Study Chocolate tasting at a new school in Lincolnshire

It's not only wine or coffee that have specially trained tasters you can also become a qualified chocolate taster and there a new opportunity for you to study in Lincolnshire. This autumn the International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting (IICCT) is launching in-person chocolate tasting courses at a new UK Venue in Louth, Lincolnshire.

The IICCT courses enable chocolate professionals and enthusiasts to develop advanced skills and knowledge in the understanding and evaluation of the flavour experience of fine chocolate.

The FDQ-accredited Level 1 certificate and Level 2 certificate in Chocolate Tasting will be delivered by IICCT course lead and international chocolate judge Kathryn Laverack at a new teaching and tasting venue in Louth, Lincolnshire. The first courses will run between 17-20th October 2024.

Discussing the new delivery of the programme, Martin Christy, Course Director of the IICCT said, “This is an exciting new development in the delivery of our chocolate and cacao tasting programme. After a successful transition from online teaching during the COVID pandemic, through the training and development of new teachers we have been able to expand the opportunities for in-person training and bring our courses back to the UK.”

“This demand for courses has increased as a result of the burgeoning craft chocolate scene in the UK. The courses are designed for both enthusiasts at the start of their chocolate tasting journey and for professionals wanting to develop a full sensory understanding of fine chocolate and its flavour potential. Our courses are taken by chocolate makers, chocolatiers, pastry chefs, retailers, journalists and educators.  

“We have been running our chocolate tasting courses in the UK since 2014, so students will also be joining a vibrant alumni community who continue their learning through tastings, talks and chocolate maker visits, and support the education of the wider public of the benefits in flavour, craftsmanship and ethical sourcing of fine chocolate.”

Kathryn Laverack, who will be leading the teaching of the courses said, “Lincolnshire is really the birthplace of small-scale craft chocolate making in the UK. When Duffy Sheardown began to make chocolate in Cleethorpes in 2008 he gave chocolate lovers like myself access to a whole new world, the world of fine chocolate and cacao, as opposed to the mass-market industrial chocolate we had grown up with.”

“There are now dozens of makers crafting chocolate from fine cacao beans in the UK. A significant proportion of the chocolate we will be tasting as part of our learning will be from these makers, and I feel privileged to be able to offer these tasting courses in the county where it all began. We will also get to visit Duffy’s factory to learn how he coaxes the natural flavours notes from the beans he works with.”

The courses are a result of the collective experience of the Institute’s Founders Martin Christy, Monica Meschini and Maricel Presilla, and are taught and examined to the standards of UK-based accreditor FDQ.

The curriculum follows four learning streams: chocolate tasting and evaluation, cacao production, chocolate making, and chocolate’s history, culture and society. As you progress through the levels, you build a deeper understanding of each of these elements, their interconnections and critically how they influence the taste experience of chocolate.

Further information is available on the Cocoa Runners Course website: https://cocoa-encounters.cademy.co.uk/?list=17cb96ef-a82d-4b0c-9b2d-09d95949c8be

Course information:

IICCT Level 1 Certificate in Chocolate Tasting - Full Day Oct 17th

IICCT Level 2 Certificate in Chocolate Tasting - 3 Days Oct 18th-20th

IICCT Combined Level 1 and Level 2 Certificates in Chocolate Tasting - 4 Days Oct 17-20th

Venue:

Cocoa Encounters, The Mart, 127 Eastgate, Louth, Lincolnshire, LN11 9QE

Entry Requirements:

None. The Level 1 chocolate tasting course is open to all comers and is suitable for professionals and enthusiasts. Successful completion of Level 1 is required before a Level 2 certificate can be issued.

Bookings close: 30th September 

Further information on the IICCT visit: https://www.chocolatetastinginstitute.org/