PEAKLIFE

Chocolates aren’t a Valentine cliché anymore. They are elevated essentials, bringing in unexpected pairings in bite-sized treats. Circling in on the growing sweet needs, Mumbai-based Rahul Bajaj, director of Le Sutra Hospitality, spearheads the bean-to-bar movement, with the launch of his B2B choc bar, The Blue Gourmet, bringing in affordable luxury chocolate picks, in the rapidly evolving chocscape, for the urban savvy consumer.

By Shilpi Madan (@ShilpiMadan)

“As a child I watched the movie “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate factory” – that made me dream of owning my own chocolate factory,” confesses Rahul. “We began working on careful sourcing and community building five years ago, and the pandemic simply gave us the ultimate push to go ahead and launch The Blue Gourmet. Here, we don’t just create chocolates, but also different variants. There is a lot of innovation that goes into the craft of making pure chocolate,” says the hotelier turned entrepreneur. What could possibly be sweeter?

Call it the S.L.O factor, with sustainable, local, organic ingredients making their way into the sweet somethings at The Blue Gourmet. Sound R&D powers the organic offerings in a lipsmacking array of treats in hand-painted bonbons, cocoa nibs, toasted coconut truffles, mosaic bars, peanut butter cups, rose caramels, liqueur nibbles, mocha almond dipped in milk chocolate with caramelised nuts, noir biscuits, tiny cocoa kisses gilded in metallic dust for that extra sparkle, and more. “Dark chocolate, and variants are fast replacing traditional sweets on the table and the premium aspect lies in the craft of the artisanal chocolate. We use the S.L.O slogan sourcing ingredients like rose, saffron, and khandsari sugar from Kashmir, Garhwal, Kerala…,” shares Rahul, the passion for his project shining in his eyes. “Our Indian cacao, with its smoky, rusty, earthy flavour, is the fourth-best in the world and is exported to Belgium.”

Of course, with the burst of chocolatiers and cocoa depots on home turf, we no longer have to wait for the imported makes that our relatives lug in from abroad. The definition of premium chocolate has undergone a big shift. “It is certainly a more evolved palate now. The rise in the popularity of luxe chocolates has made the consumer more aware and educated. The buyers now understand the hard work that goes into the making of the noveau flavors, uncommon pairings, and profiles behind craft chocolate,” he says. “The change is setting in rapidly. We are not yet fully aware of really good quality chocolate because all of our good cacao beans make their way to Belgium. So, what people in India call “Belgian chocolate”, is actually commercial chocolate.”

Over the past five years due to global travel and media consumption, there has been a better understanding and appreciation of the changing tastes and profiles of chocolates. People have begun to appreciate good chocolate. Increasing disposable incomes have ensured chocolates are no longer an extravagant treat, or luxury gifting items. In fact, chocolates figure in the daily consumption pattern, often as a mood enhancer. Mental health specialists advise the consumption of pure chocolate. Even in the olden days, cocoa drinks were given to soldiers headed for war to boost their morale! What boosts our morale is the use of khandsari sugar in the offerings at The Blue Gourmet. “We bring to you pure couverture chocolate with khandsari sugar as well as refined sugar. The khandsari variant is the rawest form of organic produce, in keeping with our organic anthem. We celebrate the local diversity in our product range,” says Rahul. “For example, we use dehydrated strawberries for making strawberry bonbons, barks using peanuts, sugar free variants of ice cream with our chocolate, vegan ice cream, and chocolates to pander to every palate. The biggest challenge is awareness. We make a lot of consumers try our products, and secure feedback. Our bakers also try our products, and we talk to them about something called fluidity. We have a high content of cacao butter which is made from our own beans. The fluidity count is good, hence making it a superb choice for bakers as well as for eating it as a whole. Everyone has a different palate so we need to understand what enhances different taste buds.”

The Blue Gourmet pours liquid versions of the cacao into food, makes ice creams, clubs with berries and nuts from all around the world, shapes barks, bars, bonbons, gourmet sticks, enrobes… “Working with different flavors, profiles and infusions is the future of innovation. Craft is an artisanal trait. Chocolate is an artisanal product and the craft of making chocolate is extremely beautiful as a process. With veganism and keto-friendly intake picking up in terms of popularity, you need to innovate consistently and come up with ingenious combinations to be able to sustain in the evolving market. What’s next? We simply want to enhance your chocolate consumption experience in the best way possible,” signs off Rahul with a smile.