Maison Pierre Marcolini - The Ultimate Chocolate Experience

Armed with over 20 years of experience, an enviable skillset and a rigorous standard to which he holds his creations, Pierre Marcolini, the founder of the eponymous house, is on a lifelong quest - to debunk chocolate’s reputation as a ‘cardinal sin’. 

Pierre is one of the few chocolatiers to master the entire production process for his products: from sourcing to final assembly, including but not limited to sorting
the beans, maturation, preparing ganaches and tempering. In this holistic endeavour, he roasts his beans himself. This is a vital stage in the process, the intensity and duration of which must be precisely calculated. 

Roasting determines the flavour of the chocolate itself, allowing Pierre Marcolini to produce unique-tasting creations. 

The Belgian chocolatier is committed to creating sustainable and fair networks of cocoa trade, which benefit both his business and the people farming it. He travels all around the world in search for the most luxurious cocoa beans, be it in Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, Peru or Vietnam. In Ecuador, Pierre has even signed a long-term partnership agreement with the producer Pedro Martinetti, who sets aside 20 hectares of his total production area especially for the Maison. 

At Maison Pierre Marcolini, it’s not just about the cocoa beans - all the ingredients that go into making the chocolate are carefully selected and crafted. From the sublime vanilla pods of Madagascar, the finest hazelnuts selected in Piedmont in Italy, the pistachios brought in straight from Iran, the pink peppercorns from Morocco or the lemons that hail from the sunny climes of Sicily. 

Though he is at the centre of the house, Pierre has a vast team of around 80 artisans working alongside him in order to create the the highly sought-after luxury chocolate. And although this large, factory-like scale, every single chocolate created within the Maison Pierre Marcolini has its own personality, each one offering a fresh, innovative flavour. Amongst the hundreds of products sold in the store, some have emerged as timeless, crowd-favourite classics, thus shaping the world of chocolaterie - The Raspberry Heart, the Carré chocolate tablets, and the Flavours of the World collection are within the most popular.

For more than 20 years, Pierre Marcolini has been rewriting the book on chocolate. This year, his insatiable desire to create has taken him back to his first love, patisserie, for which he earned the title of World Champion in 1995.

Once again in the pursuit of inspiring emotions through taste, he has interpreted the dessert in the form of 11 original recipes with one unifying characteristic that is also his most exceptional talent: chocolate. Unexpected yet so simple, this exclusive selection is an embodiment of the chef’s skill in redefining the shape of patisserie. His creations will take you on a culinary adventure where the precision in the selection of flavours borders on sculptural artistry. In other words, this is the art of contemporary patisserie. 

Resilient in his battle, Pierre Marcolini carefully judges the amount of sugar he adds to his cocoa in a constant quest to find the right balance of flavours. 

As such, certain chocolate bars may have a cocoa content of 75 to 80% yet, contrary to all expectations, prove particularly mild: a blessing for 21st century epicureans and disciples of healthy eating and “slow sugar” trends. 

The chocolatier has now also produced a range of pralines that go one step further, containing low-sugar grains such as barley, quinoa and spelt. The new recipes that he works on each day are always inspired by the latest plant-based trends and subscribe in their own way to the all-natural movement, but without sacrificing on taste. 

This aesthete of the world of chocolate also draws inspiration from the spirit of the times and the whimsical fancies of creative professionals who, like him, enjoy rewriting the script. In this spirit, he has collaborated with designer Tom Dixon, fashion designer Olympia Le Tan and the Maison Kitsuné to create limited edition boxes of chocolates. 

The man behind the house, the chocolate architect, discovered his passion for the sweet at a very young age, when he recalls trading toys with his brother in exchange for an extra portion of dessert. When he first entered the world of chocolate, at the age of 14, it was something like a religious experience: passionate and all-consuming. He knew; he felt deep inside that he was meant to become a chocolatier, and nothing else. He was driven by his taste for indulgence, his intuition, a sense of urgency. This pre-empted vocation, this early passion was to form the basis for a glittering career. Chocolate, at its core, is about pleasure and emotion, says Pierre - 

For me, the unique thing about chocolate
is that the pleasure it brings is universal.
It provokes the same emotion wherever you are, regardless of age or local culture.
The same magic is at work.
Not unlike classical music.

Having said that, if you’re ever in need of (eye) candy, in this case, candy being luxurious, sustainable and ethically-sourced artisanal chocolate, make sure to check Maison Pierre Marcolini’s socials: Facebook/Twitter/Instagram - @PierreMarcolini

Pierre Marcolini - The Citrus Garden, now available in store and marcolini.com