Westminster Kingsway College students launch ‘bean-to-bar' student-made chocolate bars

Westminster Kingsway College students on the International Pâtisserie Diploma, are now able to produce "bean-to-bar" chocolate using the college's new state-of-the-art conch machine.

Under the supervision of chef lecturer and pâtisserie specialist, Andrew Whitson, the students have created a 60% dark chocolate bar with a hint of vanilla.

During the development process, various percentages of cocoa solids were tried and tested to ensure that the best results were used. From these percentages, ranging from an incredibly dark and dry 80% to a mellow and nutty 50%, came the final percentage of 60% cocoa solids, which was taste tested as the perfect bar.

Gary Hunter, head of culinary arts and hospitality at Westminster Kingsway College said: "This is the first time that the entire chocolate process has been undertaken by our students from ‘bean to bar'.

"It gives the pâtisserie chef students an incredible opportunity to develop their skills and to learn about the mechanics of recipe engineering. The discovery of flavours and processes involved in creating chocolate without the need for adding lecithin increases our students' knowledge of the biology and use of chocolate. We are very excited by this new development."