MayHawk’s own ingredients

We believe in simplicity and craft. In our large on-site greenhouse, we organically grow many of the herbs, spices, and botanicals used in our chocolate, while also trialling new flavours in our R&D.

For example, all the fresh mint in our London Gin Bar is grown here, bringing a clean, aromatic lift to the botanicals in the gin. The jalapeño chilli peppers for our Winter Nine Bar are also grown here, delivering gentle heat with a bright, fresh edge.

Several other key ingredients are grown organically by us, ensuring a unique freshness and character from the very start.

Madagascar

Criollo / Trinitario variety

Sourced from the Grand Cru de Sambirano, grown in the Sambirano River Valley of north-west Madagascar — one of the world’s most celebrated cacao regions.

Fertile volcanic and alluvial soils, enriched by the river’s silt deposits, give this cacao its bright red-berry and citrus notes, with a subtle floral edge.

Columbia

Forastero variety

Fino de Aroma cacao grown in south-west Columbia, in the Huila region.

From the Huila region in south‑west Colombia—nestled in the Andes near the Nevado del Huila volcano—this cacao benefits from mineral‑rich, volcanic soils and varied microclimates.

The flavour is notable for its vivid citrus‑red fruit top notes and delicate floral sweetness, balanced by medium acidity and a clean, polished body.

Peru

Criollo variety

Sourced from the Upper Huallaga Valley in San Martín—an Amazon basin nestled along the Huallaga River, framed by lush lowlands and dense rainforest.

This fine‑aroma Criollo thrives in the region’s diverse microclimate and fertile soils. Historically, cacao here has catalysed a positive shift in cultivation toward sustainable, economically empowering agriculture.

Venezuela

Criollo and Trinitario variety

We source our cacao from Sur del Lago, south of Lake Maracaibo, one of Venezuela’s most celebrated terroirs.

The cacao is a natural blend of Criollo and Trinitario genetics—rooted in centuries of local cultivation—Sur del Lago beans are prized for their fine‑flavour heritage and aromatic complexity.

You can normally expect a full‑bodied dark chocolate character with gentle acidity and rounded notes of nuts, caramel, and subtle floral or berry tones.

Ecuador

Forastero / Nacional variety

Harvested from the Guayas lowlands—and the famed Camino Verde region near Durán—this cacao is part of Ecuador’s rare Nacional lineage, celebrated for its deep floral aroma and complex character.

Cultivated in alluvial, coastal soils, the beans exhibit rich, fruity notes of ripe berries and gentle honeyed sweetness—with nuanced almond undertones, alongside a subtle floral lift.

Trinidad & Tobago

Trinitario variety

Harvested from the celebrated Gran Couva area—widely regarded as the birthplace of the Trinitario cacao—these beans are slowly fermented and dried to develop their classic, complex character.

There is a refined dark‑chocolate intensity, a balanced acidity, and, depending on the plantation, several nuanced flavours, ranging from ripe fruit brightness to gentle spice and subtle floral notes.

Dominican Republic

Trinitario variety

Sourced from the fertile Cibao Valley, just north of San Francisco de Macorís—one of the country’s leading organic cacao‑producing regions.

We use the fine‑flavour Hispaniola beans, which are fermented for several days, allowing nuanced aromas to flourish. The profile is gently acidic with delicate fruity and floral top notes, offering a graceful complexity.

Indonesia

Forastero variety

Sourced from Sulawesi—specifically the volcanic regions of Luwu and Konawe Selatan—this cacao benefits from the fertile, mineral‑rich soils and a climate well-suited to cacao cultivation.

Beans from Luwu tend to have floral aromas, while Konawe delivers notes of earthiness. These nuanced profiles are shaped by a combination of local microclimates, genetic diversity, and post‑harvest processing.

Cane Sugar – Mauritius

We use only natural, unrefined cane sugar from Billington’s, a British company producing sugar since 1858.

Working closely with growers in Mauritius, Billington’s produces high-quality sugars with varying molasses content, which preserve the natural minerals and depth of flavour found in the cane plant.

This richer, unrefined profile, complements our cacao, adding subtle warmth and complexity to our finished chocolate.

Vanilla Beans – Madagascar

Our Bourbon vanilla beans come from the Sava region in Madagascar’s humid northeast, the world’s leading source of Vanilla planifolia. The tropical climate, generous rainfall, and fertile loamy soils create ideal conditions for cultivating this prized variety.

We use only natural vanilla beans — never extracts or artificial flavourings — to capture their full character. Madagascan Bourbon vanilla is known for its deep, creamy aroma with warm, sweet notes of caramel and subtle floral undertones, which enhances the flavour of the chocolate we use it in.

Other Main Ingredients

• Oats – Scotland
• Milk Powder – England
• Stem-Ginger – China
• Maple Syrup – Canada