Taste the Process: From Farm to Bar

About the event

Ever wanted to visit a cocoa farm? From London, we can’t quite manage that — but we’ve got the next best thing.

Craft chocolate makers pour enormous skill into the flavours you taste in a finished bar. But that flavour doesn’t start in the maker’s factory — it starts months earlier, thousands of miles away, in the soil, the shade, and the fermentation boxes of a cocoa farm.

In this tasting, you’ll go right back to the source. We’re joined by experts from the cocoa-growing side of the industry to walk us through what actually happens on the farm and in post-harvest processing — and why it matters so much for flavour. Then we taste our way through the evidence.

Expect fresh cocoa pods, cracked open in front of you, a taste of fruity pulp, beans at different stages of fermentation and drying, so you can taste the difference each stage makes and a selection of finished bars, chosen to reveal how farm-level decisions — variety, terroir, fermentation time, drying method — show up in the final flavour.

Along the way, we’ll dig into questions like:

Why do two farms growing the same cocoa variety produce completely different-tasting chocolate?
What actually happens during fermentation, and how does that impact the flavour of a bar?
How much of the flavour in a bar is determined by the farmer compared to the maker?

It’s a rare chance to taste the full journey from pod to bar in one sitting, guided by the people who know the farm side best — the closest thing to a cocoa farm visit you’ll find this far from the equator.

Important info:

• Tickets are non-refundable. If you purchase tickets but cannot make the event, please contact us and we’ll see what we can do.
• Please arrive five minutes before the event is due to start.
• The tasting will run for approximately 45 minutes.
• Attendees must be 18+ as alcohol will be served at some events. If you or your guest are under 18, please write to us beforehand to confirm if we can accommodate them at the tasting.
• If you have any dietary requirements or allergies, please let us know. We will do our best to provide alternatives where possible. Please note, we may not be able to cater for severe allergies, as many events will be taking place throughout the day in the space and we cannot guarantee there will be no cross-contamination. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us and we will do our very best to accommodate you.
• The tasting will take place downstairs in the main tasting room, as part of the Cocoa Runners Craft Chocolate Fair. To enter the tasting, please join the second queue outside the building on the right hand side, without entering the fair, and leave time after the event to explore the craft chocolate market upstairs and meet makers from across the UK and beyond.
• Your ticket will include entry to the Chocolate Makers Market (worth £5). When you book onto this tasting, we’ll send you a QR code for entry.
• You can find more information about the event and venue here.
• For any questions, please email [email protected]

About the London Craft Chocolate Fair 2026

For the fourth year running, Cocoa Runners are hosting their popular Craft Chocolate Fair on the 17th & 18th October 2026. The craft chocolate experts will host an indoor market with bean-to-bar chocolate makers from the UK and beyond, with a series of talks, tastings and pairings with experts from tea, coffee, olive oil, wine, beer and more.

The event will take place at the Fidelio Cafe and Concert Venue in Farringdon, London, running from 10-6 on Saturday 17th and 10-5 Sunday 18th. Free entry to the fair will be included in every tasting ticket. For those not attending a tasting, entry will cost £5.

About your host

Spencer Hyman

Few people know more about chocolate than Spencer. His love for craft chocolate began in the 90s when travelling to the US. His career has spanned everything from making cabbage-patch dolls in Asia to launching the first major online music discovery service, Last.fm. But in 2013, he decided it was time for the world to discover the world of craft chocolate.

Today, he is a champion for craft chocolate makers all over the world. Spencer hosts chocolate tastings and education courses around the world, judges for international chocolate awards, and he often appears on TV, media and at conferences, including Sunday Brunch, World Cocoa Conference, Great Taste Awards, Society of Flavourists, International Wine Challenge, Barista Connect, Academy of Chocolate and more.