In 2005, Hallot, along with Bob and Celia, took a trip to Costa Rica, in which they visited a Cacao farm. This visit, made them understand and appreciate chocolate in a way that they never had before and so the wheels started turning. They returned to NC with an idea… Let’s make chocolate bars! In 2006 the first chocolate bars were made using Venezuelan chocolate, and sold at a wine bar below the chocolate workshop. Making our own percentage blends and additions, soon other retail establishments were interested in the bars and the idea turned into a serious business.
While this was happening, Hallot started learning about actually making the chocolate, the process and what was needed. Since modern processes are often not suitable for small handcrafted production, Hallot self taught through reading and trial and error. In 2007 Escazu moved from Beaufort to Raleigh and soon after opened a retail shop, where the bars and confections are made… meanwhile, Hallot was working on his first Bean to Bar chocolate.
The EZCA Carenero, 81% was released on March of 2008, marking the beginning of the official chocolate making process. It wasn’t long after that he decided that one bar was not enough. More beans where needed, more equipment and more space, so that every single item that Escazu was making would be “Bean to Bar”. In June 2009 The entire line of Escazu Bars and all of the confections where made entirely from the bean, putting us into the very small but growing community of bean to bar artisan and handcrafted chocolate makers.
