ARTISAN CHOCOLATE CREATORS
Our Vision
We believe with every fibre of our being that artisans should be able to express their personality by using special ingredients. They must be a blend of unrivalled flavours and easy to use products that uphold new social and environmental standards.
ARTISAN CHOCOLATE CREATORS
Our Vision
This unique vision has always guided us through our everyday lives and goes into each and every new creation...
The Loisy family has put its passion into making exceptional products exclusively for professionals for 4 generations. The family's expertise has been passed down from father to son and now Nicolas de Loisy, the 4th generation, is keeping the legacy alive. His artisan approach is true to Chocolaterie de l’Opéra's aromatic signature: a smooth and subtle blend of intensity, balance and aromatic personality.
Nicolas de Loisy stands by his father's sourcing method and scours the world for outstanding cocoa beans grown using eco-friendly techniques. The beans are then carefully processed using a trail-blazing procedure with a value chain based on showcasing the original fruit's aromas. Strict specifications apply to each stage of production to meet the highest standards of food quality and safety.
OUR FAMILY HISTORY
Fuelled by innovation
The quest for the
best COCOA BEANS
"Our sourcing method has always focused on flavour and capturing remote terroirs. But now we prioritise farming methods that address social and environmental issues. These methods rely on an in-depth understanding of the soil, climate and cocoa bean varieties gained by generations of who we like to call "expert farmers".
Nicolas de LoisyThe quest for the
best COCOA BEANS
REMOTE TERROIR SEEKER
The flavour of a chocolate depends first and foremost on the quality of the cocoa beans. Its terroir's signature features and type are what make it authentic and give it its unique aromas. Its soil composition gives the fruit (pod) its flavour profile. The climate affects its sugar ratio, a make-or-break part of the post-harvest process. A good terroir may be the subtle combination of soil and climate, but the ones we select are given a helping hand from mankind.
It took nearly 25 years to select our 9 origins. They are exclusively located in remote farming areas on both sides of the Equator, away from East Africa where almost three quarters of the world's cocoa is produced.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPERT FARMERS
Social and environmental issues have significantly changed the profile of the plantation managers and teams we work with. We set them a real challenge for all our new creations: provide consistent quality and flavour despite weather hazards, reduce the use of fertiliser and pesticides and improve pay for local communities.
This involves using traditional expertise and in-depth understanding of their land alongside new farming techniques and post-harvest processing methods, often dictated by protocols and followed to the letter. We prioritise agroforestry farming methods because trees are the perfect partner for responsible, productive and sustainable farming.
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FARMERS
Direct sourcing: Where possible, we source direct to provide perfect traceability and transparent farming methods.
Long-term commitment: We agree to contracts for order sizes and prices agreed in advance. Our policy provides farmers with greater foresight in terms of investment, training and pay. This economic stability enables us to help improve the local community's standard of living for the long term.
Social and environmental responsibility: Another of our priorities is helping these areas to implement responsible methods. We regularly visit plantations to guarantee these methods are being applied for our clients. The process also helps build special long-term relationships with each of our partner plantations.
Creation
reasearch &
development
All our innovations are driven by an endless quest for the most original flavour. Our artisan process is designed to awaken every sense and bring out the finest aromas. That means you can count on an original flavour profile in each and every creation.
Creation
reasearch &
development
INNOVATING
We are always on the lookout for new aromas brought to life by new varieties of cocoa beans or new processes, designed by our farmer partners and sometimes based on our own clients' new requirements. Our ethic means we constantly have to adapt to changes in the market.
SELECTING COCOA BEANS
You can't produce the best single origin chocolate couverture without carefully selecting the cocoa beans and their plantations. Our incredibly strict criteria is based on almost scientific knowledge of cocoa beans. We focus on 3 areas: original flavour, sustainable production and long-term aromatic consistency.
TESTING
We pay close attention to inspecting cocoa beans that are about to be approved. The most widely used method is cut testing to assess the physical features and taste profile of a representative sample of beans. Cut tests examine the quality of fermentation, drying, size and weight consistency to ensure quality roasting. This visual and sensory analysis of the raw ingredient is one of our chocolate making secrets!
CREATING
Another of the Loisy family's passions. We have designed a mini-chocolaterie where we can identify the roasting profile for each new cocoa bean we approve. The chocolate's real flavour profile comes from how long and how high or low we roast the beans. So we take our time and explore every option before we achieve the holy grail: a unique aroma. Once we've identified the profile, we replicate it on a large scale at our pioneering production site where the beans are carefully roasted.
TECHNOLOGY for
TASTE and HEALTH
Our manufacturing process relies on a value chain based on discerning flavour and food safety. We handle every stage of producing premium chocolate couverture, from selecting the beans to creating the recipes, so we make it a point of honour to give the aromas pride of place.
Food safety standards at our chocolate couverture production site:
HACCP:
- This procedure is compulsory for all food industry figures in France.
- It involves identifying and managing food safety-related risks
- implementing systems and procedures to improve the safety of consumer food products.
FSSC 22000:
- a certification scheme that guarantees a robust food safety management system
- to control food safety hazards, minimise risks, and ensure safe food production
TECHNOLOGY for
TASTE and HEALTH
Key stages in making our chocolate couverture
COCOA BEAN DELIVERY
Each new batch of cocoa beans undergoes physical and chemical tests. An independent external laboratory conducts bacteriology testing.
STERILISATION
The HAF (High Aromatic Flavour) process improves bacteriology results without affecting the flavour of the beans or our products' shelf life.
ROASTING
Roasting is a key part of creating the chocolate's aromas. Every cocoa bean has its own roasting profile. Small batches of whole fruit from the same origin are roasted to lock in the unique flavours. We roast our beans slow and low to avoid "over-roasted" aromas, unlike most other manufacturers.
NIBS
Once roasted, the beans are broken then removed from their shell through aspiration before being turned into premium single origin nibs.
GRINDING INTO LIQUID
Our special equipment enables us to restrict rises in temperature during this stage whilst ensuring excellent granulation < 25 µ.
BLENDING
No vanilla is added to dark chocolate at this stage. Exclusively natural flavours are added to other types.
CONCHING
Use of GMO-free soy lecithin
PACKING
Triple layer, high protection drop bags.
Rip-tape to help lock in the flavour and improve storage.
OUR COMMITMENTS
TO OUR CLIENTS
"We are true to our strategic decision to only sell our products to artisans. We share their high quality standards and drive to dazzle people with stand-out products. We have always had a unique approach to business that involves capping the number of clients and respecting their local area."
Nicolas de Loisy (General Manager)OUR COMMITMENTS
TO OUR CLIENTS
Expertise – Relationship - Services
Our teams' expertise: our sales managers are individually trained by the Loisy family and attend regular professional courses to provide you with product and industry expertise. From the choice of cocoa bean to the end chocolate couverture, they know the process inside out and can answer any questions you may have. Their mission: to help you get the most out of your products.
Relationships: chocolatier, pastry chef or distributor, we treat every client as unique. Every product suggestion is tailored to suit your professional situation (company size, business type, productivity goal, employee level). That's one reason why we don't have an online shop. We have built our reputation on creating relationships based on active listening.
Services: your private area contains all the tools you need to use our products and train your teams based on your profile (end client or distributor). Whether it be our sales staff training your teams in-store or in function rooms, providing a consultant for a new project, a tour of our production site or chef webinar, we focus on giving you the best service standards to create a long-term relationship with you.
PARTNER
of EXCELLENCE
We have always supported any solo or group campaign to promote premium chocolate and expertise among artisan chocolatiers, pastry chefs, ice cream makers and confectioners.
PARTNER
of EXCELLENCE
COMPETITIONS
- Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France competition run by the COET MOF (Comité des Exposition du Travail du concours Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France).
- Coupe de France des Jeunes Chocolatiers run by the Académie Française du Chocolat et de la confiserie. This competition recognises chocolatiers and confectioners aged under 23.
- Prix Culinaire Prosper Montagné competition is one of the oldest and most prestigious cookery contests in France (founded in 1950). It is seen as the "Nobel Prize for cookery".
- Trophée Pascal Caffet. This award promotes the chocolatier industry and puts the spotlight on up-and-coming talent. The competition naturally slots into the annual Salon de la Gastronomie trade fair at Troyes Expo Cube.
SCHOOLS
- FERRANDI: FERRANDI Paris is a top hospitality college training the future elite of fine dining and luxury accommodation in France and abroad.
- ENSP – Ecole Ducasse: The École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie has set the benchmark in pastry colleges for over 35 years. For pastry, bakery, chocolate, confectionery and ice cream lovers. World class.
- CFA DES CHEFS: 6 major catering groups joined forces to provide a leading training course in the catering industry.