La Manufacture de Chocolat – Alain Ducasse

Hardly a newcomer, Alain Ducasse has achieved the stratosphere of international recognition in the world of gastronomy.  From Osaka to the Tour Eiffel via New York and St. Petersburg, Ducasse has built a quality brand made up of restaurants, books, hotels and, in his latest adventure, chocolate.

“I travel a great deal,” says Alain Ducasse, “always on the lookout for new discoveries. Each good product, grown with love and respect, in its distinctive land, has an incomparable flavour. The product is the only truth. For over 30 years I’ve dreamed of telling the story of chocolate.” The birth of this passion dates back to his time as an apprentice in the 70’s. Ducasse, then a  trainee, on his days off instead of resting would go to work for artisan-chocolatier Maurice Bernachon in Lyon. Many years and Michelin stars later, Ducasse opens his chocolate Manufacture in Paris in February of 2013.

At the end of a cobbled yard, in the Rue de la Roquette in the multifarious area of Bastille,  the workshop produces chocolate from bean to bar. Using vintage machinery procured from all over Europe, la Manufacture combines a contemporary sensibility with a voyage back in time. Ducasse has entrusted la manufacture to his close collaborator and executive pastry chef Alain Berger. They source the raw material from a dozen different provenances from Peru to Madagascar. Every ingredient is chosen rigorously based on quality as well as”personality”.

Before it even opened to the public the Manufacture was warming up its engines by supplying Ducasse’s restaurants with chocolate bars, bonbons and couverture for desserts. The shop offers a traditional and innovative retail experience with knowledgeable and attentive staff informing and advising about the selection on offer–ganaches, pralinés, truffles and over 40 different variations of the chocolate bar. The choices include non conchée bars ­–without the final step that would render the chocolate smooth and blend all ingredients together– which allows the different elements in the recipe the singular opportunity to be identified individually before melting on the palate.

 

Le Chocolat
Alain Ducasse
Manufacture à Paris
40, rue de la Roquette • 75011 Paris • Tel : 01 48 05 82 86

www.lechocolat-alainducasse.com

Métro Bastille – Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm