How Our Cocoa Powder Is Made
Cocoa powder is the backbone of our drinking chocolate powder blends.
It begins life as a fruit in either St Vincent, the Dominican Republic or Peru (depending on product), and eventually becomes an award‑winning drinking chocolate.
Its journey is slow, meticulously managed and flavour‑led at every stage. Here’s how we do it.
FLAVOUR BEGINS AT THE FARM
Flavour starts long before chocolate making; it begins with the cocoa itself. We grow and source genetic varietals that thrive in their local terroir, balancing exceptional flavour potential with strong yield.
Our Caribbean cocoas have a high quantity of Criollo in their genetic make‑up – the strain of cocoa most prized for flavour. Our Peruvian cocoa partners also have a high quantity of heirloom ancestral varietals of cocoa, offering unique and complex fruity aromas.
We source cocoas exclusively grown within regenerative agroforestry farming systems. This sustainable farming practice supports shade cover, ecosystems, farmers’ livelihoods and soil nutrients, creating the foundation for exceptional cocoa.
HAND HARVESTING
The skill of our professional farming team lies in knowing exactly when a cocoa pod is perfectly ripe and ready for harvesting.
Pods are then carefully hand‑harvested, snipped from the tree with secateurs. This precision is incredibly important – by snipping the pod cleanly from the tree, the delicate flower cushion is preserved so that future pods can grow in the same place. If pods are hacked with machetes (as is often the case with mass‑produced cocoa), this cushion is likely to be damaged and the tree may no longer fruit from that point.
This careful approach ensures the health of future harvests and the long‑term sustainability of our farms.
PODS ARE OPENED BY HAND
Once harvested, cocoa pods are opened by hand rather than with machinery. Inside each pod are around 30–40 fresh cocoa beans, surrounded by a sweet, white pulp.
Handling the pods gently preserves the quality of the beans and prevents damage to the seeds that could affect fermentation.
The husks of the cocoa pods are then returned to the farms to be mulched as a natural fertiliser for the cocoa trees.
PRECISION FERMENTATION
Fermentation is a crucial stage in cocoa flavour development, accounting for around 70% of the finished flavour. By centralising fermentation and working with expertly trained farmers, we ensure consistent, high‑quality flavour in every batch.
To ferment cocoa well, a critical mass (of around one tonne) of fresh cocoa beans is needed. The wet cocoa is placed into masses and packed tightly to reduce airflow.
Over 4–6 days, the beans move through an aerobic fermentation stage and are carefully turned from one chamber to the next, optimising airflow, temperature and microbial activity.
Fermentation removes bitterness, develops complexity and unlocks the flavour potential of the cocoa.
DRYING FOR PERFECTION
After fermentation, the beans are dried slowly and evenly, reducing moisture content from around 60% to approximately 6%.
This reduction in moisture is essential for food safety, flavour development and the prevention of spoilage. Rushing this stage can lead to flat or harsh notes later, so patience is key.
By drying with care, we retain the quality of the cocoa we have worked so hard to craft.
NATURAL VS DUTCHED COCOA
This is where Islands takes a very deliberate stand.
Most cocoa powders on the market are Dutch‑processed, meaning they’re chemically alkalised to produce a darker colour and a more uniform, muted flavour.
We don’t Dutch‑process.
At Islands, we work exclusively with natural cocoa powder, allowing the true flavour and natural acidity of the beans to remain intact. This preserves the authenticity of the cocoa and the naturally occurring polyphenols and antioxidants, showcasing its origin rather than masking it.
EXPERT ROASTING
Once dried, the cocoa beans are carefully packed and transported to our roastery for the next stage of their journey, where craft meets precision.
Our expert roasters work with both single‑ and multi‑farm batches, fine‑tuning time and temperature to deliver consistent, reliable flavour profiles in every production.
Because our cocoa beans are fermented and dried with such care, they require only gentle roasting to enhance – not overpower – their natural flavour notes. This approach highlights finesse and nuance rather than intensity, allowing the cocoa’s inherent profile to shine.
WINNOWING
Once roasted, the beans are cracked and winnowed to separate the flavour‑rich cocoa nibs from their inedible outer shells.
The shells are removed for composting, leaving only the cocoa nibs, ready to become cocoa liquor.
GRINDING
Cocoa nibs are then ground into a thick, glossy paste called cocoa liquor. Despite the name, it contains no alcohol, just pure cocoa. Grinding releases the cocoa butter naturally present in the nibs, allowing the mass to take on a thick, semi‑liquid texture.
PRESSING
To make cocoa powder, this liquor is pressed under immense force.
Pressing separates the cocoa butter from the cocoa solids. The force of the press will determine the quantity of butter left in the cocoa solids.
We opt for a fat‑reduced cocoa powder (between 10%–12% fat/butter remaining) for an intense chocolate flavour in the finished drinking chocolate.
The butter is used elsewhere – commonly in chocolate making, but also in body and skincare products.
Cocoa cake → cocoa powder
Once pressed, the compacted cocoa solids form what’s known as a cocoa cake.
This cake is then finely pulverised into a soft cocoa powder.
BLENDING
Our cocoa powder is blended with beet sugar and a touch of sea salt to achieve balance and consistency. This careful blending ensures even distribution and a well‑rounded flavour profile that works beautifully in hot chocolate.
CRAFTED INTO HOT CHOCOLATE
Finally, this rich, natural cocoa blend is crafted into a barista‑quality drinking chocolate in cafés, restaurants and in the comfort of your own home.
That’s how our cocoa powder is made, from farm to cup.
RECIPE INSPIRATION
Whether you’re in the mood for a warm, hot chocolate hug-in-a-cup or a refreshing, iced chocolate to cool you down on when the temperatures rise, our cocoa powders can do it all. Discover your new favourite drink from our recipe section below.
