Are you curious about making chocolates, but not sure where to start?
The Professional Chocolatier Program will teach you the skills and knowledge you need to make delicious chocolates and confections, right in your own kitchen. This intensive part-time program in chocolate making is delivered 100% online over a three-month period. There are no set times that you have to be online, so you can learn without "re-engineering" your work and personal life. We take all the intimidation out of working with chocolate - our expert team of instructors and tutors are with you every step of the way. Want to develop vegan, plant-based, or recipes that fulfill other dietary desires? With our programs, you'll learn everything you need to know to create the products you want. How do we teach chocolate making online?
After two years of very limited travel by the Uncommon team and no Chocolate Weeks, we are so excited to announce that Chocolate Weeks are BACK!
This year, we’re planning adventures in Guatemala and Belize, the two countries that house Uncommon Cacao offices and where the majority of our full time team lives! We can’t wait to host you and show you all that these incredible countries have to offer.
In Guatemala, your trip will begin in bustling Guatemala City (one of the only cities where the airport is right inside the city, a quick 5 minute ride to your hotel!). We'll meet there and then head up to Cobán, the mountainous capital of the Alta Verapaz department. Cobán will be our home base for exploring the remote villages in the Cahabón and Lachuá regions, with an overnight stay in lush, verdant Lanquín as well! We’ll visit the stunning Semuc Champey national park, we’ll eat copious tortillas, we’ll taste locally grown cardamom and chilis, and we’ll spend plenty of time walking through cacao farms and post-harvest facilities. You’ll meet the incredible producers and their families who grow, ferment and dry the cacao offered by Cacao Verapaz from ADIOESMAC and ASODIRP associations, as well as visit the brand-new Cacao Verapaz Acopio facility located along the turquoise Cahabón river!
In Belize, we’ll meet in Punta Gorda, the southernmost town of this stunning tropical country, capital of the Toledo District, and the location of Maya Mountain Cacao’s headquarters. From the Caribbean coast, we’ll head a few miles inland to our jungle lodge homebase, just a few minutes away from the MMC fermentation and drying facility. Our time will be spent visiting Q’eqchi’ and Mopan cacao producers, understanding the post-harvest and quality control operations at Maya Mountain, and exploring cacao farms, waterfalls, caves, and jungles around the Toledo District.
We have planned these cacao adventures so that it is possible to do just one of them or combine them both for an epic journey. If you choose to join us for both Guatemala and Belize, you will get to experience the incredible boat ride across Amatique Bay in the Caribbean with gorgeous views of both countries’ coastlines.
These trips are available only for Uncommon's customers (chocolate makers), and if there is more interest in the trips than available spots, we will have a preference for makers who are already using these beans. Ben (General Manager of Uncommon Cacao in Europe) will be leading the group's adventures in both Guatemala and Belize.
Please reach out to us for more details if you are interested in learning more about the 2023 Chocolate Week experiences. We are so excited to be offering these trips again this year and can’t wait to travel with you again soon!
