Help Bisou Fight the Chocapocalypse

Hi! We're Tracey and Eli, founders of Bisou Chocolate. Cocoa butter, our most important ingredient after cocoa beans, has become unattainable. Our only recourse is to purchase a cocoa butter press and make our own. We are asking for all those who appreciate our work to help us if you can.

We have been making chocolate in Berkeley since 2010 after years of honing our craft in our Outer Sunset apartment in San Francisco. We have been focused on making the best dark chocolate using little to no sugar, but from the beginning we had our sights set on expanding into confectionary. Building on the foundation of high quality, high percentage chocolate we soon began offering truffles and caramels as well as vegan white and milk chocolates. Dragées, chocolate covered centers like nuts and raisins, have become another key offering. Last summer, Bisou opened a Brick and Mortar just a few blocks from the original kitchen which still houses our melangeurs and conche. Throughout our chocolate journey, we have relied on consistent hard work and constant reinvestment to continue to grow and scale. We work tirelessly 7 days a week 52 weeks a year to make the dream a reality and bring good chocolate to market for customers who care about quality and sustainability.

This year a confluence of factors political and environmental have caused cocoa bean prices to skyrocket to historic highs more than double any past price surges. While we pay premiums to our amazing farmers that are above even these record highs, a trickle down effect has suddenly put our livelihood in peril. Cocoa butter, our second most important ingredient after cocoa beans, has become unattainable. In two weeks the price soared from $5/kg to $40/kg. As big brands scramble to secure contracts for the future, small manufacturers have little chance to reliably secure this essential ingredient.

As passionate bean to bar makers, we have always wanted to press our own cocoa butter from the delicious cacao we source from all around the world. Now, with the Chocapocalypse looming, we have no choice. We are asking everyone who enjoys our confectionery creations and couverture (hello Silk bar!) to pitch in and help us purchase a cocoa butter press. This addition to our manufacturing line will allow us to bring cocoa butter production in house and insulate us from the fluctuations of the global market. Pressing artisanal cocoa butter will also improve the quality and taste, in addition to producing natural cocoa powder. It will also transfer the transparency and sustainability of our cocoa beans to these products we will make with them.