Journal de la Chocolaterie No15 04/2009 - English

le

de la Chocolaterie

How to establish a fair price ?

Professionals from everywhere in the world wonder about this major issue, within the rough economical context the world is facing. We tried to provide some answers to this issue in our report. One thing is for sure: best quality is what matters to you. More than ever, it has to remain your unique guiding principle‌ and ours ! You can definitely count on us Yours chocolately, Michel CLUIZEL

April 2009

Chocolate‌ at what price

special report

Chocolate… at what price The economic crisis encourages consumers to pay even more attention to prices. Therefore, professionals have to charge "fair prices".

Chocolate and the crisis Of course, one can live without chocolate… But it is so much better to live with it ! It provides an irreplaceable, pleasurable and comforting feeling. Chocolate is engraved in our taste memory since childhood, and is known for its beneficial effects on spirit and health. Therefore, even in time of crisis, people will keep on enjoying this simple, yet precious delight.

Chocolate at all costs Chocolate is more expensive than other food products: it is made of ingredients from distant countries, and its processing requires advanced, costly equipment. However, professionals and consumers of each country realize how diverse chocolate product prices can be: prices depend on brands and quality commitments, as well as on packaging line, packaging size and distribution networks.

How can one set selling prices Professionals have two options: the first one is an accounting one, which consists in adding up costs (raw materials, workforce, rent, power supply, etc.) and profits. The second one is a marketing option, which aims at identifying how much the consumer is willing to pay for such a product, by taking competition into

le

account, among other elements.

The best approach remains the following one: comparing these two options in order to make a decision.

Multipliers what a convenient thing Most retailers use the technique of multipliers. Multipliers are applied to purchase prices before tax, in order to get the selling price, taxes included. They are lower for preconditioned products, which are displayed in shops and sold to consumers in bags. Bulk chocolate bonbons have to be conditioned in boxes or ballotins, which are sometimes made up according to the customer's selection. Therefore, cost of packaging and accessories also has to be taken into account, as well as costs for storage, cash immobilization, and workforce dedicated to box filling. Multipliers may also vary according to VAT rates, which differ from one country to another, and sometimes, as it is the case in France, according to the type of chocolate product (5.5 % or 19.6 % VAT).

Margin finding the right combination Multipliers and margins also depend on: - the outlet location: rent level, image and market prices may differ depending on whether the outlet is located in the countryside, in a small or medium-sized city, at the center or

de la Chocolaterie Michel Cluizel • page 2

in the suburbs of a city.

- the activity performed by the shop: outlets that only sell chocolate have to apply higher multipliers than outlets that also sell pastry, delicatessen products,… since fixed costs, such as the rent, have to be covered with a lower turnover. Then, what you actually earn on each product is measured in cash value (euro, dollar…), not in multiplier or in percentage.

Price by weight or price by item Outlets usually choose to use price by weight to sell their chocolate bonbons. However, an increasing number of shops are now starting to sell chocolates using packaging prices, proportionally higher for small boxes than for bigger ones.

This strategic choice matches the fair price notion. The cost of a small chocolate box and its accessories, as well as the time spent for wrapping, are almost the same for all sizes of boxes.

This way, customers are encouraged to buy bigger boxes.

Practical Inconvenient: this technique requires calculations for each size of chocolate box.

And if required by the law, as it is in France, each price has to be displayed with its corresponding price by weight.

Where to head for in the face of the crisis In times of crisis, some consu-

photo 2

mers do not change their habits in terms of chocolate consumption. Others choose to lower the budget dedicated to chocolate, as a precaution, or because of their reduced purchasing power.

Therefore, the latter choose to purchase the same amount of product at lower prices, or a smaller amount of product, with the same quality level. Within this context, which remains temporary, professionals must keep their established clients, and adapt to others. Purchasing cheaper in order to sell cheaper, by finding new suppliers, leads to lower quality and disappointment of a large segment of your clientele… who will turn to competition! And by the end of the crisis, within one or two years, consumers will remain loyal to retailers and restaurant owners who will have managed to stick to quality.

photo 1

Top-of-the range product so expensive

Choosing mid-range chocolate instead of top-of-the-range chocolate, or blend chocolate instead of plantation chocolate comes to saving 0.27 €, excl.VAT, for a chocolate dessert sold 19 to 20 € incl.VAT, i.e. 1.42% of the selling price if we consider a chocolate quantity of 10% of total ingredients. To please your clients and face competition, is this 0.27 € difference worth ? Yes it is ! Even if it means you will have to increase the price of a dessert, you will get a much better chocolate flavor (and therefore a much better dessert) and will have the opportunity to promote your dessert.

Restaurant owners will all tell you the following: "To make a very good dish, you need to use very good ingredients". A recipe is supposed to reveal the flavours of the ingredients you use, and the latter cannot give a flavour they do not have!

This rule obviously applies to chocolate desserts and plated desserts… And using top-ofthe-range couverture chocolate is not more costly than using mid-range chocolate (see one framed). Moreover, using topof-the range Laboratory Products enable you to communicate on the quality of chocolate and therefore on the quality of your products, in comparison with competition. Lastly, if you want to compare prices from different suppliers, you should always take into account net prices of comparable products.

You should therefore consider terms of sale, compare chocolate bars of the same weight, or distinguish a Chocolate Cru (cocoa beans from one region) and a genuine Single Plantation chocolate !

le

Any solution in this context In order to please consumers who pay more attention to prices, and also show a growing demand for quality, here are a few guidelines that you may follow: 1. First of all, do not disappoint customers, and therefore, preserve quality: do not purchase cheaper products or change the recipe you have always used to make your products; 2. Clearly display your prices, in order to reassure customers and secure their loyalty; 3. Offer quality products, regardless of price levels, and provide variety in packaging, especially small packages for "budget prices".

4. If you are a chocolate maker or a restaurant owner: save time and therefore workforce by simplifying decorations or using semi-finished products, such as Façonnables (see picture 1); 5. Try to get better terms of sale by grouping your purchases at your best supplier (market special deal or loyalty discount), by ordering in advance (early discount), etc.

6. Promote the quality of your products, with supporting evidence: origins, quality commitments (use of "Noble Ingredients" chocolates for instance), etc. Outlet chains that manage to grow on the market know how to communicate more with less selling points, why wouldn't you ?

Chocolaterie

MICHEL CLUIZEL's

choices

Since the creation of their first Chocolate bonbons back in 1947, Marc and Marcelle Cluizel always gave priority to quality. Michel Cluizel and his children pursue this goal, using another key to success: selling the best products at a fair price. In order to guarantee the best quality at the best price, Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL

de la Chocolaterie Michel Cluizel • page 3

takes responsibility for the processing of basic products into semifinished or finished products, and does not resort to subcontracting.

The Chocolaterie purchases ingredients right after harvest (cocoa beans, almonds, hazelnuts…) and take responsibility for storage. This option, which is costly in terms of cash account, turns out to be cost-effective in terms of intermediate costs and allows optimum storage conditions (temperature, hygrometry…). Lastly, Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL selects, in every country, the best distribution network available. In France, products are directly sent from the Chocolaterie to professional retailers and restaurant owners.

What about 2009 Some companies have carried out hidden cost cuts, disclosed

by French magazine “60 Millions de Consommateurs” in its September 2008 issue (changes in recipes, simplification of packaging with no change in prices…).

Unlike some of its competitors, Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL sticks to its commitment on the quality of ingredients, recipes and products. However, in order to take the economic context into account, the decision was made to choose less "workforce demanding" decorations for its 2009 Collection of Chocolate bonbons (see picture 2), with a view to maintain limited price by weight.

interview

Jacques POTDEVIN,

Public Accountant, & Statutory Auditor

“

There is no ideal profit margin, there can only be an average margin.

Could you tell us more about your occupation ?

I am a public accountant and a statutory auditor, and I run the JPA International network, which embodies the activities we perform under the JPA label, with approximately 110 offices, in 43 countries.

I also carried out institutional duties for our trade as the Chairman of the Compagnie Nationale des Commissaires aux Comptes - National Company of Statutory Auditors - and, more recently, as the Chairman of the European Federation of Accountants.

What were the specific European issues you had to deal with ?

I was particularly involved in the handling of two major issues: the implementation of the new guideline on the legal control of national audit office, called “Commissariat aux comptes” in France, and the evolution of international accounting standards applying to small and medium-sized companies.

What does sustainable trade mean in the field of business ?

EVENTS

It is a guarantee for consumers to purchase a product that meets their expectation, i.e. a quality product, with quality taste, manufactured according to methods that ensure safety and transparency in terms of ingredients. When consumed, product should meet the expectations that led to purchase decision.

The crisis that is affecting our economy proves that the act of consuming is the one that drives economic activities. It is therefore important to establish and maintain the trust a consumer has in the product he purchases.

World Chocolate Masters The 14th Chocolate Fair of Paris hosted the prestigious “2008 World Chocolate Masters” contest. Seven French chocolate makers took part in the competition, in front of a panel of 17 renowned of professional judges, presided over by Jean-Paul Hévin, Meilleur Ouvrier de France.

The best chocolate makers of the country were honored! Among them was Vincent Lechevallier, a chocolate maker and the technical advisor of Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL.

Prize for the winner of the competition: gain the right to represent France at “2009 World Chocolate Masters”.

Vincent Lechevallier started working as a confectioner; he then specialized in chocolate. He did not wait long before winning his first awards in France: Trophée des Chefs d'Or in Marignane in 2007, Prix du Plateau de Bonbons de Chocolat at Trophée Pascal Caffet in Troyes in 2007… Metz Concours Créativa, which he won in 2008 led

le

”

How can a small or medium-sized company still make it ?

Laws, regulations and guidelines are always regarded as complications. The truth is they are also designed with a view to organize and facilitate management by providing simple, efficient, standardized and cheap tools. While techniques keep progressing and tools remain available, great principles always remain the same. A company can only stand up to crisis and keep growing if it achieves resources surplus, that is, if it makes profit. In order to do so, management obviously has to analyze and control their margins.

What is the use of this margin ?

This margin is used, on the one hand, to offset fixed costs, and on the other hand, to offset variable costs. Variable costs are expenses that are not conditional on the company activities while variable costs are the ones that are related to the company activities (the biggest part of variable costs being purchase costs). Traditional trade activities usually imply significant fix costs. Once profit break-even point is reached, the remaining margin is dedicated to profit. This is when you understand that specific “commercial operations” can be performed as long as there is no need to make the exact same margin on every product, and during every period of the year.

There is, therefore, no such thing as an ideal margin. There can only be an average margin, which depends on demand variations, needs to attract customers and necessity to cover one’s fix costs in order to ensure durability and growth for the company.

him to “World Chocolate Masters”.

The 7 French chocolate makers who took part in the contest had to make very tricky pieces: a chocolate artistic piece of 1.5 m on the theme of Haute Couture, 2 chocolate bonbons, one chocolate dessert and one small chocolate piece.

Through 8 hours of work, in front of the audience and the jury, Vincent Lechevallier made a 2.15 m Eiffel Tower. “This Eiffel Tower is like a piece of Haute Couture ; I added elements that remind the metal discs of the dresses Paco Rabanne created in the late 60s”, Vincent Lechevallier explained.

At the close of this wonderful yet very trying contest, Vincent Leche-

de la Chocolaterie Michel Cluizel • page 4

vallier won the 2nd prize of “World Chocolate Masters”. He paid tribute to the winner, Sébastien Trudelle: “We went to school together, I am really happy for him!” ».

a few wors from

Bernd Siefert,

M. and Mme Plisson,

a Confectioner in Michelstadt, Germany

Baker, Pastry and Caterer in Orléans (France)

“Being able to make my recipes different from the ones competitors use and meeting the expectations of my customers by using exceptional chocolates turns out to be a very economically attractive option.”

Bernd Siefert is one of the most renowned confectioners in Germany.

He perfected his skills in France and in Italy before taking over the very traditional family pastry shop. He won many awards, among them the 1997 World Champion title, which consolidated his dazzling rise. The books he wrote are bestsellers, and the seminaries he organizes are one of the most well-attended in the profession.

CLUIZEL, I usually use a lot of “High Cocoa Content” and ‘1ers Crus de Plantation’ couverture chocolates. As for fillings, I prefer using the ‘Praliné Pâtissier (almonds and hazelnuts 50 %)’. I also use some decorations and coupelles, alternatively with the ones I personally make: they allow multiple uses and obviously make me save time! The price of these semi-finished products, which can appear to be high at first sight, is justified if you consider the workforce savings they allow. »

A journey of flavors Bernd Siefert obviously pays great attention to the expectations of his well-informed customers. “We use the best raw materials and the most valuable ingredients for our products.

Michel Cluizel’s products meet our requirements. In my opinion, they are like a “journey of flavours”. ‘1ers Crus de Plantation’ take us right to the middle of cocoa plantations! »

Choice of excellence Bernd Siefert liked the products of Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL right from the beginning. “I was looking for excellent quality products” he explains. « When the German distributive firm Confis Express offered me these products, it did not take me long to be convinced: the “Noble Ingredient” quality commitment and the extent of the range definitely distance the Chocolaterie from other suppliers. »

He also admits that he has favorite products. « Among the range provided by Chocolaterie MICHEL

He is obviously the kind of confectioner who puts ingredient choices forward. “My customers trust me. They value the fact that I pay great attention to presentation and decorations and that I always look for state-o-f-the-art flavour combinations. They particularly appreciate the fact that I use ‘1ers Crus de Plantation’ couvertures and ‘soy lecithin-free’ chocolate. » « Chocolate only stands for some part of the production cost of my products: therefore, being able to put my recipes forward and to meet the expectations of mys customers by using exceptional chocolates turns out to be an economically attractive option. The final touch, related to the creative aspect of the recipe, obviously remains essential. »

le

“The secret of our success ? Being able of adapting to the progresses, trends and opportunities of the market.”

Just like Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL, Mr. and Mrs. Plisson’s business is a family business. “Back in 1980, my husband and I took over the pastry shop & bakery of my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vernois, which was set up in 1960”, Mrs. Plisson explains.

The secret of success “In 1990, we created a tearoom, where we also served dish of the day. The same year, we moved to Tabour street, right in the city centre: we realized that the catering activity was booming, and made the decision to go into this business. We did not wait very long before our project was successful. The secret of our success? Being able of adapting to the progresses, trends and opportunities of the market.” Mrs. Plisson explains, calmly. Now, we offer a coherent and much appreciated range of products and services: catering services on the spot and for special events, bakery, pastry and wine shop.

Development and loyalty Mr. and Mrs. Plisson know how to adapt to market developments…just like they know how to be loyal to their suppliers! « My parents were already clients of Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL », Mrs. Plisson explains.

“And so are we ! Selling and using Cluizel Chocolate is a family tradition, since the history of our BakeryPastry shop makes us guarantors of quality and savoir-faire. Our clients

de la Chocolaterie Michel Cluizel • page 5

are lovers of premium quality products. Some of them only come once a year, for Christmas or Easter celebrations. We cannot fail in pleasing them ! ».

The range of products of Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL is also synonymous with development and tradition. “At the moment, we are testing Façonnables: they were one of the new items of the last cocktail party we organized!” This new contribution will probably be another evidence of how strong our relationship with the Chocolaterie is: “In 2007, we developed our range of "chocolate" products, with a view to strengthen our leadership on the market and face competition.”

A well-considered strategy Mr. and Mrs. Plisson’s customers are from the city centre; it is therefore a rather “top-of-the-range” clientele. It is the kind of clientele that demands innovative, quality products, with a careful presentation. These customers are willing to spend more, but want quality products. “In this context of financial crisis and increase in prices of raw materials, we try our best not to increase our prices. In order to hold our course and maintain the quality of our products, we chose to save on fixed costs and to trust the professionalism of our employees…”

It is therefore essential to find and apply a fair price !

significant events

Arrived by the air in July, the new conche will allow a 200% increase of production.

Marc Cluizel and Philippe Parc (MOF award in Pastry Making and World Champion in Pastry, Chocolate, Ice-cream making) designed a technical DVD called "Chocolate inspirations" which will provide you ideas of desserts, petitsfours and mignardises, as well as advice and tricks about the use of Laboratory Products.

On September 1st, Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL Training Workshop organized an open house day, on the theme of chocolate, for Meilleurs Ouvriers de France in Pastry Making and for the pupils of Damville school.

“Dark Mangaro” and “45% Grand Lait” 100 g Chocolate Bars were awarded One Star at the Great Taste Award, after a tasting session by 160 experts that took place in Great Britain, in July 2008.

All the chefs who took part in the Chef of the Year Contest that took place in September, in Iceland, used Michel Cluizel Chocolate to make the desserts they prepared.

In October, advertising inserts in English newspapers The Times with a view to promote the products of Collection Michel Cluizel, especially chocolate bars.

In September 2008, Canadian Chefs took part in a training session given by Philippe Parc at the Training Workshop of Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL.

In order to promote its chocolate bars, prepared with Michel Cluizel chocolate, Bakery, Pastry shop Yannick in Haguenau (France - 67) and its representative for Eastern region, Serge Dantzer, made a Wall of Chocolate Bars.

In October, Swedish distributor Chokladhuset presented Michel Cluizel products at the Chocolate Fair of Stockholm.

Mid-October: distributor DELTA FLEISCH took part in an international pastry making contest that took place in Germany. On that occasion, Michel Cluizel Chocolates were presented and a MiniNuancier ‘1ers Crus de Plantation’ was offered.

© Andrea Nanni

The box of 25 Praliné & Ganaches Macarolats, made of surprising 100% chocolate macaroons, was awarded the “Trend and Innovation” prize at the Sial Fair in October 2008, in France.

Chocolate Fair of Paris. From October 29th to November 3rd, 2008, presentation of the new items of Michel Cluizel Collection in sneak preview, and visit of the stand by Minister Xavier Darcos, beside Pierre Cluizel, on the opening night.

In November 2008, on the occasion of the Cioccoshow, which took place in Bologna, the great Italian pastry Chef Francesco Elmi organized 4 evening performances dedicated to the tasting of dishes prepared with Michel Cluizel chocolate.

On November 14th, a television crew of the Brazilian channel TV Globo filmed a report on the skills of French chocolate makers, broadcasted on midday television news program, at Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL premises.

October 2008, Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL becomes Partner of Air france "Espace Première" with the 4 chocolates Ballotin, offered to flight passengers.

A number of training sessions, which took place in different French regions, were organized during fall and winter: Dives (14), Grenoble (38), Dardilly (69), Jouy-en-Josas (78)…

From February 1st to 4th 2009, Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL had a stand at the ISM in Cologne, Germany.

On the occasion of 2008 Yuletide, the French Red Cross, Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL and RELAY teamed up to contribute to the effort of childhood protection creating a 9 chocolates box.

Cluizel and Costes Partnership: cubes Costes made of dark and milk chocolate from ‘Maralumi’ plantation, in Papua New Guinea. Cubes are available in 2 sizes : 90 g and 220 g and and are distributed in the universe of Brasserie & Hôtel Costes in France.

le

Chocolaterie Michel Cluizel will take part in the following fairs: • Fancy Food Show (New York) : from June 28th – 30th 2009.

• Salon du Chocolat in Paris from October 14th to 18th 2009.

• Tax Free TFWA Fair, in Cannes, from October 19th to 23rd 2009.

• Europain (France): from March 6th to 10th 2010.

• Sial Fair (France): from October 17th to 21st 2010.

de la Chocolaterie Michel Cluizel • page 6

news update

Laboratory products

2009 Façonnable Spring - Summer Guide Catalogue New Fruit Theme. Discover the new Summer chocolate decorations: cherry, strawberry, kiwi, orange, apple, pear, banana… For fruity chocolate desserts and bonbons, 4 new transfer sheets.

Available from January 2009 on.

The Façonnable Guide was created

by Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL in collaboration with P. Parc, and provides original recipes and presentation ideas of sweet and savory PetitsFours, Small Cakes and Plated Desserts. * World Champion (Pastry, Chocolat, ice cream and MOF Pastry.

Gruétine Kit

New Plastic Moules

In order to ease the use of Gruétine, we designed stencils, cylinders and nonstick mats, which professionals will find in our new catalogue.

Poultry Yard theme PVC tin kits. They enable you to make chocolate moldings with original shapes: Rooster, Hen, Chick.

Anonymous products

New Bonbons Espeline : Chocolate ganache with cranberry and Espelette sweet pepper bonbon.

Nougatelle : Red berries soft Nougat. Réglimantine : Liquorice Heart of ganache.

Vayassimo Bouchée: ganache with orange peels.

Michel Cluizel Collection

For Easter, discover New Easter box

Juju the Rabbit

Contains an Egg decorated with fruits and filled with chocolate fish (available in two sizes: 180 g and 420 g, dark and milk chocolate).

New milk chocolate 37% cocoa (45 g) molding that will please both kids and parents.

Available from February 23rd to Easter 2009.

Only available for Easter, in Paris (France).

Available from September 7th, 2009 on.

New Michel Cluizel Écrins

Assortment of dark and milk chocolate bonbons, decorated with a new green ribbon.

Available from February 23rd to Easter 2009.

For the next term New box 25 ganaches

prepared with dark chocolate ‘1ers Crus de Plantation’ (270 g) Available from September 28th, 2009 on.

le

de la Chocolaterie Michel Cluizel • page 7

process

Couvertures and coating machines

user’s guide

The first coating machine was created in 1903 by a French chocolate maker, Mr. Magniez. In 1965, the first automatic tempering coating machine was installed in France, at Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL. Nowadays, the coating machine is an essen-

(melted) at a temperature of 35 °C/95 °F to 40 °C/104 °F. Once the cooling cycle is over, the couverture is heated up in order to reach the required spout output temperature. This way, the couverture always remains tempered and fluid during the work of chocolate.

3/ Manual tempering coating machine: The couverture is poured on the marble, then put back in the machine. The heating temperature is increased by 2 °C/35,6 °F, according to the guidelines of couverture specialists. Another way of performing manual tempering consists in doing a seeding spreading directly inside the machine.

tial tool for the chocolate maker. However,

I. Crucial factors in the purchase of a coating machine

The purchase of a coating machine depends o, several criteria, which should be thoroughly considered: • Volume of yearly output.

• Anticipation of a possible increase of volume and of extension projects.

• Expected use: some coating machines are very simple to use while others require some technical knowledge about chocolate.

• Location. Ideally, you should allot a specific room to the preparation of chocolate, in order to avoid contact with volatiles products such as the flour. You should never locate the coating machine near a door or a window, in order to avoid draught, nor near air conditioning system, which could make chocolate cool down.

Some machines enable you to gain space while being very efficient: coating conveyors switch from horizontal to vertical position (modular coating machine), and some machines may be used as « molding machines » for the preparation of Easter figurines, when fitted with a specific conveyor belt that « vibrates » the tins.

There are 3 types of coating machines: 1/ Automatic and discontinuous tempering coating machine: The machine tempers the whole mass that is inside the tank (31 °C /87,8 °F for dark couverture), with a small delta difference*, and cools the couverture down before heating it up in order to reach the required temperature (30 °C/86 °F). *Delta difference: difference between the output spout temperature and the tank temperature.

2/Automatic and Continuous tempering coating machine: The couverture that is inside the tank always has to be de-crystallized

II. Advice and tricks applying to these 3 types of tempering

The automatic and dicontinuous tempering coating machine tends to over-crystallize or over-grease after some time. We therefore advise you to work the chocolate at a higher temperature than the one recommended by couverture specialists. Moreover, the addition of warm couverture (between 40 °C/104 °F and 45 °C/113 °F) can prevent over-crystallization, without de-tempering the couverture.

When using a automatic and continuous tempering coating machine, you should melting temperature right from the beginning: this way, you will make sure the temperature inside the tank is high enough. Perform tempering cycle and increase temperature by 1 °C/33,8 °F or 2 °C/35,6 °F in order to achieve the best possible result (instructions provided by manufacturers).

When using a manual tempering coating machine, it is always better to perform tempering on the marble, in order to for the couverture to remain as fluid as possible. It is also possible to perform seeding spreading; however risks of thickening are higher because of the addition of minigrammes. Minigrammes can initiate crystallization and couverture stirring inside the coating machine too quickly, and therefore make the couverture too thick right from the beginning. Once spreading is performed, you can also increase the temperature by 1 °C/33,8 °F or 2 °C/35,6 °F and add hot couverture (40 °C/104 °F- 45 °C/113 °F) as soon as the mixture thickens, in order to maintain fluidity.

III. Advice related to the use of couvertures

• Performing slow melting, at a rather low temperature, will allow you to achieve good fluidity and to de-stabilize all the cocoa butter molecules.

• It is essential to implement the instructions provided by manufacturers with regard to tempering curves.

• Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL couvertures require a higher melting temperature when used in automatic and continuous tempering coating machines, because of the bigger amount of cocoa butter, which justifies the purchase price. Working at a higher temperature will not de-temper chocolate provided the tempering curve is correctly implemented from the beginning.

Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL • Avenue de Conches • 27240 Damville • tel. +33 (0)2 32 35 60 00 • fax +33 (0)2 32 34 83 63 • www.cluizel.com • print run: 14 500 ex. (français + anglais + allemand + espagnol) Director of Publication: Marc Cluizel • Production : Ad litteram +33 (0)2 32 60 13 13 • Photo Credit: Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL • Non binding document • ISSN 1627-5071

its use subtleties remain quite unknown.

Report prepared in collaboration with Vincent Lechevallier, a chocolate maker and the technical advisor of Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL. For more information, please get in touch with Chocolaterie MICHEL CLUIZEL

le

de la Chocolaterie Michel Cluizel • page 8