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The story behind Agvana
The idea for Agvana was not born in a laboratory. Nor did it come from a market study or a workshop with Post-its and flipcharts. It grew out of something that matters just as much to us: listening closely to our customers.
Over time, one request kept coming up in many conversations with our customers. They were looking for a less sweet couverture that still delivers a full-bodied flavour, is not too bitter and is just as reliable to work with as a classic Felchlin couverture.
The request was clear. At first, the path to achieving it was not.
A simple question, a complex answer
Existing approaches convinced neither us nor our customers. Simply increasing the cacao content did not deliver the flavour profile we were looking for. Other solutions relied on ingredients that were not an option for us.
So, we began developing, testing and starting over, again and again.
We tried different ingredients, recipes and technological approaches. Some trials were, quite simply, unpalatable. Others left an unpleasant aftertaste or had a texture that did not meet our expectations. With some approaches, the ingredient list became so long that it quickly became clear to us: this could not be the answer.
And some trials never even made it out of our conches.
What kept getting lost along the way was exactly what mattered most to us: enjoyment, quality and character.
Those moments were frustrating, of course. At the same time, they moved us forward. Because every trial showed us a little more clearly what Agvana should not be.
Until, eventually, we asked ourselves a different question.
What if we started with cacao?
Instead of continuing to think about how sugar could be replaced or reduced, we changed our perspective:
What if, instead of starting with sugar, we started with cacao?
That idea became the starting point for Cacao First.
From then on, the focus was no longer on doing without. Nor on devising the most sophisticated possible sugar-replacement solution. Instead, flavour took centre stage: what makes cacao so multifaceted? What gives a couverture its character? And how can we give these aromas more room?
We started over.
Cacao First
We developed each recipe with cacao as the starting point. For each one, we selected the right cacao variety and tailored the roasting profile specifically to it. At the same time, we began working with agave fibre.
Step by step, a new approach took shape. We were able to reduce sweetness significantly, without polyols or stevia. Not through a single ingredient or a technological trick, but through the interplay of cacao, recipe, processing and experience.
Our specialists accompanied this process with numerous trials and tastings. Throughout, we held ourselves to the same standard: the couverture had to do more than convince on paper. It had to taste good, be reliable to work with and deliver the quality professionals expect from Felchlin.
More room for flavour
The result is Agvana.
A range of couvertures with a modern level of sweetness that gives the aromas more room to unfold. Cacao. Milk. Caramel. And all the subtle nuances that, during further processing, come together with the ingredients, ideas and craftsmanship of each professional to create something unique.
For us, Agvana therefore does not primarily stand for less sugar. Agvana stands for a different perspective on flavour.
Agvana will be available from 1 September 2026 in Switzerland. From January 2027, the range will also be available internationally.
Modern sweetness. More room for flavour. Cacao First.