A Sensory Experience at Benns Ethicoa Bean-To-Bar Chocolate Factory

BENNS ETHICOA MP

Being a chocolate lover, I’ve always wondered ‘how’ a chocolate factory looks like. My dreams came true when Benns Chocolate Factory Sdn Bhd, a premier Malaysian chocolate manufacturer, officially launched Asia’s first open-concept chocolate factory and café today to share the experience of chocolate making.

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Celebrating its 20th year of chocolate-making, Benns Chocolate’s latest factory is to cater for its artisanal bean-to-bar brand Benns Ethicoa with the theme “Towards a More Intimate Chocolate Experience” in a move to promote ethical and natural chocolate making.

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This also marks a new chapter in the company’s illustrious chocolate making history with the launch of the Benns Ethicoa Chocolate factory, an independent facility with dedicated capacity to produce up to 500kg of fine flavour single estate bean-to-bar chocolate per day.

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An up-close picture of the cacao. It’s the dried and fully fermented seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids (a mixture of non-fat substances) and cocoa butter (the fat) can be extracted. It tastes quite similarly to Mangosteen.

Wilfred Ng, Executive Director of Benns Chocolate said Benns Ethicoa’s business model is built with sustainability in mind, designed to help promote ethical cacao farming and enable owners of well-managed plantations to fetch higher prices that commensurate with better quality cacao beans.

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(from left): Jerome Penafort, Director of Business Development and Wilfred Ng, Executive Director of Benns Chocolate Factory

Are you aware that most top-quality cacao can be found in Asia? Currently, Benns Ethicoa’s cacao beans are sourced from carefully selected farms in Lampang in Thailand, Vung Tau in Vietnam, Calinan in the Philippines, Anaimalai in India, and Sungai Ruan in Pahang, Malaysia.

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As a reflection of the brand’s values of transparency and fairness, the new facility fully showcases the entire chocolate making process.

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My son had a grand time at Benns Ethioca’s Chocolate Factory. 

Visitors can sign up for a factory tour to learn about the origins of chocolate, the farmers and the farms where the cacao beans originate and a unique experience of the entire chocolate making process from bean to bar.

At the end of the tour, we can sample freshly made chocolates and also chocolate drinks with a selection of pastries at the Ethicoa café. Prepared by its in-house pastry chefs using single estate chocolate produced in the factory; each item is made using cacao sourced from different farm estates around Asia.

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Psst…you can even order ice cream too!

Besides bean-to-bar chocolates, other fine flavour chocolate products under Benns Ethicoa label include cacao nibs, made from dried and roasted cocoa beans, a two-ingredient drinking chocolate (cacao powder and unrefined sugar) and cacao tea. Cacao drinks is Benns Ethicoa’s way of going back to basics, allowing the natural taste and health benefits of cacao to be brought to the forefront.

To celebrate Benns Ethicoa’s latest facility as the new unique sensory experience destination for the public, they’re offering a promotional free factory tour worth RM 30.00. Details as below:

  • Dates: 13-19 December 2019
  • Time: Every hour starting from 11 a.m.to 5 p.m
  • Pax/per hour: Eight (8) attendees
  • Operating days: Tue – Sun only

You’ll also receive a free chocolate drink at Benn’s café at the end of the tour. This promotion is on first come first serve basis and early reservations at [email protected] or +603 9082 0955 is highly advisable.

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Bring your kids over to Benns Ethioca Chocolate Factory this school holiday to learn about chocolate making process. It’s an insightful experience that they will greatly enjoy.

 

Benns Ethioca Chocolate Factory
Lot No.1, Jalan CJ 1/6C, Kawasan Perindustrian Cheras Jaya,
Kawasan Perindustrian Cheras Jaya, Batu 11
43200, Cheras
Tel: +603- 9082 0955

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