it’s not the size of the kitchen that matters, it’s how much of our dreams we pour into each batch.
Make chocolate that reflects why you fell in love with bean to bar in the first place.
For me, it was the sight of 30 barrels of cocoa beans. I looked into one and had the instant a-ha moment that the chocolate I’d been craving and enjoying, even professionally baking with, wasn’t telling the whole story.
That through industrial chocolate cacao wasn’t even allowed to tell the whole story.
I fell in love with the idea that each origin had it’s own unique flavor story to tell, and that language of this story is what we call chocolate.
Our next livestreams begin August 19
The only bean to bar course created by a working craft chocolate maker, designed for a global community making small batch chocolate. Whether your dream is to make chocolate for family & friends, start a chocolate business, or finally focus on improving your skills, learn through the guidance and real-life insights of a longtime bean to bar maker. Learn the techniques, maker insights, recipes, and creative how-to's of every type of bean to bar chocolate.
I’m a beginner, will this be too advanced?”
No. You’ll be guided with clear explanations that help you build strong fundamentals from the start. You can ask questions during the livestreams, use the materials as your skills grow, and registration includes a private Zoom call with Mackenzie.
“I already make chocolate; will I still benefit?”
Yes. This workshop is designed to nail down your process and deepen your understanding, not repeat basics.
“What if my setup is small?”
The Next Batch was created specifically for small-batch makers. We don’t just believe small size is an advantage, we’ve experienced the demand for and love of handcrafted bean to bar.
What’s inside the workshop and what’s included
After registering you receive access to all of the Workshop materials, and can make use of them on your own time frame, as often as you need for the life of the course.
Each chapter follows the process-flow of the steps of crafting bean to bar, but you are welcome to make use of the chapters in the way that suits your needs.
The chapters are built around easy-to-follow lessons, explanations of the how-to’s and the why’s, video demonstrations, downloadable PDFs, and recipes.
You can choose to join me and the community of students for any or all of the livestreeam blocks: these multi-week sessions offer weekly “live” classes with that dive deeper into methods, troubleshooting, offer a chance to ask questions, and a way to hear how other students approach our craft. Livestreams are recorded for watching/re-watching any time.
Each student is invited to meet with me for a private 90-minute mentoring session via Zoom or phone call.
Below is a chapter-by=chapter description of the workshop:
SECTION 1: GETTING STARTED (equipment, setting up a chocolate workspace, ingredients, livestream schedule, recorded livestreams)
SECTION 2: ORIGIN (understanding origin, sourcing cacao, sorting + storing)
SECTION 3: FLAVOR, AROMA, TASTE (how chocolate flavor is created, how makers achieve flavor goals)
SECTION 4: ROASTING CACAO (why we roast, equipment, the roasting process, targeting origin flavor, evaluating roasts, cracking & winnowing)
SECTION 5: BATCHCRAFTING (the role of %, creating recipes, using a melanger, troubleshooting flavor + texture)
SECTION 6: NIB-BASED BATCHES (crafting dark chocolate, dairy milk chocolate, plant-based milk chocolate, troubleshooting texture)
SECTION 7: WHITE CHOCOLATE (the unique needs of white chocolate, crafting white batches, dairy white chocolate, plant-based white chocolate)
SECTION 8: TEMPERING (stress-free tempering, the role of cocoa butter, seed tempering, melter,s and a DIY melter, choosing bar moulds, mould care)
SECTION 9: INCLUSIONCRAFT (intro to inclusioncraft, bar design, inclusioncraft structure, snackcrafting inclusions, tempering with inclusions, swirls and patterns)
SECTION 10: PRODUCTS BEYOND BARS (crafting drinking chocolate, chocolate nut and seed spreads, making couverture, crafting baking chocolate)
SECTION 11: THE B(USINESS) SIDE (business goals, what makes a successful chocolate business, branding + story, packaging, shipping, wholesale + retail)
SECTION 12: FULL VIDEO + PDF LIBRARY
“Mackenzie has given me the confidence and knowledge to go, react to the bean, and make chocolate.”
Emily Luchetti, chocolate & jam maker, cookbook author, James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef
Every workshop is taught by Mackenzie Rivers, the founder of the Next Batch, the chocolate maker behind Map Chocolate Co and the Cacao Barista, and the creator of some of craft chocolate’s widespread innovations and most memorable chocolate.
