ONES TO WATCH
“We’re being contacted by cacao farmers from Mexico and Venezuela”
WELCOME FOAM Hot topic source of much excitement in the city has been the recent opening of a cafe with one big twist – it’s dedicated entirely to hot chocolate. Lovers of the confection will want to leg it to Knoops on Green Street, where not one but 20 different chocolates are available across a spectrum of white to dark – plus additional sprinklings of everything from pink salt to cardamom – enabling you to concoct your dream beverage. “My first memories of chocolate as a child were with my grandmother, who always rewarded me with the stuff,” says founder Jens Knoop. “Although it wasn’t great-quality chocolate, it was about savouring the moment.” With a background in photography, Jens had a moment of inspiration while strolling the streets of London, wishing he could get his hands on a good hot chocolate. “The Brits have a sweet tooth,” explains Jens. “Milk chocolate is the bestseller, which is very close to how Germans enjoy their chocolate as well.
trap. Now I don’t even eat the chocolate when it’s been sent to me. I don’t touch it. But I immediately test it in a chocolate drink, then say, let’s look at the company history. Are they emerging? How have they established their sustainability story?” ‘Knoopology’ is the science-informed philosophy behind the brand, with hot chocolates categorised by percentage. Inspired by the history of chocolate, the drink is then frothed: “In Mesoamerica around 3,000 years ago, the most prestigious drinks would be frothed,” claims Jens. “Often, the froth was taken off and given as a gift to the gods. “This has been done for thousands of years,” he continues. “But our way has never been done before. It’s an interpretation of what’s happened historically. Without that heritage, we wouldn’t be here. But with the quality of the ingredients we can get nowadays, the expertise and passion of our Knoopologists and, of course, our machines, what we are making is super contemporary.”
That’s why I feel confident translating my experience from Germany to the UK.” The first store opened in Rye and was a runaway success. “We’re being approached by cacao farmers from Mexico and Venezuela who want to work with me, it’s such a privilege. People that have farmed cacao for 200 years have been emailing me because they heard about what I do, and how we can represent their cacao.” Jens’ approach is sustainability-steered without compromising on taste, and he’s always building relationships with new suppliers and producers. “The chocolate market itself changes all the time,” says Jens. “Some companies go, some emerge. New territories are explored for where to farm cacao. Some have bad harvests, some have good harvests. It’s constantly in a state of flux. But I’m always on the lookout.” There’s a distinction, though, between great chocolate and great hot chocolate. “Eating chocolate and using it for hot drinks can have very different results,” warns Jens. “I myself stepped into that
42 JANUARY 2023 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
Powered by FlippingBook