Felchlin Grand Cru Couvertures – since 1999

In the 90s, Felchlin did not yet possess the deep insight into the fascinating world of cacao as it does today. We sourced our cacao from the stock market and were faced with a fundamental decision: should we continue to process cacao at all? Our clear response was «yes». We intentionally chose the more demanding path, which in retrospect has certainly turned out to be the right one. This was the beginning of a journey that has taken us to the most exclusive cacao regions of origin.

The idea of creating a high percentage chocolate while reducing the sugar content was intensively deliberated upon. After much thorough research and reflection, we took the plunge and produced our first Grand Cru couverture from Venezuelan cacao - the Maracaibo Clasificado 65%. As of today, it is still our most successful Grand Cru couverture, which incidentally was awarded the title of the world's best couverture in 2004.

Based on this success story, our buyers began to travel to the countries of origin to source the best and most aromatic cacao beans directly from the local cacao farmers. In accordance with our FAIR DIRECT CACAO philosophy, we have always paid higher prices than is commonplace on the market for the high quality of the beans. Transparency, fair conditions and dealing with nature in harmony have always been of major importance to us. The erstwhile courageous decision we made has established us as the company we are today - a leader in the production of the finest Swiss chocolate.

The special features of Felchlin Grand Cru have stood the test of time and remains valid today.

• We rely on single bean, which means that we exclusively use one type of bean and do not allow any blends (The only exception was the anniversary couverture Centenario Concha).
• We only use fine cacao from selected countries and defined regions that meet our requirements and are approved by the Felchlin sensory panel.
• We know the exact origin of our beans and our local producers.
• The processing of the couvertures is designed for a fineness of 16μ. This, like the sensory properties, is checked before the product is released.

These high standards give our Grand Cru couvertures uniqueness and help to achieve unparalleled quality and a purity of taste. The great secret behind the consistent quality of our Grand Cru couvertures lies in the careful selection of the beans, a trained sensory system and precise and meticulous production. Each specific stage of this process is carried out with dedication and precision to ensure that each Grand Cru Couverture is a true masterpiece. In addition, because of our company size and our positioning in a niche market, we are able to implement this concept both consistently and successfully.

We look forward to shaping the next 25 years of Grand Cru together with you.