculpting. I am self-taught and have spent years perfecting my chocolate making skills and am very much a student today striving for that perfection. I love learning and spend almost all of my free time researching chocolate, techniques and skills to further advance my craft. I have had the privilege to spend time with a MOF Chocolatier who guided me in the art of sculpting in chocolate and the industry at large has been incredibly supportive and generous with its knowledge. My greatest inspiration has been my grandmother who I grew up around – she is a master cook and has an intuitive understanding of spices and even to do this day she experiments in her small kitchen, fusing eastern flavours with chocolate.

What sets your products apart from others in the market?

By using original beans! It is really important to The Chocolatier company mission: “Changing the World one chocolate a time”, that simply by eating our chocolates, collectively we are improving our impact to 100% regenerative cacao, improving the strength of the wild where the cacao comes from and in doing so supporting the wildlife and people who depend upon it.

Inspired by Avant-garde cuisine and enthralled by the physical and chemical transformations that occur during cooking, Aneesh has gone on to be voted as one of the 1000 most influential Londoners and is the current Chocolate Expert on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch. The Chocolatier is also no stranger to awards, having being the proud recipient of the Golden Leaf, awarded by The Academy of Chocolate for “True Innovation in Fine Chocolate”. The Chocolatier clientele includes royalty, Michelin starred restaurants, luxury hotels, The Houses of Parliament and leading global brands including Rolls Royce and Cartier.

Tell us a bit about your ingredients and how you source them?

The French chemist ‘Herve This’ inspired me to use water with chocolate instead of cream and butter as described in his book “Molecular Gastronomy”. I have been in touch with him since and he as generous as ever with his knowledge. Using water instead of cream and butter for my chocolates was a natural step for the reasons that firstly it gave transparency in flavour and opened up the nuances and notes in the origin chocolates that we use, and secondly it gave a great health benefit as there is significantly less fat and calories in the chocolate truffle. The genius in Herve This’s method is that we are making an emulsion between the fat in chocolate and with water, and so the ganache will feel creamy. Water being flavourless means that all there is to taste is chocolate and the ingredients paired with it and therefore, it is imperative to use fine chocolate which boasts an abundance of natural, complex and delicate flavours.

Can you describe your approach to chocolate development and experimentation?

Eccentric! I love wacky flavours presented in a refined way. I like to take people on a journey and want to challenge people conceptually on flavour pairings. Willy Wonka is a great example of this – intrigue, mystery, puzzlement – I take a lot from his approach to chocolate making. I am glad that I did not have the benefit of any knowledge before starting working with chocolate. Being self-taught means my methods are rogue and natural. I have not followed conventional methods entirely and I have had to learn through trial and error which has allowed me to truly understand the characteristics and behaviours of chocolate in various environments and situations. I think it is important to not be overwhelmed by the books out there teaching about chocolate making as they can seem very academic and also make working with chocolate seem far too complicated and unapproachable. The best tip I suppose is to buy some chocolate, start melting and just have fun experimenting!

What do you enjoy most about being a small independent food maker?

The versatility in the projects we work on. Seasonality also brings change but it’s nice to work on exciting one-off projects such as the chocolate we created for a Warner Brothers Movie or making edible clothes for a chocolate catwalk.

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Customers love our new launches and one off items as they are truly one of a kind. For example our “going to the curry house” chocolate; one bite changes flavour several times following the course of a meal at an Indian restaurant. First poppadom and mango chutney, then curry, then chilli heat and lastly you are left with chocolate. It is a truly unique experience you wont find anywhere else!

Highlight Review:

Here is some of the amazing feedback we’ve received recently;

★★★★★

Ellen  – ‘Simply exquisite‘

While I love experimental chocolate flavours, many are an acquired taste. These, however, are universally adored in my house. There isn‘t ‘a dud flavour amongst them, and they’re always a hit with guests. they’re truly my favourite indulgence and my go-to emergency gift.

★★★★★

Stella – ‘Magic in a Chocolate Box‘

Hands-down, best chocolate I have ever tasted. Light, delicate, chocolate as it was meant. Perfection!

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Explore the range

The Chocolatier Link to range

By eating and enjoying our chocolate, together we are making a positive difference in supporting the education, materials and food for children in India. Together, yes that means along with you, we are supporting these children through their education.

Personally, enjoying chocolate needs to be a full circle experience. The farming, the making, the eating and then cycling back to the next generation. Everybody in this project benefits from a process of emotional, mental and social upliftment, including most of all us. I have gained the most by learning to connect with people again, to remember that it only takes time to build relationships and not anything else.

I have made a commitment to source ethical cacao which directly benefits farmers and supports the conservation of wildlife and nature. At The Chocolatier we currently source chocolate originating from Congo, Peru, Ecuador, Philippines and Bolivia.

I visited Alto El Sol, Peru in 2019 to see first-hand the impact of the relationships between us, the makers and the cacao growing farmers. The organic methods passed down by generations of farmers yield the most beautiful and natural cacao. We are working in harmony with nature, in partnership with people and in the benefit of the next generation.

“Welcome to the world of The Chocolatier. A love and fascination for fine chocolate: the science, the art, the emotions…”

I look forward to sharing the love.

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