Welcome Our Madagascar and Sea Salt 55% Bar

We’ve released a new bar: Madagascar & Sea Salt 55%, the first in a new range we’re calling the Double Origin series.

Our new Double Origin series celebrates the beauty and simplicity of bringing together ingredients that carry immense flavour, unique to where they come from. 

A bar with double origins

ORIGIN #1: COCOA BEANS (MADAGASCAR)

The cocoa in this bar comes from Akesson’s Estate in the Sambirano Valley, Madagascar. Bertil Akesson was one of the first producers to sell Madagascan beans directly to small chocolate makers. His beans are known for their warm, fruit-forward character. They are fermented and dried at origin, then shipped to Suffolk, where we roast, grind and refine them in at the Chocolate Factory - made by us every step of the way from bean to bar.

ORIGIN #2: SEA SALT (ANGLESEY)

The salt comes from Halen Môn, harvested from the waters around Anglesey. We’ve worked with Halen Môn for many years and have used their salt across our baking and chocolate since 2020. Their sea salt is hand-harvested, minimally processed, and protected by PDO status because of its close connection to place.

What does the salt add to the chocolate? 

Layering complementary flavours was the vision for the creation of this bar. We develop the flavour in this chocolate by choosing the perfect beans to pair with salt, then gently roasting them and refining the chocolate to a perfect balance in our conches. Once the chocolate has been refined, we add Halen Môn's sea salt and grind it into the chocolate ensuring even distribution throughout for a balanced enhancement of the warm caramel notes. 

The packaging introduces a new illustration for us by local artist Annabel Pearl. It references the Mermaid of Pin Mill and connects the two British coastal producers with the island of Madagascar.

Annabel explains:

“The Pin Mill Mermaid has been described as a silver-tailed maiden swimming out to sea for over three hundred years. I wanted to make an illustration that reflects the beautifully nuanced flavours and ingredients that Pump Street use in their chocolates, and to link the sea salt from the coast of Wales and cocoa from the island of Madagascar together. The mermaid is plucky and romantic and speaks of the mystery of the sea.”

Most importantly, what does it taste like? 

The Madagascan beans bring a fruity warmth, whilst sea salt lifts and rounds to the notes of pear crumble and dulce de leche. 

Madagascar & Sea Salt 55% is available online and in store now.

Keep an eye out for more Double Origin bars we’ll be releasing over the coming months.