learn the heart and craft of making bean to bar chocolate

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Our mission: help small batch chocolate makers thrive in a big batch world.

How we do it: we help makers of every skill level learn to craft chocolate with confidence, and creativity.

The Bean to Bar ChocolateCraft Workshop was created and is taught by craft chocolate maker Mackenzie of Map Chocolate.

There’s more to learn than the steps of the process, so we’ve put it all together in one online Workshop. Learn at your own pace with how-to videos, livestream sessions, and recipes, with a bean to bar maker (wearing a very chocolate-splattered apron) as your guide.

workshop details

"Mackenzie is one of the most inspiring, kind, fun and knowledgeable persons I've ever known. This course is like no other and I enjoyed every second of it."

Michelle van Schaick, founder Faraway Garden Chocolate, Academy of Chocolate judge
"The Next Batch class is 100% what kept me going and made me feel better about taking a huge, risky leap forward. This year has taught me so much, and being a part of the Next Batch Community has been a huge part of it all. I learned so much that we just didn't do at _____, thanks to you, and I'm grateful for your time and willingness to help other chocolate makers pave their own way forward in the industry.

Elizabeth Gentry, founder Harvest Chocolate
"I would probably not still be making chocolate had it not been for Mackenzie and the Next Batch School. Her words of wisdom, patience, humility and willingness to repeat things she has already said make her a real life Yoda in my world."

Tyler Cagwin, founder Nostalgia Chocolates
"I am on record saying that just one of the reasons I like her work is her fearless approach to flavor. Her work is just plain fun to eat--and always meticulously crafted."

Clay Gordon, Discover Choc and The Chocolate Life
“For years I’ve been telling people you are the most artistic chocolate maker I know of!”

—Lowe Bibby, creator of the Chocofiles worldwide tasting database
"By the end of Day one I knew I’d hit the chocolate jackpot.”

Estelle Tracy, chocolate sommelier, 37 Chocolates
"...truly a gamechanger."

Aaron Sylvester, Tri-Island Chocolate, and Grenada Chocolate Co

the Next Batch weekly newsletter, and community resource hub for small batch chocolate makers

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slinging chocolate insights on instagram @thenextbatchschool

4 days until me and this cozy kitchen where I’ve been busy over @mapchocolate making chocolate do our favorite thing: teaching all the 🍫🍫🍫 insights via livestream for the students of the Bean to Bar ChocolateCraft Workshop (new + former, bec

Spoiler alert: I’m not a chocolate expert, but I am a working chocolate maker, and the founder of the world’s tiniest bean to bar school. No big machines, no Hershey’s kitchen 😆No staff answering emails or teaching. What you get is

Been compiling a list of all the different bars I’ve crafted over the years. It’s in the 100’s to date (these just yesterday). 100’s of different bars, and so many batches, so many tempering sessions, yet not a single one of t

In my 12th year of making bean to bar chocolate, the one thing that’s still clear~~and has never changed~~is that there is always a new challenge.

Livestreams for the Bean to Bar ChocolateCraft Workshop begin in two weeks~~bring your question

Winnowers are the least-sexy of all bean to bar equipment, until you upgrade from a tiny, inefficient one (or the blowdryer process!) to one that makes your chocolate life 💯 easier.

Side benefit: husk in chocolate doesn’t help texture, and t

Not only can they evolve, there may be very good reasons they should evolve.

My bar wrappers at Map started out very basic in my first months, becoming more “complicated” (a lot of work + a lot of expense) over time, then as costs grew

The most important decision we make as craft chocolate makers or craft chocolatiers:

Will we do it like everybody else is doing it, or do it our own unique way?

(I made this same decision when I created my chocolate school)

This year in the Bean t

Craft what you crave: organic single origin cocoa beans, organic cocoa butter, organic cane sugar, my favorite plant milk powder of the week.

What has been a bright chapter in craft chocolate is facing new challenges for its primary structural ingredient: cocoa butter shortages, and higher costs for the cocoa butter that is available.

It doesn’t mean no more fabulously creative whi

“I was there and I'll tell you, it was SURREAL to witness your impact at Salon du Chocolat in Paris. I mean, amazing!”

—Estelle Tracy, chocolate sommelier and educator, 37 Chocolates

you’ll learn it all:

batchcrafting and creating batch formulas

crafting outside the industrial chocolate box

chocolate making for bakers + pastry chefs

learn the heart and craft of making bean to bar chocolate

Our mission: help small batch chocolate makers thrive in a big batch world.

How we do it: we help makers of every skill level learn to craft chocolate with confidence, and creativity.

The Bean to Bar ChocolateCraft Workshop was created and is taught by craft chocolate maker Mackenzie of Map Chocolate.

There’s more to learn than the steps of the process, so we’ve put it all together in one online Workshop. Learn at your own pace with how-to videos, livestream sessions, and recipes, with a bean to bar maker (wearing a very chocolate-splattered apron) as your guide.

"Mackenzie is one of the most inspiring, kind, fun and knowledgeable persons I've ever known. This course is like no other and I enjoyed every second of it."

"I would probably not still be making chocolate had it not been for Mackenzie and the Next Batch School. Her words of wisdom, patience, humility and willingness to repeat things she has already said make her a real life Yoda in my world."

"I am on record saying that just one of the reasons I like her work is her fearless approach to flavor. Her work is just plain fun to eat--and always meticulously crafted."

“For years I’ve been telling people you are the most artistic chocolate maker I know of!”

"By the end of Day one I knew I’d hit the chocolate jackpot.”

"...truly a gamechanger."

the Next Batch weekly newsletter, and community resource hub for small batch chocolate makers

slinging chocolate insights on instagram @thenextbatchschool

“I was there and I'll tell you, it was SURREAL to witness your impact at Salon du Chocolat in Paris. I mean, amazing!”

you’ll learn it all:

the Next Batch™