Note: I am an independent, certified chocolate taster and awards judge. As such, I am not affiliated to any brands which are mentioned, nor am I paid to talk about them. On occasion, I do receive gifted chocolate products but I only ever recommend chocolate which I believe in. Endorsing poor quality or unethical chocolate for any reason does nothing to lift up an industry that deserves so much better.
Are you looking for some good Irish Bean to Bar chocolate? You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that there is a fair amount of great Irish Bean to Bar chocolate available throughout the island.
The Republic of Ireland is home to several fabulous chocolate makers:
1. The Proper Chocolate Company (Dublin)
The Proper Chocolate Company is run by wife and husband Kellie and Patrick Marjolet, and they make some of the best 2 and 3 ingredient small-batch bean to bar chocolate around. In the Bean to Bar world, this is considered no easy feat as working with minimal ingredients is tricky, to say the least. ‘2 ingredient’ = Just cacao and sugar; “3 ingredient” – cacao, cacao butter and sugar. Nothing else because nothing else is really needed when specialty grade cacao meets fine craftsmanship. Truth.
What to get:
- The 70% Maranon. Made from a truly rare specialty cacao, renowned as one of the best origins in the world, all the way from Peru. You can expect a bar of pure chocolate with little to no bitterness, and plenty of stone fruitiness. Not sure how to tell fruity notes in a chocolate? Get your expertise, stat.
- The 58% Dark Milk Dominican Republic bar. A ‘Dark Milk’ bar was created in the specialty chocolate world to satisfy the tastebuds of dark and milk chocolate lovers alike. The depth of a dark chocolate with the satisfying cream of a quality fine milk.
- The Tanzania aged in Teeling Whiskey Barrels. This is a true connoisseur’s bar.
Where to find: They have an impressive list of stockists, too many to mention here, on their website. Some examples include Lotts & Co, the Hopsack and Fallon & Byrne
2. Neary Nogs (Northern Ireland)
Neary Nogs, run by Dot & Shane Neary, these chocolatemakers make some of the best small batch craft chocolate I have ever had, outside of Ireland included. I was particularly smitten by their Irish Collection, which includes their superbly crafted lavender bar, soda bread and old fashioned cocktail. Nailing the flavours to a tee with precise balance, they also craft some incredible chocolate treats like slates and truffles.
What to get:
- Mourne Lúnasa Lavender bar: The use of Togo Kekeli (58%) cacao as the base lends clear notes of buttered toast - deliciously warm and comforting. Some of the lavender used is grown locally at the chocolate factory, in addition to that provided by a few customers who grow it specially for Neary Nogs. The result is a chocolate where the lavender is calming and pleasant without dominating the overall flavour of the chocolate. Zen in a bar.
- Tiramisu Truffles: Decadent isn't the word so much as flavourful, with a gorgeous white chocolate based filling stealing the show.
- Passionfruit Slates: Capturing the essence of fresh and fruity tropical passionfruit as a chocolate inclusion is no easy feat and here Neary Nogs brings it forth on a lovely base of their outstanding Togo origin chocolate.
Where to find: Order directly from website (they deliver everywhere), The Chocolate Shop( Cork) and Terroirs (Dublin)
3. Nibbed (Galway)
A woman-run enterprise, with a focus on drinking cacao. Meet the aunt and niece duo, Lisa Kleiner and Anna O’Sullivan behind Ireland's favourite 100% drinking cacao. Nibbed uses a wonderful origin – Oko Caribe, from Dominican Republic, resplendent with yellow fruit and chocolatey notes. Do you know the difference between drinking cacao and regular hot chocolate? Also worth checking out are their chocolate barks. Did I mention that everything is organic and vegan here?
What to get:
- The pure cacao blocks
- The chocolate bark with activated hazelnuts, maple cacao nibs and sea salt flakes.
Where to find: Almost everywhere where you have a health or organic store. You can even find it at the Airfield farmer’s market which runs on Friday and Saturday mornings.
4. Hazel Mountain Chocolate (Galway)
Craft chocolate from the Burren. Run by Kasha & John Connolly, Hazel Mountain’s uniqueness, in my book, are their creative inclusions. (Not sure what a chocolate ‘Inclusion” is? Maybe it’s time to find out.) Think chocolate crafted with specialty cacao, before adding in other magnificent ingredients such as craft coffee, hazelnuts roasted and caramelised in honey from the Burren (wherelese!). They also make some truly gourmet chocolate coated nuts, such as their vegan cinnamon chocolate hazelnuts.
What to get:
- 42% Milk Chocolate with Toasted Almond & Sea Salt. Be warned that this particular sweet-salty bar is dangerously moreish.
- The Costa Rican Coffee Bar is a marriage of two Costa Rican beans: cacao and coffee
- The Chocolate Coated Hazelnuts (a cinnamon kick) or Almonds (a vanilla kick)
Where to find: On their website, but it is possible that their stockists list is starting to be further developed.
5. Wilkies (Cork, Mallow)
You may have seen this Cork born brand before, as this was one of the first Bean to Bar chocolates to ever hit Irish shores. You will find a wide range of different cacao percentages here, all using the same Peruvian cacao. Does a high cacao percentage mean a stronger tasting chocolate? You would be surprised.
What to get:
- The Amazonas 75%. A “gateway’ bar if you are new to the Bean to Bar chocolate world, but like your chocolate strong, deep and reminiscent of brownies.
Where to find: Supervalue, Auntie Nellies and The Chocolate Shop (based in Cork and the most fabulous place to find bean to bar in all of Ireland)
6. Exploding Tree (Cork, Clonakilty)
Another chocolate gift from Cork. Exploding Tree is a truly special Bean to Bar chocolate brand because founder Allison Roberts uses just one origin, from Ghana, but interprets it in many creative ways with inclusions. Also interesting is her use of coconut sugar from Indonesia, which lends a spectacular caramel note to the already chocolatey profile that Ghana cacao is known for. All organic and fairtrade. Speaking of which... Fairtrade, Direct Trade..do you know the difference?
What to get:
- The 60% Oat Milk bar, which is one of the best vegan mylk bars you can get your hands on
- The Goat Milk bar, which is incredibly unique. Great for fans of French goat's cheese and pairs wonderfully with a robust red wine
- The 100% has a special place with me as I like using this chocolatey, slightly earthy and nutty creation in my sipping chocolate (i.e drinking chocolate with water instead of milk)
Where to find: Their bars are distributed via Independent Irish Healthfoods so you will find it at plenty of health and organic shops such as Nourish, Evergreen, The Hopsack.
Places to get your hands on specialty bean to bar chocolate in general (international brands) in Ireland:
The Chocolate Shop at the English Market, Cork
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