Oh, for the Love of Chocolate: Craftsman Cliff Roasters

BY WINTER CAPLANSON

Creamy, hot milk with real vanilla melts the handshaved, bean-to-bar chocolate in a metal pitcher. The barista blends your hot cocoa to frothy perfection. As he pours it out, the heavier particles of rustic chocolate that have settled in the bottom of the vessel form a deep, dark “latte art” pattern on the pillow-y top of your cup.

“That’s real cocoa. The real deal!” declares Craftsman Cliff Roasters owner Matthew DuTrumble.

Recently celebrating the six month anniversary of his already booming downtown Norwich coffee and cacao (pronounced ca-cow) roastery, Matthew reveals that his only marketing plan has been sharing his passion for serving people delicious things - and letting word of mouth do the rest.

Born and raised in Norwich, Matthew headed to California during college. He’s since been an executive chef, a culinary school instructor, and owned a catering company. One year turned into 20 in San Francisco, but recently his sister had a baby and he felt the call to return east to a family-centered life. “When I came home, I wanted to roast coffee and cocoa, but that opportunity didn’t exist in Norwich. I had to make it. I don’t know of any other shops roasting both coffee and cacao in Connecticut, but that’s what I’d been dreaming of doing here since I was a little kid.”

The city, in fact, has a storied history with chocolate. In 1770, Christopher Leffingwell opened the first chocolate mill in the Connecticut colony on the banks of the Yantic River, becoming our first chocolatier. As early as 1755, chocolate was used as a nutrition- and energy-packed ration for troops during the French and Indian War. It has played an important role in feeding soldiers and boosting morale in every war and conflict thereafter.

That's real cocoa. The real deal!"

The shiplap wood coffee bar, and the nautical aspects of the Old Sea Captain’s house that Matthew and his father gutted to create the shop, are a nod to the traditional ocean shipping routes for cacao beans, from which chocolate is made.

The cacao Matthew sources is organically-grown in Belize, Ghana, Guatemala, and Colombia, and can be linked back to specific farms employing ethical labor and trade practices. To me, the scent of a cacao pod is faintly chocolatey and surprisingly sour, like a dark chocolate sourdough muffin. That delicious sourness is an indication of proper fermentation, guided by a skillful farmer to bring out the very best flavors.

Cacao pods are harvested by hand when each individual pod reaches peak ripeness. They are moved from sun to shade and back to reach a specific level of fermentation. The flavor profile of a batch of cacao can be attributed to the variety of plant grown, the altitude, soil profile, micro-climate, and the farmer’s mastery of harvesting and fermenting techniques.

“We respect and love that the farmers have put that much attention into the crop,” says Matthew.

Although the raw cacao beans are nearly comparable in price to coffee beans, there is far more waste and labor in the process that takes cacao from bean to bar. For every pound of cacao beans, nearly 10% is water weight that evaporates during the roasting process. The shells must be removed to isolate the nibs, resulting in 30-35% more product weight lost. The real cost of cacao is about twice that of coffee.

Chocolate got its start here, but I'm showing how Norwich can do world-class chocolate now."

It’s not about fancy. It’s about doing things right.”

“The thing I love about both coffee and cacao is the food science behind preparing them. It’s why I wanted to nerd out on these two ingredients,” explains Matthew. “As with bread making, every day the cacao roaster needs to tweak their process to respond to fluctuations in their environment, including humidity and barometric pressure.”

Matthew’s coffee roaster has been modified to also accommodate cacao. It’s made entirely of stainless steel, which prevents chemical reactions that can interact with the fermentation process. “I’m able to calm down the rotisserie. Coffee spins really fast, but cacao must move a lot slower to roast evenly. I can tightly control airflow. This allows me to tweak how much smoky flavor I want a batch to have, and whether I want to preserve the sour fermentation flavor. I have total temperature control. Cacao requires a much lower roasting temperature than coffee,” Matthew elaborates.

Matthew trained himself in cacao preparation because, he says, nobody wants to give up their secrets. “I will teach anyone how to do it, though. But I’m always improving, so if you’re just following my recipes you’ll never catch up to my skill. It’s your own passion that will drive the quality of your product.”

Matthew’s skill extends to the development of specialized equipment, including a custom cocoa bean sheller that operates with nearly 100% efficiency. It separates the shells from the cacao nibs that are a nutritionpacked superfood: nutty, chocolatey and edible as is, and also can be enjoyed in granola, in baked goods, or as an ice cream topping.

To make chocolate, the nibs are stoneground in small batches between two wheels of granite for several hours until they become a liquor, looking much like Hershey’s Syrup. While still warm, this can be blended with sugar and vanilla or other ingredients as the maker desires.

Craftsman Cliff’s bean-to-bar chocolate disks are not overly processed. There are no modifiers, conditioners, or lecithin added. Some producers grind the chocolate to the point that no texture remains to create a smooth, silky mouthfeel. Craftsman Cliff chocolate is, by comparison, more rustic with less cloying sweetness, has a more earthy texture, and retains a great deal of nutritional content. This is personality plus chocolate that talks back to you, truer to the way chocolate was historically produced when Christopher Leffingwell made it.

I don't know of any other shops roasting both coffee and cacao in Connecticut, but that's what I'd been dreaming of doing here since I was a little kid.”

The decision to locate in a still-on the-rise Norwich downtown was folly, according to many who offered their opinions to Matthew. “’What are you doing putting a coffee shop down here? You’re too fancy,’ they said. But it’s not about fancy. It’s about doing things right. I believe that’s a New England value, a Norwich value,” Matthew confides. “Around here, we take great pride in things that have been made in Norwich.

“At Craftsman Cliff, you can get a cup of coffee from organic beans roasted in-house. A good cup of coffee is a nobrainer, I thought. And chocolate? Home run! I wasn’t looking for the crowds that are already going to Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks, although our pricing is on par. We’ve found our niche with a diverse clientele of local makers, creatives, and community boosters, and we’ve become a destination for coffee and chocolate lovers from further afoot.”

Craftsman Cliff Roasters lacks any of the corporate trappings of a chain. The space is the cozy, quirky buildout of Matthew and his father, Cliff. Original brick walls and stone foundations were revealed, and an enclosed niche surrounded on three sides by that material naturally keeps coffee and cocoa beans at the perfect storage temperature. “All analog, baby!” boasts Matthew.

Matthew sketched the elements of the business’s logo-mascot and his sister, artist Lindsay Twitchell, took it from there. Look closely and you will see the “Rose of New England” (the Norwich moniker) in place of one eye, with a coffee or cocoa bean in lieu of the other. The figure’s beard is latte art, and the face is mug-shaped with one ear serving as the handle. The image as a whole is derived from a photo of Matthew’s father,

This is personality plus chocolate that talks back to you, truer to the way chocolate was historically produced ”

“Craftsman” Cliff, from the 1970’s. He is, says Matthew, always creating with his hands and inspires Matthew, by example, to do his best in all things, to do the most honest job he can.

And that he does, every day. “We focus on one product at a time, nail it, and move on, growing organically and in response to our community. We love them and they love us.”

In addition to all the expected coffeehouse beverages, and the aforementioned rapturous hot cocoa (just $4 a cup!), Craftsman Cliff Roasters stocks their chocolate bar line, including pretzel, marshmallow, chia seed, and cacao nib disks - and a cacao hot cocoa kit.

Matthew makes hand-cranked, sweet cream ice cream that is served topped with an espresso shot, or vanilla, or hand-shaved chocolate, or the healthy sprinkle of roasted cacao nibs for texture, flavor, and nutrition. “I wish everyone would switch from sprinkles to this. It makes ice cream a delicious, good-for-you treat.”

Coffee in various roasts, cacao nibs, and hand-shaved chocolate are available by the pound. The shop also serves breakfast and lunch sandwiches made locally by Julio Cancho Viggio at nearby Canggio Restaurant, danishes, and other bakery fare. Potter Kim Ford of Salem makes distinctive Craftsman Cliff logo mugs that set satisfyingly in the hand. On Mug Monday, patrons bring theirs in for half-priced fill-ups.

The consumption of cacao extends beyond Craftsman Cliff’s doors: Matthew makes chocolatemint coffee cacao scrub for Norwich Inn and Spa, and a nitrocold brew for neighbors Epicure

Brewing Company and These Guys Brewing who use it in their Coffee Porter.

“I wake up every day and do what I love. I love feeding people,” Matthew declares. “I love the farmer who makes the food and I love the person I give my food to. I’ve always followed my passion and everything good has followed.”

“Chocolate got its start here, but I’m showing how Norwich can do world-class chocolate now.”

Craftsman Cliff Roasters is located at 34 Broadway, Norwich, CT Open weekdays 6:30am - 5pm and Saturday 9:30am - 3pm

When you visit this up-and-coming, walkable downtown, Matthew says to expect beautiful architecture, ample parking, and many breweries, restaurants, bars, shops, and events nearby. Among his favorites are:

BILLY WILSONS AGEING STILL (best bar, wings, and burgers)

THESE GUYS BREWING (which brews beer using Craftsman Cliff cold brew)

EPICURE BREWING (where Craftsman Cliff nitro cold brew is on tap)

NAMOO (Korean)MI CASA (Mexican)ROYAL PUNJABI (Indian)ICE & FIRE (Sushi and Chinese)HARP & DRAGON (Irish Pub)LA STELLA (New York style pizza)NORWICH ART CENTER GALLERYTHE WAUREGAN (newly installed gift shop area)

FIRST FRIDAY NORWICH (downtown’s monthly block party)

We focus on one product at a time, nail it, and move on, growing organically and in response to our community. We love them and they love us.”