The Chocolate
Iain Burnett uses a uniquely-flavoured, single-origin chocolate from the island of São Tomé. Most chocolate is blended, like cheap wine. With a single origin chocolate you can distinguish different flavours and characteristics which will change slightly with the biannual harvest. Iain Burnett uses fairly traded yet gourmet grade chocolate couverture from superior cocoa beans blended with natural Madagascan vanilla. It contains 100% pure cocoa butter and no artificial additives or vegetable oils. His caramel noted milk chocolate is blended with a subtle combination of spices and vanilla.
São Tomé & Principe is an island nation in the South Atlantic - where original cacao trees were first transplanted outside of South America and the Caribbean 200 years ago. The rich volcanic soils no doubt add to the unusually powerful and intense flavour of this 70% cocoa chocolate. It has sweet touches, with a range of floral and aromatic characteristics from subtle notes of fresh olives and sweet peas to spices and fruits. Carefully altering methods of preparation and combinations of ingredients allows Iain to pull quite different characteristics from this great range. Try one of his pure chocolate Tablets or Langue du Chat first thing in the morning while your palate is fresh, breathing in as you chew, to discover these characteristics yourself!
The Provenance
Everything made by Iain Burnett is only made here in the village of Grandtully, beside the River Tay in Highland Perthshire. There are many benefits to being situated in the heart of Scotland, between Aberfeldy and Pitlochry. Fresh herbs, red fruits and apiaries abound in the fertile Tay valley and local produce is always a first choice of The Highland Chocolatier. The fresh Scottish cream he uses introduces flavours lost in those of consolidated dairies, as well as supporting local farmers. Iain Burnett is fortunate to have on his doorstep the fantastic range of Scotland’s larder to combine with the tropical ingredients required by a chocolatier.
For additional information on storage, additives, organic, fair trading, allergies and other preferences please see the Questions.