Founded by Patricia Cosma and Ketaki Churi, the Indian Cacao & Craft Chocolate Festival was created to champion the innovation, creativity and sustainability of India’s craft chocolate industry. Returning to the city with its 5th edition, themed The Cacao Renaissance, this year, the festival celebrates the rapid rise of India’s craft chocolate movement, spotlighting exceptional chocolatiers, innovative beanto-bar makers and the growing ecosystem around Indian cacao.
“We picked Cacao Renaissance to reflect a new era for Indian craft chocolate, looking at how the industry has evolved toward modern, artisan bean-to-bar production. With this, we are highlighting rising quality and creativity among our Indian chocolate makers, farmers and artisans,” begins Sneha Sridhar, the festival’s creative director.
Highlighting the evolution of Indian chocolate, the festival brings together the finest of India’s craft chocolate industry and leaders shaping India’s chocolate story. Festival favourites like Anuttama, Paul & Mike, BAR, Mason & Co, Subko Cacao & Coffee and Manam will grace the event, showcasing their finest products. But what’s new, you ask?
“We are bringing new craft chocolate brands like Ziaho and Carra, as well as new participants like Something’s Brewing and Vui Coffee Roasters, who are big on coffee culture, a parallel we always love,” she reveals.
Besides, one can experience Exclusive Tasting Sessions serving samples of signature creations from India’s top craft chocolate brands, hands-on workshops to learn chocolate tempering, pairing techniques and the bean-to-bar process with expert chocolatiers and hear from industry pioneers discussing sustainable cacao cultivation and India’s chocolate revolution. As part of the Artisanal & Savoury collaborators section, festival-goers can look forward to Nari & Kage, Kase, The Local Friendly Bakery, Ulo, Café Plume, Nuvedo, Juny’s, Copper + Cloves, Maki Patisserie and more.
“One collaboration we are excited to highlight is Bon Fiction, a chocolate maker, with Dona Aideau, a tea connoisseur, who is creating a special tea chocolate. We have more surprise collaborations showing up at the festival that will show you a more experimental side of cacao,” she shares.
Co-founder of the International Institute of Chocolate & Cacao Tasting (IICCT), Martin Christy, will lead special sessions for the first time at the festival. “The professional-level Chocolate Tasting Courses by IICCT by Martin are open to all. It will cover origins and varieties of cacao, how cacao is produced, how fine or craft chocolate is made and help you learn to taste, recognise aroma, flavour, texture and even defects. The courses will give you a very structured, global-standard education in fine-chocolate tasting.
₹350 onwards. December 5-7. At Sabha, Kamaraj Road.
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