About Us

Our journey starts in the lush Idukki Hills of Kerala, where cacao is grown ethically then travels to our see-through factory in Chattarpur, Delhi. The air in here is thick with the scent of chocolate being roasted, tempered, and crafted fresh every day.

Our hot chocolate has become a favourite across the city, but it’s just the beginning. Every bonbon, pastry, and dessert is imagined around our own chocolate. We’ve introduced India’s first Basque Cheesecake, created our iconic Twice Baked Cake, and even added cacao husks into our Colocal’s Sangria and Cacao Lychee.

For us, chocolate isn’t just food, it’s an experience, to be shared and savoured in every bite.

Cacao Farms

The story begins under the warm sun of Idduki Hills in Kerala, where we work closely with the local farmers who hand-harvest ripe cacao pods that grow amidst spice gardens, nurtured by the region’s rich soil and tropical rain

Cacao Pods

Once harvested, the pods are split open by hand, revealing rows of white pulp covered beans. These freshly scooped beans are full of tropical fruit flavour – sweet, tangy and fragrant.

Fermentation

For the next 5-6 days, the beans are placed in a wooden box with banana leaves, wherein natural bacteria and yeast break down the pulp which results in balanced and controlled acidity and moisture.

Drying

The beans are sun-dried on bamboo mats for about a week. They are gently baked and turned throughout the day for an even drying until they reach the perfect moisture level.

Roasting

When put into roasting, it affects the aroma and balances the natural acidity of the beans called astringency. We roast about 1.5 tons of beans a month for our own use.

Cracking

Once roasted and cooled, the beans are put into a machine where the shells are cracked open, splitting into husk – the outer shell, and nibs – the part that creates chocolate.

Winnowing

They’re then placed in a winnower, a machine that separates the husk from the nibs. On an average we lose 20-25% of the bean’s weight throughout the process.Fun fact: we use this very husk in our signature Colocal Sangria.

Melanging

The nibs are then added to the mellangers, followed by adding sugar in small amounts. This process takes up to 72 hours, as we carefully balance just two ingredients: cocoa and sugar.

Conching

We then move to conching, where the chocolate is heated and stirred to remove volatiles and reduce astringency. This step enhances the chocolate’s flavors, aromas, and notes. We are the pioneers for the step of Conching in India.

Tempering

Finally, we temper the chocolate by heating and cooling it to create beta crystals, giving it a shiny finish.

Moulding

The tempered chocolate is then poured into bar molds, set, and ready to be demolded.

Packaging

After that, we hand-wrap each bar to protect it from sunlight and store it at the ideal temperature and humidity.

Founder

Sheetal Saxena

It all started with Sheetal’s simple question: “Where does chocolate come from?”

Curious to find the answer, she set out to learn how chocolate is really made, right from the beginning. From tempering chocolate on her kitchen table to searching for the perfect cacao pods across South India, she poured her heart into every bar we now proudly display on our shelves.

She went on to open Colocal’s flagship store as India’s first see-through Chocolate Factory with a café at Dhan Mill, Chhatarpur in 2020 kickstarting Delhi’s love for hot chocolate, mouthwatering desserts, and a curated menu that people still can’t get enough of.

Co – Founder

Anshi Saxena

Following in her sister Sheetal’s footsteps, Anshi learned the art of chocolate making and soon stepped in as Co-Founder. From hand-delivering chocolate during Covid to managing the day-to-day operations of all three outlets, her passion for the craft has only grown stronger over the years.

Anshi’s dream is to take the legacy her sister started to even greater heights and put Colocal on the global map. A passionate chocolate maker with a clear vision, she lives by the belief: “Work hard in silence, let your success make the noise.”

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