Taste, Flavour and Chocolate Masterclass in Czechia

We are taking our Taste, Flavour & Chocolate Masterclass to Czechia this September! Hosted at The Naughty Dog in the small town of Jílové u Prahy, just 40 minutes from the centre of Prague.

Welcome to our full-day Masterclass, taking a deep dive into taste and flavour through the world of chocolate.

Join us for a day of learning, tasting and activities. You’ll learn the difference between taste and flavour, how to identify and articulate them, how they apply to chocolate and how every stage of the chocolate-making process affects the final result.

This course has been developed by a team of experts, including Spencer Hyman from Cocoa Runners and Kate Cavallin from Cacao Latitudes, with support from Master of Wine Peter McCombie.

'The class was interesting, thought-provoking, engaging, fun, friendly. I can highly recommend it and would happily do it again.'

~

Masterclass attendee

The full day course will run from 10am to 6pm.

  • Part One: Understanding Taste

    For the first part of the morning, we will cover the basics of taste and flavour. You will learn to identify the basic tastes, understand the science behind how we taste, and start to apply this with a practical aroma-matching task.

  • Part Two: Understanding Flavour

    The second part of the morning will give you an understanding of retronasal olfaction; flavour and language; multi-modal perception; and mindful chocolate eating. We will then start learning how cocoa fermentation and drying impact the flavour of chocolate.

  • Part Three: Flavour in Chocolate

    After a break for lunch, you will learn about how roasting, grinding, conching and sugar impact the flavour of chocolate, applying what we learnt in the morning sessions. You'll be tasting plenty of chocolate!

  • Part Four: Tasting, Review and Assessment

    In the final session, we will discuss and taste inclusions in chocolate, before reviewing everything we have learnt. The day will end with a practical tasting where you can demonstrate what you've learnt, to complete the course.

Full day course

A 10am-6pm day full of activities, discussions and tastings

Led by experts

Learn with the experts in cacao and chocolate

Taste like a pro

Learn all about taste and flavour through the wonderful medium of chocolate

  • 12th September 2026 - UK Time
  • 10:00 am until 6:00 pm
  • The naughty dog, Československé armády, Jílové u Prahy, Czechia
  • £199.00

Hosted at the The Naughty Dog in Jílové u Prahy…

Petra and Gwilym opened The Naughty Dog roastery in October 2018. Before this, both had their own cafes (Petra in Jílové and Gwilym in London, setting up the world famous Prufrock coffee). Petra has won the Czech Barista Championship several times. Gwilym even won the World Barista Championship. They both then started judging at local and world level, passing on their knowledge and experience at their barista trainings. Roasting was the next step for them, and it didn’t take long before they started to work full time in the roastery. Everything surrounding this fragrant craft fulfills and entertains them both every day.

Why is The Naughty Dog roastery called The Naughty Dog? They have two sausage dogs (dachsunds), Jenny and Maya. They both get pretty naughty at times, like proper sausages, and also because the world is a serious place. They’d love to bring some joy, fun and smiles into people’s lives along with their playful packaging, accessories, naughty ideas, and most importantly, great coffee.

The Naughty Dog is based in the Czech Republic, in the small town of Jílové u Prahy, located 40 minutes from the capital city of Prague. They roast their coffee on an Italian IMF roaster, which is very stable. Thanks to its hot air and drum combination technology, they can carefully monitor and repeat the profiles of their coffees. The result is tasty, clean, sweet coffees, full of vibrant flavors. They roast coffee on Mondays and Wednesdays and send parcels on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They deliver to  Prague cafes in person.

Every Friday, visitors can come to The Naughty Dog roastery from 10:00–13:00 for a coffee. In addition to espresso, cappuccino, and filter coffee, they also offer bags of coffee beans for home. For those looking to make someone happy, they have also created mugs, bags, and t-shirts featuring their logo.

Petra and Gwilym with their two naughty dogs at The Naughty Dog Roastery.

How to get to the Naughty Dog

🚌 By bus (recommended):
Take Metro Line C to Budějovická, then catch bus 332 to Jílové u Prahy – náměstí. From the bus stop, it’s just a 5-minute walk to the roastery. The total journey takes around 40 minutes.

🚗 By car:
The drive takes approximately 30–40 minutes. We recommend parking for free on Sídliště Street in Jílové u Prahy, which is only a 3-minute walk from the roastery.

🚖 By taxi:
You can also take a Bolt, Uber, or Liftago, with the journey taking around 30–40 minutes. The fare is typically €30–40, depending on traffic and demand.

The important details

  • The ticket includes a full day of education, led by experts in cocoa and chocolate.
  • The course will run from 10am and will finish by 6pm, with an hour break for lunch. Please note lunch will not be provided. Our top recommendation is Florian, located just a 5-minute walk from the roastery. It’s a beautiful restaurant serving excellent traditional Czech cuisine. Saturdays tend to be very busy, so we highly recommend making a reservation in advance.
  • The price includes all materials, lots of chocolate to taste, and a certificate to confirm you’ve passed the course.
  • The courses will take place at The Naughty Dog Roastery at Československé armády 221, 254 01 Jílové u Prahy, Czechia
  • Tickets are non-refundable. If you can no longer attend, please contact us to discuss options.

FAQs

  1. Who is the Masterclass for?
    This is for anyone who has an interest in chocolate, and learning more about taste and flavour. It’s open to professionals, makers and enthusiasts, with no experience necessary (although it will follow on well if you’ve attended one of our in-person or virtual tastings).
  2. Can I buy tickets as a gift? 
    Yes! After purchasing, please email [email protected] to confirm the name of the attendee.
  3. What does the ticket price include?
    All materials and activities are included, and we will be tasting plenty of chocolate. The ticket does not include other refreshments or lunch, make sure you either bring your own lunch or plan ahead of time.
  4. Can you cater for my allergy/dietary requirements?
    We will do our best to cater for most requests. We are unable to cater for severe nut allergies unfortunately, as many of the bars have been made in facilities which can’t guarantee they are nut-free. We can offer vegan and dairy-free alternatives, so please let us know if you’re attending and would like these options so we can prepare them for you.
  5. Who can I contact if I have other questions?
    Please email [email protected] if you have any other questions about the course.