Chocolats Camille Bloch SA

Production and raw materials

Our Ragusa, Torino and liqueur chocolate specialties are made using natural raw materials. Quality is our top priority. We also apply our exacting quality standards to the environmental and social conditions found in areas that produce our cocoa beans.

We are deeply committed to sustainable development and are able to trace our cocoa beans to the specific village where they were grown in Ghana. The remaining raw materials, such as the hazelnuts and almonds, are sourced from certified ethical producers.

The entire process is managed

From bean to chocolate

A scene in Ghana, which provides the cocoa used in our specialty chocolates. From here the beans are transported to our factory in Courtelary. The film was shot between 2013 and 2014.

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ORIGIN OF OUR COCOA BEANS

Sustainability is at the heart of our concerns: we can trace our cocoa beans from Ghana or Peru to the village community.

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TRANSPORT

The cocoa beans are transported by boat to Amsterdam and then by road to Courtelary, Switzerland.

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TORREFACTION

It reveals the typical aromas of cocoa, almonds or hazelnuts.

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THE CRUSHING

Little hammers turn the beans into tits. The peels are removed.

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THE MOUTURE

The nibs are ground until a pure cocoa paste is obtained. Hazelnuts and almonds are also ground.

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THE MIXING OF INGREDIENTS

We mix our top quality ingredients, such as sugar or Swiss milk powder, into our pure paste for blankets and interiors.

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GRINDING AND CONCHING

The chocolate mass is crushed for refining and then passes through the conches. The conching brings on-creaminess to the chocolate.

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HAZELNUTS

The hazelnut has been the basic ingredient for the success of our Ragusa specialities since 1942.

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MOLDING

The chocolate mass is either poured into the moulds or extruded to form our Ragusa and Torino specialities.

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PACKAGING

We use recyclable materials as much as possible.

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WE SHARE OUR PASSION FOR CHOCOLATE

In our Visitor Centre at Camille Bloch’s home, you will learn about the history of our traditional family business, our values and commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, and how we make Ragusa and Torino.

Raw materials

COCOA

While we have been importing most of our cocoa from Ghana for some time now, but some also comes from Peru. Both countries are traditional cocoa producers with a sound infrastructure system.

We started to increase our involvement in Ghana in 2011, in partnership with Sustainable Management Services. This organization supports local cocoa farmers and encourages sustainable, environmentally friendly and socially conscious farming. We support specific projects by paying a premium for raw materials. We also have direct contact with farmers and visit the plantations in person. This helps to develop mutual trust and a sound basis for a long-term collaboration.

Raw materials

Cocoa farming in Ghana

  • Cocoa is harvested twice a year, but the main harvest is between October and January.

  • Sticks are used to remove the ripe fruit from the trees, which are then collected on the ground.

  • Opening the pods is a team effort.

  • The cocoa beans, surrounded by their pulp, are scattered on the ground, covered in banana leaves and left to ferment.

  • After fermentation the cocoa beans are spread out to dry for about a week. They are turned over and mixed together on a regular basis.

  • A bar code is attached to each jute sack before being sent to the port.

  • This electronic code enables the cocoa beans to be traced, from their harvest site to Courtelary.

  • Lesson on workplace safety under the shade of the cocoa trees.

  • The farmers are an attentive audience and ask lots of questions.

  • René Meier, Strategic Procurement Manager, and Regula Gerber, Corporate Communications Manager, during a visit in 2013.

  • Daniel Bloch, CEO of Chocolats Camille Bloch SA, at the opening of the Village Ressource Center (VRC) in 2012.

  • Official reception for Daniel Bloch hosted by the village chief.

  • The VRC contains workstations equipped with IT equipment.

  • It also hosts training sessions for village students and farmers.

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Raw materials

Hazelnuts

  • Each year, Chocolats Camille Bloch uses almost as many hazelnuts as it does cocoa beans, approximately 600 tonnes. Did you know that almost one third of a Ragusa bar is made of hazelnuts? It goes without saying that the quality of the raw materials we use is our top priority.

  • Most of the hazelnuts we use come from Turkey. This country produces 70% of the hazelnuts consumed worldwide.

  • The hazelnuts are mechanically calibrated.

  • Most of the hazelnuts are harvested by hand, but the workers also use some machines to make their task easier.

  • The quality of the hazelnuts is very important for our products.

  • Daniel Bloch, CEO of Chocolats Camille Bloch, talking to hazelnut farmers in 2013.

  • René Meier, Procurement Manager, visits the plantations on a regular basis.

  • Hazelnuts as far as the eye can see, laid out to dry.

  • The hazelnuts are shelled by hand and unwanted elements are removed.

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Other raw materials

Our natural ingredients

Vegetable fats: we use a blend of coconut fat and cocoa butter to achieve the smooth consistency found within specialties such as Ragusa and Torino. We only work with non-hydrogenated fats and never use trans-fatty acids. The almonds come from certified ethical producers based in the United States. We use Swiss powdered milk and sugar. The natural vanilla extract is sourced from Madagascar. Finally, for our specialty liqueur chocolates we use high-quality Swiss and European products.

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Camille Bloch