Bean-to-Bar is the Latest Chocolate Trend to Sweep New Zealand

Forget Jelly Tip blocks and artisan milk mash-ups, single origin chocolate is the latest movement to sweep through the chocolate industry. Bean-to-bar products are handcrafted all the way from the cacao bean to the finished product. It's not as sweet as the stuff being pumped out by conglomerate candy factories and typically doesn't contain dairy.

Instead of sugar and milk, beans are the central focus of the chocolate. The diverse span of flavours can change depending on climate, soil condition, and care of the growers; in the same way grapes are treated for wine and hops and malts in beer. Who knew that there are cacao beans that taste like cherries, mango, citrus, spices, nuts and even tobacco or flowers.

Wellington's The Chocolate Bar is an independent chocolate shop that specialises in bean-to-bar chocolate. The company supports chocolate makers that use fair or direct trade cacao and most of the products use organic ingredients and heritage cacao strains.

We have five kinds of bean-to-bar chocolate from The Chocolate Bar to give away.

To enter the draw, simply email [email protected] with the subject line: 'The Chocolate Bar' along with your contact details.

T&Cs: Only one entry per person. You must be a Concrete Playground subscriber to win. The winner will be chosen at 10:30am on November 24.