My chocolate journey started quietly, almost without me realising it. When I started baking from scratch, chocolate naturally became part of that process. I wanted to move away from ready made mixes, and that also meant paying more attention to the basic ingredients I used. As a consumer, good quality chocolate wasn’t easy to find, so I started working with Callebaut couverture chocolate for everything: cakes, fillings, ganaches, and bonbons. Chocolate became something I worked with often, confidently, and with a lot of pleasure.

At that stage, chocolate was still mainly an ingredient. After my visit to the bakery of Robèrt van Beckhoven, where I learned a bit more about the origins of cacao, I visited Chocoa’s Chocolate Festival for the first time. That experience was genuinely mind blowing. Like most visitors, I tasted a lot and bought what I liked, without overthinking it too much. But something triggered my interest. I started buying books, reading more, and looking more critically at the chocolate I used and ate. I became interested in where chocolate came from, and specifically how it was made.

Meeting Tessa was a big turning point. Looking back, I honestly feel that she pulled me into the chocolate world. Through her, I met different people throughout the chocolate chain. Meeting all these chocolate aficionados, talking with them, it continues to be very inspiring. Chocolate is no longer just something I worked with in the kitchen. It is something I am actively passionate about. I want to know what happens during fermentation, how roasting changes flavour so dramatically, and why two bars made from the same beans can taste completely different. And more, I want to introduce people around me to this amazing hidden world of flavour.

Together with other people, I have visited places linked to chocolate, shared different bars, compared flavours, and discovered more and more artisan chocolate makers. Chocolate became something to explore, not just to enjoy. On a trip to Paris in 2023, where I visited Salon du Chocolat, another milestone was triggered. Being surrounded by chocolate makers and enthusiasts, sharing stories, tasting chocolate together, it was the final push I needed for my next step. It was there that I signed up for the IICCT chocolate tasting courses. I started with Level 1 and later continued with Level 2.

As chocolate and cacao continue to intrigue me, I have started reaching out to people around me. First in the Netherlands, and as I moved, now in Germany. Introducing people to fine chocolate and artisan cacao. I have a box of bean-to-bar chocolate at home and one at work. Whenever the moment is right, I tell people about what I consider chocolate and let them experience it firsthand. My colleagues now (rightfully so) call the ‘chocolate’ you buy in the supermarket ‘candy’.

In 2025, I went big (spent a lot of money) and purchased an Academy ticker for Chocoa (this included access to the European Markets Academy, the Chocolate Makers’ Forum, the Chocoa Trade Fair, the Culinary Masterclasses and the Chocolate Festival). At this week in Amsterdam, I felt for the first time like an ‘amateur chocolate ambassador’. My goal has been to promote good quality chocolate and educate people about the whole chocolate chain. It left me with idea’s about a chocolate themed blog….

People at work also became more aware with my chocolate obsession, and in 2025 I gave my first chocolate tasting(s). What an exciting journey that was! A 3-hour timeframe with a break that provided some savory food.
I thought about it a lot and came up with an interactive talk (or rather, listen) and taste program. I started with an introduction on myself, followed by explaining how one should taste (not eat) chocolate. Then we tasted two different bars. I explained the manufacturing process, after which we again tasted two bars. I explained what we consider fine/craft chocolate, and we again tasted two bars this time followed by a break of food. You get the gist, right? We tasted a total of 13 different bars, while I further talked about history, craft VS bulk chocolate, and where you buy your chocolate (and what to keep in mind when buying).
It was a very interesting and interactive session that I supported with a visual presentation, only using pictures I made myself on my cacao journey.

This blog is where that journey continues. It’s not about knowing everything or having final answers. It’s about learning, tasting, experiencing, asking questions, and sharing discoveries along the way.