Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Making, with Ao Tiakarete

BEAN-TO-BAR CHOCOLATE MAKING

with TOM HILTON of AO TIAKARETE

Sunday 3 July - 10am to 1pm (3 hours)

presented by  KELMARNA GARDENS  and  SLOW FOOD AUCKLAND

Join patissier and chocolatier Tom Hilton of Ao Tiakarete to explore the wonders of chocolate from a uniquely Aotearoa perspective, using beans from the Pacific and infusing local ingredients to get hands-on and craft your own bar of delicious, decadent chocolate.

What to expect:

In this three hour workshop, Tom will introduce you to the wonders of Pacific beans before guiding you, bean-to-bar, through the process of making chocolate with tastings at each step of the way. Learn tips and tricks from this 3 Michelin Star-experienced chocolatier for how to utilise the whole bean, husk to nibs without any waste. Then give the process a try using rongoā-inspired infusions and herbal ingredients straight from the gardens at Kelmarna to make your own bar of chocolate to take home.

Enjoy a morning tea of coffee and cacao, with a selection of tastings, guidance on how to properly savour the flavours of chocolate, and the option of hot chocolate prepared à la minute. Coated Pacific cacao beans and Ao Tiakarete chocolates will also be available to purchase and take home at the end of the session.

Tickets include: Demonstrations and guided instruction, local & regional ingredients, tastings, tools for crafting chocolate, morning tea

What to bring:

Essential:

• a refillable water bottle (to stay hydrated)
• a face covering or mask (to wear when appropriate)

Recommended:

• a notebook and pen (to take notes, if you like)
• a tote bag (to take home all the delicious chocolate available for purchase)

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Tom Hilton is the founder of Ao Tiakarete, a bespoke chocolaterie based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, whose whakapapa stems from Tom's Māori (Ngāpuhi) and English heritage and his passion for each of the worlds he walks in. Tom is a patissier and chocolatier, trained by the best in London and with international experience in Haute Patisseries, Chocolateries, 5-Star Hotels, and 3 Michelin Star-kitchens in Europe, the USA, and right here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Along with a love for crafting chocolate, Tom has a passion for connecting with the origin and history of cacao and championing the concept of bean-to-bar in which every bit is valued. He has been described as a 'trailblazing Māori chocolatier' who strives to unite people across Polynesia by building community around cacao and chocolate.

Ao Tiakarete release seasonal chocolate products that push creative boundaries, to capture and share Tom's love for the craft in small, artisanal batches throughout the year. Tom also offers a consultancy service for projects and commissions to suit any event. They have been chosen to collaborate for this workshops because they are seen to be championing the Slow Food principles of good, clean, fair food.

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Slow Food envisions a world in which all people can access and enjoy food that is good for them, good for those who grow it, and good for the planet. Slow Food believes that through our food choices we can collectively influence how food is cultivated, produced, and distributed, and change the world as a result.

Slow Food Auckland is a local group of volunteers dedicated to good, clean, fair food for all, committed to events, activities, and collaborations that bring the Slow Food philosophy to life. Their work includes the Snail of Approval programme, which promotes and celebrates locally grown and produced food that is good, clean, and fair and recognises the people who make it happen.