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Meet the Maker: Max Scotford, Bullion Chocolate

Bullion founder, Max Scotford, lets us in on the secret behind setting the gold standard in craft chocolate

Interview by Will Halbert

Ever had the good fortune of trying bean-to-bar chocolate? I don’t mean your run-of-the-mill, corner shop, mass-market malarky; I’m talking small-batch, single-origin chocolate. Real chocolate. The kind of chocolate that gives primacy to provenance and demands a more exacting and ethical method of production. You know; the good stuff.

If you haven’t, then let me introduce you to Bullion. If you have, then allow me to extend the exact same courtesy. Under the impassioned eye of founder Max Scotford, Sheffield’s Bullion offers a chocolate bar that stays true to the bean from which it’s sourced. The brand is a celebration of terroir and the constant pursuit of a better product. We sit down with Max to talk humble origins, lengthy processes, and all-important booze pairings.

First off; how did you get here? What got you interested in chocolate in the first place?
Food in general is something I’m drawn to. I know everyone has to eat, but for me, it’s always been more than just a meal. Whether it was getting involved in the kitchen as a kid, watching Anthony Bourdain or going out to a restaurant. I would very much say it’s an area of my life I take great pleasure in. So naturally, as I’ve gone through life – from my choices at school and college to finding that first job – everything has revolved around food. I’ve of course always enjoyed chocolate, but it wasn’t until I really got to grips with it towards the end of catering college that really left me wanting to delve deeper.

What a lot of people don’t know is that a chocolatier is someone who buys in and melts the chocolate down to make beautiful bars and truffles – a total skill in itself. But who were the people that actually made the chocolate in the first place? The chocolate makers? When I immersed myself into this side of chocolate, it was like I discovered a whole new world. A world where chocolate was not just a sweet fix, but where it has stories from the families that grow them, nuances from every single location, and the mystical art of crafting chocolate from bean to bar. I was hooked. And, well, here we are today.

Can you tell us a little bit about the Bullion philosophy?
Bullion was founded in 2016 with the idea of upholding the true value of cacao through food, drink and experiences. We care about the quality put into what we consume and the impact a brand has on the environment. We appreciate the art of craft and we love the idea of discovery through taste. We’re here for people who believe that giving it their best should be rewarded by breaking a bar of the good stuff.

As a company, we’ve set out to discover the ‘gold’ in cacao. Meaning the distinct and complex nuances that can be found in beans from a single location. For this reason, we launch a series of limited-release, single-origin bars throughout the year. This lets us explore these nuances and retain the quality cacao demands.

Made from bean-to-bar, we’re one of only a handful to use craft, small-batch techniques in order to bring the best out of the cacao. We hope our attention to detail and care is reflected in the finished chocolate.

What goes into creating quality chocolate? It’s safe to say that many of us haven’t really experienced fine chocolate; what separates this from your run-of-the-mill Dairy Milk?
I often get asked what the distinguishing factor is between our bars and those of the mass market. It only takes a second to look at the back of our bars to realise that our ingredients are nibs, cocoa butter, and sugar – it’s as simple and as pure as that.

This purity aspect to our bars has a huge impact on flavour, an impact people don’t quite appreciate until they try it for themselves. They have to ‘bite the bullion’, as we say.

The quality of the beans is also incomparable, we’re working with cooperatives that supply beans of the most amazing quality. Because our bars are so pure, we have to pay great attention to how we craft the chocolate – but ultimately all the key flavours drive from the beans themselves. So it’s essential we’re working with the best in order to create a delicious bar of chocolate. As a result of that, you can be assured we pay a premium for it and the growers are rewarded. Not something I can say for some of the mass-market players. 

Another area is the length we go to just to make a bar of chocolate. We’re one of only a handful of bean-to-bar craft chocolate makers in the UK, and very proud to be the first in Yorkshire. Basically, this means that we get the beans in and take them through a series of complex steps to make a finished bar of chocolate. In short, we make chocolate from scratch.

As with wine and whisky, terroir comes into play here too, right?
That’s right, our craft processes are set up to bring as much flavour out of the cacao as possible, showcasing those distinct nuances of fruits, etc. Mass market bars are designed to mask these flavours in order to achieve consistency. The inconsistencies are actually what we love, from each harvest to each origin, no two bars taste quite alike – and we see it as our job here at Bullion to show this side of chocolate, a side that a lot of people just don’t know about.

In broad strokes, how do we get from bean to bar? Can you talk us through the process a little?
The process starts by hand sorting each and every bean – we want to make sure only the best make it into our chocolate. We then look to roast the cacao. This isn’t just a key factor in the chocolate’s flavour, it also ensures the chocolate is safe to eat as we’re roasting over 150 degrees.

After the beans have cooled, we then need to remove the husk from the bean to reveal the nib. We do this with a process called ‘breaking and winnowing’. Essentially, we smash the beans into pieces, we then use what’s almost like a wind tunnel to blow the husk away from the nib.

Once we have the nib, we can add this – little by little – to our grinder along with the sugar and cocoa butter. This is then left for three days to grind down into chocolate to allow for ‘conching’. ‘Conching’ basically makes sure the chocolate is smooth and well rounded in flavour. After this step, we pour into blocks and mature for a minimum of three weeks to allow the flavours to really come together.

We’re then ready to temper, essentially setting the crystal particles in for formation known as ‘beta’. Sounds like a science class, but we’re essentially heating and cooling the chocolate in a way that allows the chocolate to become glossy with a firm snap when set. Once set, we then hand wrap each bar ready for the shelves. A month’s work in total, but we hope that shows in the finished product.

For those of us that are new to Bullion, where do you suggest we start?
I’d recommend going for our 3 bar bundle. Each bar is 70% and made from the same process – with the only differentiating factor being the bean itself. Your mind will be blown by just how different the taste can be depending on the origin.

Obviously, this stuff is great in its own right, but do you have any serving suggestions? Anything your chocolate pairs well with?
Our fruity Guatemalan bar pairs beautifully with a glass of Malbec. Or if whisky is more your speed, our Bolivian bar goes superbly with Spirit of Yorkshire’s single malt.

Check out more from Bullion Craft Chocolate here.