We are died-in-the-wool makers and chocolate lovers from way back. When we realized with a little bit of equipment and bit of ingenuity we could make our own chocolate straight from the bean, we jumped at the chance. And to our great delight, we not only loved doing it, but also produced something delicious.
We started making two ingredient single origin chocolate, using only organic cacao and organic cane sugar. The goal was to limit the chocolate to only essential ingredients that would cleanly deliver the unique tastes of each varietal of cacao. Then, we make our first flavoured bar, Black Pepper Cardamom, won a wonderful award, and kept on going.
The joy in what we do comes from being immersed in the science and story of cacao, the craft of chocolate making, the creativity of creating new bars, and of being able to share the chocolate with you.
JFW
Why DesBarres, you ask? It's a family name. The old guy above, JFW DesBarres, was a mapmaker and governor and arrived in Canada in the 1700s. He's pictured here loving his namesake bars.
Meet the team
Erik Hansen
Erik is the co-founder and chief chocolate maker. Erik's background in science and business and keen interest in all things chocolate naturally led him to this passion. From fine tuning roasting profiles, to tempering even the most stubborn flavours, Erik is a master in chocolate production.
Ariane Hansen
Ariane is co-founder, chocolate and popsicle maker, and creative lead. With a background in architecture and a passion for flavour, Ariane manages all things creative from packaging to new flavour combinations. In the summer, its all popsicles all the time!
Good products for all
Not only do we believe in using the finest, and where possible, Canadian ingredients, we believe our product should not negatively impact the earth. We use beans from growers who use agroforestry or regenerative practices, which help store carbon in soil and trees while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Where possible we work directly with the grower to reduce the supply chain sometimes cutting emissions.
Using fewer and local flavouring ingredients we lower the footprint associated with additional processing and transport. Our packaging is minimal and 90% recyclable or compostable.
And finally, we do not generate waste from the cacao bean. All parts of the cocoa bean are used for other products like Brewing Cacao and chocolate beer flavouring. What remains is used for compost or mulch.