What is couverture chocolate?

If you’ve read the ingredients on any of our boxes, you might have noticed we talk a lot about couverture chocolate. It’s the foundation of every bonbon and bar we make, so we thought it was worth explaining what it is, and why it matters so much to us.

So, what is it?

Couverture chocolate is a premium chocolate used by professional chocolatiers and pastry chefs. Unlike many standard chocolate bars, it’s made with a higher proportion of cocoa butter and carefully selected cocoa ingredients.

That extra cocoa butter is what makes the difference. It gives couverture a smoother texture, a better shine and a more refined finish, and it melts beautifully on the tongue. It’s also what allows us to create the thin, glossy shells you’ll find on our bonbons, which give a satisfying snap before you reach the filling inside.

How is it different to the supermarket bar?

Everyday chocolate bars are made to be eaten as they are, and many of them include other ingredients alongside, or in place of, some of the cocoa butter. That’s perfectly lovely for snacking, but it doesn’t behave in the same way when you melt it down and work with it.

Couverture is made to be worked with. Before we use it, we temper it: carefully melting and cooling the chocolate to precise temperatures so that it sets with a glossy finish and a clean snap, rather than turning dull or streaky. Learning to temper was one of the very first steps in our own chocolate journey, and it’s still part of every batch we make.

Why we choose Callebaut

We use carefully selected Belgian chocolate from Callebaut, one of the world’s leading chocolate makers, with a long heritage of chocolate craftsmanship.

We choose Callebaut for their commitment to quality, traceability and more sustainable cocoa sourcing. Through initiatives that support cocoa farmers, responsible farming practices and the future of cocoa-growing communities, they work to create a more sustainable chocolate industry, which is something that matters to us as a small business.

Callebaut also offers a wide range of couvertures, from intense dark chocolates with rich cocoa profiles to smooth milk and white chocolates. That range lets us choose the right balance of flavour, texture and cocoa content for each of our products, whether that’s the 54% dark chocolate in our Smooth Dark Chocolate bonbon or the creamy white chocolate in our White Chocolate & Vanilla Bean.

Taste the difference

The best way to understand couverture is, of course, to taste it. Our Signature Flavours Box brings together all six of our signature bonbons, and you can find out more about each one in our Bonbon flavour guide.