Frequently Asked Questions

1. Orders & Payments

Do I need an account to place an order?

No.

Orders can be placed and completed without creating an account – and we use fast express pay options like Apple Pay and Google Pay.

What payment methods do you accept?

Apple Pay, Google Pay, and major credit and debit cards.

Is payment secure?

Yes. All payments are processed through Stripe — one of the most trusted payment infrastructures in the world, used by millions of businesses globally.

Stripe is PCI DSS Level 1 certified, the highest level of compliance available in the payments industry. Card details are encrypted and never transmitted to or stored on MayHawk’s servers. All transactions run over HTTPS with TLS encryption. Apple Pay and Google Pay add a further layer of security — neither service shares your actual card number with the merchant. A device-specific token is used instead.

MayHawk does not store, see, or have access to your full payment details at any point in the transaction.

Can I preorder products?

Yes. Some limited releases and seasonal launches are offered as preorders before stock is available to the general site — and newsletter subscribers are notified as soon as those windows open.

Subscribing to the MayHawk newsletter is the most direct connection to what we make and how we make it. Subscribers receive early access to new releases and Studio Projects launches, priority preorder windows before stock opens publicly, private pricing on selected products, and behind-the-scenes process content from the Chocolate Studio — the thinking, the development work, and the decisions behind each bar before they reach the product page.

Some Studio Projects releases sell out within the preorder window. The newsletter is the only way to guarantee access.

Subscribe in the footer of the website.

How do I hear about new releases and restocks?

The MayHawk newsletter is the most direct route. New launches, Studio Projects releases, restocks, and preorder windows go to subscribers first. Subscribe in the footer of the website.

Can I change or cancel an order after placing it?

Yes, in most cases — the sooner you contact us, the more we can do.

If your order has not yet been dispatched, cancellation is straightforward. Email us through our support page as soon as possible — we process orders quickly and the window can be short.

If your order is already in transit, please allow it to be delivered before contacting us. Once received, returns can be arranged through our Sales & Returns page. A return transportation charge may apply.

If your order arrives defective or not as described, we will refund the full purchase price and shipping costs. Contact us and we’ll resolve it.

2. Delivery & Shipping

How long does UK delivery take?

Tracked UK delivery takes 2 to 3 working days from order placement.

Orders placed Monday to Friday before 4pm UK time are prepared for courier collection the following working day. Orders placed over the weekend are processed on Monday.

Full delivery information

Does MayHawk deliver internationally?

Yes. We currently deliver to selected European countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

International delivery information

Why does MayHawk suspend or delay shipping during hot weather?

Chocolate is temperature sensitive — and MayHawk chocolate, made naturally, without stabilisers or emulsifiers, is more sensitive than most.

Rather than compromise the condition of the product, or use environmentally unsuitable insulated packaging, which compromises our sustainability promises, we temporarily suspend or delay home delivery during periods of sustained extreme heat. When the temperature makes safe transit unreliable, we wait. We will notify you as soon as possible, after your order, if we will be delaying shipment, waiting for lower temperature days.

The product matters more than the shipment schedule. This is the same principle that governs everything else we do — we appreciate your patience.

If you have a question about whether delivery is currently paused, contact us and we’ll let you know.

Can chocolate melt in transit?

It can, if exposed to sufficiently high temperatures for long enough during delivery.

This is precisely why we pause delivery during hot weather rather than rely on packaging to compensate. It is also why we do not use insulated packaging as a standard workaround — it treats the symptom rather than the problem. If you have a concern about an existing order, contact us.

What happens if my order arrives damaged or affected by heat?

Please contact us. We will always try to help and will find a resolution.

Will I receive tracking information?

Yes. Tracking information is provided once your order has been dispatched.

Do couriers deliver on Sundays or bank holidays?

No. Standard courier delivery schedules do not include Sundays or public holidays.

Are Christmas delivery deadlines published?

Yes. Seasonal cut-off dates are published on the website during December.

Can customs charges apply to international orders?

Depending on the destination country and local import regulations, customs duties or fees may apply. We recommend checking the relevant rules for your country before ordering. If you have a question about a specific destination, contact us.

3. A Buyer’s Guide to Craft Chocolate

Craft chocolate is made differently from the chocolate most people grew up with.

Most mass-produced chocolate on the supermarket shelf is a formulation — a product engineered for consistency, shelf life, and low input cost. Where economics and scale are driving the decision making. Emulsifiers replace proper conching. Bulk fats replace quality cocoa butter. Artificial flavourings replace the need for good ingredients, and over-roasting means you can use poor quality cacao. The result is consistent and undemanding.

Craft chocolate starts from the opposite position. The cocoa bean is the point of making the chocolate. Every decision in the process — sourcing, roasting, refining, recipe — is made in service of preserving and developing what the bean already contains. The result is chocolate that tastes like the specific cacao it was made from.

Why craft chocolate is made differently — and what that means for the chocolate:

It starts with better beans — sourced with provenance, paid for properly. Commodity cacao, bought by the multinational chocolate companies, is traded anonymously at market rates, blended from multiple origins, and bought without knowledge of how it was fermented or dried. The ethics of how it was grown and harvested is almost untraceable, most of it is sold without proper due diligence.

Craft chocolate begins with the opposite decision: single-origin cacao, sourced directly from specific producers, paid at prices that reflect quality rather than the commodity market floor.

Better sourcing relationships, and higher prices, also produces better environmental practices and better fermentation standards. In a virtuous cycle better fermentation produces better flavour potential, and higher prices can be charged. Everything that follows in the process is working with what the bean already contains. The bean is the foundation. It cannot be corrected later.

What is craft chocolate known for?

Flavour that is specific to its origin. Industrial chocolate blends cacao from multiple sources to produce a consistent, predictable taste. Craft chocolate made from a single origin retains the character of one specific place — the cacao variety, the altitude, the soil, the fermentation conditions. That character is not added. It is preserved.

A cleaner, more complete melt. Cocoa butter melts at precisely 34°C — just below body temperature — producing a clean, cooling release that no other fat replicates. Mass-market producers substitute cheaper fats for a portion of the cocoa butter to reduce cost. Those substitutions change the physical experience of the melt. MayHawk uses no fat replacers. The melt is what cocoa butter produces when nothing else interferes with it.

Complexity that builds rather than arrives all at once. Properly fermented and roasted cacao contains hundreds of volatile aromatic compounds — light fruit aldehydes, pyrazines, fermentation-derived esters. Stone grinding at low velocity and controlled temperature preserves these compounds, which ball milling at industrial speed destroys through localised heat. The depth you notice on the second and third piece was in the bean. The process preserved it.

A shorter ingredient list — with natural ingredients used. Additives like Emulsifiers are added to industrial chocolate to reduce viscosity, increase shelf-life and shorten conching time. Artificial flavourings compensate for low-grade cacao. Bulk vegetable fats replace cocoa butter. None of these are in MayHawk chocolate, because a properly made bar has no need for them.

Natural bloom is a sign of real chocolate, not a fault. The pale surface coating that can develop over time is cocoa butter migrating to the surface — a physical property of unadulterated fat responding to temperature change. Stabilisers and emulsifiers in industrial chocolate suppress this. MayHawk chocolate does not contain them. Bloom is safe to eat and does not affect flavour. It is the visible evidence of an ingredient list with nothing in it to prevent it.

Greater sensitivity to temperature — for the same reason the melt is better. Pure cocoa butter responds to its environment. That sensitivity is not a design flaw. It is the same property that produces the clean melt on the palate. Store it correctly — between 12°C and 19°C, away from sunlight and strong odours — and it will hold its character without compromise.

Craft chocolate is an agricultural product. Like wine or olive oil, what happened in the field and in the fermentation box is still present in the finished bar.

A more in depth guide to buying chocolate can be found here [New to MayHawk]

4. Craft Chocolate Glossary

Bean-to-bar The chocolate maker controls the full production process — from sourcing raw cacao beans through to the finished chocolate. No stages are outsourced. The maker is responsible for what happens at every point.

Single origin Chocolate made from cacao sourced from one country, region, or specific producer. Single origin is a flavour decision: the character of one specific place is present in the bar, undiluted. Single-origin examples.

Cacao percentage The total proportion of cacao-derived ingredients in the chocolate — cacao mass, cocoa butter, and in some recipes, cocoa powder. A higher percentage means more cacao and less sugar. It does not automatically mean better chocolate; it means the cacao has a proportionally larger role in the final taste.

Cocoa butter The natural fat extracted from cacao beans. It governs the melt, the texture, and the way a bar breaks. Industrial chocolate often replaces a portion of it with cheaper vegetable fats. MayHawk does not.

Emulsifiers / lecithins Emulsifiers — most commonly soya lecithin — are added to industrial chocolate to reduce viscosity and shorten production time. They are not needed if the chocolate has been properly conched. MayHawk does not use them.

Bloom A natural surface change — pale, sometimes dusty-looking — that occurs when cocoa butter or sugar crystals migrate to the surface due to temperature fluctuation or humidity. Fat bloom is not mould, not spoilage, and not a quality failure. The flavour is unaffected.

Conching A stage of chocolate production in which the chocolate mass is continuously worked — aerated and agitated — to develop flavour and refine texture. Duration and method have a direct bearing on the finished profile. Proper conching is also what makes emulsifiers unnecessary.

Refining The process of reducing the particle size of the chocolate mass to achieve a smooth, undetectable texture on the palate. MayHawk uses stone grinding rather than ball milling — a slower method that preserves volatile aromatic compounds that faster processes destroy.

Roasting The heat-treatment stage that activates the flavour compounds developed during fermentation. The roasting profile — temperature, duration, and method — is developed individually for each origin at MayHawk. No fixed programme. No standard temperature applied across all beans.

Tempering This is why good chocolate has a glossy surface, snaps cleanly, and melts the way it does. Cocoa butter can solidify into six distinct crystal forms. Only Form V produces what well-made chocolate requires: a melting point of 33–34°C, giving chocolate that surface gloss, clean mould release, and the characteristic snap. The other five forms are unstable at room temperature — and will revert over time, producing the pale surface film known as fat bloom. Tempering seeds the liquid chocolate with stable Form V crystals before moulding through a three-stage temperature sequence: fully melted, cooled to the point where Form V crystals begin to form, then slightly reheated to eliminate the unstable forms — leaving only the stable crystal network. As the chocolate solidifies, those crystals propagate through the mass, contracting slightly as they do — pulling the bar cleanly from the mould and producing the gloss. The snap is the acoustic consequence of correctly crystallised cocoa butter under tension. A bar that snaps cleanly is a bar whose entire process — fermentation, roasting, grinding, conching, tempering — was executed correctly. The snap is the summary.

Terroir The environmental conditions that influence a cacao crop’s flavour character: soil composition, altitude, rainfall, microclimate. The same variety of cacao grown in two different regions will taste different — not because of anything done in production, but because of where the plant grew.

Fermentation This is where chocolate flavour actually begins — not in the factory, but in a wooden box on a farm, days after harvest. This is the most important stage in flavour development — and it happens before the beans reach the chocolate maker. Freshly harvested cacao seeds, still surrounded by their white pulp, are placed in wooden boxes and left to ferment over five to seven days. The process runs in two phases. First, wild yeasts convert the pulp sugars to ethanol. Then, as the beans are turned and oxygen is introduced, bacteria convert that ethanol to acetic acid — generating heat that triggers enzymatic breakdown inside the bean. This is what builds the flavour precursors: the amino acids and reducing sugars that roasting later converts into the aromatic compounds in the finished chocolate. Both phases are required. Under-fermented beans produce flat, astringent chocolate. Over-fermented beans produce harsh acidity. Correctly fermented beans carry the full flavour potential of the origin. No subsequent process can create what fermentation failed to build.

Inclusions Ingredients added to the finished chocolate — sea salt, nuts, dried fruit, spices. The structural challenge with inclusions is integration: ensuring each addition belongs to the bar rather than sitting on top of it.

Cacao vs cocoa Both terms are accurate. Cacao refers to the plant, the origin, and the raw material in its unprocessed or minimally processed state. Cocoa refers to the familiar processed form: cocoa beans, cocoa butter, cocoa solids. The distinction is one of context and register, not correctness.

Laboratory-grown chocolate Chocolate produced not from farmed cacao beans but from cacao cells grown in industrial bioreactors — fed controlled nutrients and plant hormones to produce cocoa solids and cocoa butter without land use, farming, or the geographical constraints of the cacao belt. It is no longer hypothetical. Read MayHawk Insights 04 — Laboratory Chocolate and the Future of the Cacao Belt

5. MayHawk & How We Work

MayHawk and our chocolate Identity

MayHawk is an internationally recognised British chocolate studio. We are chocolate manufacturers, making bean-to-bar chocolate the hard way since 2007. Our chocolate is made from ethically sourced single-origin cocoa beans and natural ingredients. The chocolate is packaged beautifully in original designs, using recyclable packaging from sustainable materials.

The Guardian Newspaper has said of our of our chocolate, “a beautiful bar from any angle” — a bar “of an almost unimaginable smoothness.”

Sold in Japan, Hong Kong, USA and Europe as well as the UK our chocolate has earned a place on the shelves of some of the world’s most exclusive chocolate boutiques and department stores.

What makes MayHawk different from other chocolate makers?

While most chocolate is made with ingredients that simply shouldn’t be there, we take a different approach — we strip everything back to the essentials. Simplicity, design, and process are the governing principles. Not as a philosophy statement. As the method.

We control every stage of production in-house: sourcing, roasting, refining, conching, tempering, moulding, and finishing. We do not use emulsifiers, lecithins, bulk fats, or artificial flavourings. The ingredient list is short because the process is long.

Most chocolate is a Compromise. Ours is a Calibration. The distinction matters. A compromise adjusts the product to the limitations of the process. A calibration adjusts the process to meet an exact standard. At MayHawk, the standard is set by the cacao. Everything else — roasting profile, conching duration, recipe composition — is built around it.

In the Chocolate Studio many of the creative processes we look at are researched in real time — tasting as we explore, discovering as we experiment.

MayHawk is known for: Making high quality, minimal ingredient, ethical craft chocolate without emulsifiers or additives. Botanical-infused dark chocolate which is created before the roast. Secondary fermentation methods which are all processed in-house. Lacto-fermentation as a way of preserving fruit inclusions. Stone-ground, slow-conched and double-conched chocolate. Inventive seasonal ingredient pairings. Individual roasting profiles for single-origin cocoa beans. Infusing natural flavours deep within the chocolate structure.

Seasonal limited batch chocolate.

Part of our work is making exclusive limited-batch chocolate editions with natural ingredient pairings. This is seasonal chocolate, evolving from month to month as the year unfolds. MayHawk Studio Projects chocolate is made with distinct seasonal rhythms, shaped by subtle shifts in ingredients following the flow of the weather and landscape.

Packaging Designs

MayHawk has been known for its bespoke packaging designs and original artwork since the company was founded. All of the design work for the packaging is carried out in the Design Studio. Design plays a big part in the company’s history and it connects with a philosophy of having a fully integrated company, where, as much as possible, everything is done in-house. MayHawk is widely celebrated for an elegant, uniquely British aesthetic that blends environmental sustainability with high-quality presentation.

The combined studios make craft chocolate using both artisan and modern manufacturing processes.
MayHawk Studios. MayHawk Barn GL15 6AF.

6. Chocolate Storage & Care

What temperature should chocolate be stored at?

Between approximately 12°C and 19°C. A cool, stable environment — away from direct sunlight, heat sources, and strong odours. Temperature fluctuation is the primary cause of bloom and texture change in well-made chocolate.

Should I store chocolate in the fridge?

No, as a general rule.

Refrigeration introduces two problems: moisture and ambient food odours. As the chocolate returns to room temperature, condensation can form on the surface. Cocoa butter is also an efficient absorber of surrounding aromas — a fridge that contains cheese, onions, or strongly scented food will transfer those aromas to the chocolate over time.

A cool, dry cupboard away from the hob or oven is the correct storage environment. If you genuinely have no cool alternative, seal the chocolate in an airtight container before refrigerating, and allow it to return fully to room temperature before opening.

Why has my chocolate turned white or pale?

This is bloom — a natural physical change in the cocoa butter or sugar crystals. It occurs when temperature or humidity fluctuations cause those crystals to migrate to the surface of the bar.

Bloom is safe to eat. It does not affect the flavour. The texture may be marginally different. It is not mould and it is not spoilage. Storing chocolate at a stable temperature prevents it.

Is bloom safe to eat?

Yes. Bloom is a physical change in the structure of the chocolate, not biological contamination. The bar is entirely safe to eat.

Why does craft chocolate melt more easily than supermarket chocolate?

Because it contains no bulk fats or stabilisers to slow the melt.

Cocoa butter melts at close to body temperature — this is a structural property of the fat, not a flaw. Chocolate made with a simple ingredient profile and proper cocoa butter content responds naturally to warmth. That same quality is what produces a clean, unmediated melt on the palate rather than the waxy, slow-clearing finish of industrial chocolate. The sensitivity and the quality are the same thing.

How should I store chocolate at home?

In a cool, dry place away from sunlight, strong odours, and heat sources. A kitchen cupboard away from the oven or hob is usually sufficient. The target range is 12°C to 19°C. Avoid the fridge wherever possible — if refrigeration is the only option, seal the chocolate in an airtight container first.

How long does chocolate last?

Shelf life varies by product and ingredient composition. Individual product pages carry best-before information where relevant. Storage conditions have a significant bearing on longevity — chocolate kept at a stable, cool temperature will maintain its character considerably longer than chocolate exposed to fluctuation.

Does chocolate expire?

Chocolate has a best-before date rather than a strict safety expiry.

Over time — particularly in poor storage conditions — the aroma, texture, and more volatile flavour compounds will diminish. The chocolate will not become unsafe to eat beyond the best-before date, but the experience will have changed. Store it correctly and it will hold well within the printed period.

Can chocolate be frozen?

We would not recommend it.

Freezing introduces temperature stress that affects the cocoa butter crystal structure — the same mechanism that governs snap, melt, and texture. When frozen chocolate thaws, condensation forms on the surface and bloom typically follows. For any storage beyond the standard shelf life, a cool, stable environment is far more effective than a freezer.

7. Ingredients, Allergens & Dietary Information

What is in MayHawk chocolate?

The precise ingredients are listed on each individual product page. The governing principle across the range: single-origin cacao beans, unrefined cane sugar, natural ingredients, and — where the recipe calls for it — in terms of allergens, whole milk or nuts. No emulsifiers, no lecithins, no artificial flavourings, no bulk vegetable fats.

If you have a specific question about a product’s composition, contact us — we’re happy to go through it in detail.

Are all MayHawk products vegetarian?

No. Please check individual product pages for full ingredient and dietary information.

Are some MayHawk products vegan?

Yes. Please check individual product pages for confirmation.

What allergens are present in MayHawk chocolate?

Some products contain or are produced in proximity to milk and nuts. Individual product pages carry full allergen information. If you have a specific allergy question before ordering, please contact us — we would rather answer it properly than have you rely on a summary.

Does MayHawk use emulsifiers or additives?

No.

No emulsifiers, no lecithins, no bulk fats, and no artificial flavourings are used at any stage of production. The ingredient list on every MayHawk product is short because nothing unnecessary enters the process.

Why doesn’t MayHawk use lecithins?

Lecithin is an industrial shortcut. It reduces the viscosity of chocolate during production and shortens the time required for conching.

Properly conched chocolate — worked for sufficient time, at the correct temperature — achieves the right texture and mouthfeel without it. We conch properly. Lecithin is not needed and is not used.

Is MayHawk chocolate suitable for people with nut allergies?

Some products contain nuts; others are produced in a facility where nuts are present. Please check the individual product page and allergen information carefully before purchasing. If you are uncertain about a specific product, contact us before ordering.

8. Craft Chocolate — Questions & Education

What is craft chocolate?

Craft chocolate is chocolate made by a producer who controls the full process — from sourcing raw cacao beans through to the finished bar — with ingredient quality and flavour as the governing priorities rather than volume or industrial efficiency.

It is typically produced in smaller quantities, with closer control over each stage of production: sourcing, fermentation standards, roasting, refining, and recipe. The flavour of the cacao — shaped by its variety, origin, and fermentation — remains central throughout. The aim is not to produce a consistent product at scale. It is to produce a specific product accurately.

Because craft chocolate starts with the cacao rather than a formula, it behaves differently from conventional chocolate — in flavour, in texture, in how it responds to temperature, and in how it varies between batches and origins. The sections below cover each of those differences in detail.

What does bean-to-bar mean?

Bean-to-bar is a production credential. It means the chocolate maker sources raw cacao beans and controls every stage of production in-house — roasting, grinding, refining, conching, tempering, and moulding — rather than outsourcing any part of the process or buying pre-made chocolate mass from an industrial supplier.

The distinction matters because most chocolate — including much that is sold as premium — is made from purchased couverture: a standardised industrial chocolate base that the producer then melts, flavours, and moulds. Bean-to-bar producers start before that point. What happens at every stage is their decision and their responsibility.

It also means the maker is accountable for what is absent from the finished bar as much as what is present.

What does single origin mean?

The cacao comes from one country, region, or specific producer, rather than a blend drawn from multiple origins. Single origin is a flavour decision: the distinct character of one specific place is present in the bar, without dilution. MayHawk Single-Origin Supply Regions.

Why does craft chocolate taste different from supermarket chocolate?

Several factors operate together — and some involve practices rarely discussed on the label.

Cacao variety, fermentation quality, and roasting profile each contribute flavour compounds that industrial processing removes or suppresses. No bulk fats, no emulsifiers — nothing between the bean and the palate. Longer conching resolves harsh notes without destroying what should remain.

There is also the question of what the percentage actually means. Cacao percentage includes cocoa powder — not just cacao mass and cocoa butter. Some chocolate makers use it to inflate the stated percentage without the flavour, fat content, or melt quality a genuinely high-cacao bar delivers. The percentage looks right. The chocolate does not taste like it should.

Why does some chocolate taste fruity, floral, or acidic?

These are natural flavour compounds present in the cacao bean.

Depending on the variety and the fermentation conditions, cacao naturally carries fruit, floral, nut, spice, or acidic characteristics — as distinct as different grape varieties in wine. These compounds survive and develop in well-made chocolate. They are removed or suppressed in heavily processed chocolate. If a bar tastes unexpectedly fruity or floral, the fermentation and origin are doing what they should.

What does cacao percentage mean?

The percentage on a chocolate bar tells you how much of it actually comes from the cacao bean.

The cacao percentage is the total proportion of cacao-derived ingredients in the chocolate — the combined weight of cacao mass, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder where present.

A higher percentage means more cacao and less of everything else. It does not automatically mean better flavour, greater bitterness, or superior quality. It means the cacao plays a proportionally larger role in the final taste. The quality of that cacao — and what was done with it at every stage — determines the result.

Why is craft chocolate more expensive than supermarket chocolate?

Because the inputs are more expensive and the process takes longer.

Quality single-origin cacao costs significantly more than commodity cacao. Individual roast profiles, stone grinding, proper conching, and full in-house production at every stage cannot be replicated at industrial scale. There are no emulsifiers, no bulk fats, and no shortcuts that would reduce cost at the expense of what ends up in the bar. The price reflects what was refused as much as what was done.

Is craft chocolate healthier than industrial chocolate?

The ingredient profile is simpler — fewer additives, no emulsifiers, no bulk vegetable fats, and a higher proportion of actual cacao.

What that means nutritionally depends on the specific product and the individual. We would not substitute a health claim for that complexity. What we can say with precision: the ingredient list is short, and nothing in it is there to make the product cheaper to produce.

What is fermentation and why does it matter for chocolate?

Fermentation is the most important stage in flavour development — and it happens before the beans reach us.

After cacao pods are harvested, the seeds are removed and allowed to ferment, typically in covered wooden boxes over several days. During fermentation, microbial activity generates heat and produces the chemical precursors — primarily amino acids and reducing sugars — that the roasting process later activates into the flavour compounds present in finished chocolate. Without proper fermentation, the roasting has no flavour potential to work with. The depth in a well-made bar begins in the fermentation box, not in the Chocolate Studio.

What is conching and why does it matter?

This is what turns gritty, harsh chocolate into something smooth that melts on the tongue.

Conching is the stage of production in which the liquid chocolate mass is continuously worked — stirred, folded, and aerated — over an extended period.

Conching serves three purposes: it develops and integrates flavour, it refines texture by further reducing particle size and coating each particle in cocoa butter, and it drives off undesirable volatile acids — primarily acetic acid — that would otherwise produce a sharp or sour character in the finished bar. Duration and method both affect the outcome.

It is also why we don’t use emulsifiers at MayHawk. Properly conched chocolate achieves the correct viscosity and texture through the process itself.

What is terroir in chocolate?

Terroir is the influence of a specific growing environment on agricultural flavour character.

Soil composition, altitude, rainfall pattern, temperature variation, and the microclimate of a specific farm or region all affect how a cacao crop develops. Two batches of the same cacao variety grown in different regions will produce different flavour results — not because of anything done in production, but because of where the plant grew. Terroir is the reason single-origin chocolate has a distinct character that blended chocolate cannot replicate.

Why do some craft chocolates taste sour or sharp?

Acidity in chocolate originates in the fermentation.

Some origins — particularly certain Central American and some Peruvian growing regions — produce cacao with higher natural acidity. If conching is insufficient, residual acetic acid is not fully driven off and produces a sharp or sour note in the finished bar. In well-made chocolate, this acidity is resolved during conching and contributes to complexity rather than dominating it. A persistent sourness is usually a sign of under-conching.

Why does dark chocolate sometimes taste bitter?

A degree of bitterness is natural in high-cacao chocolate. It originates in the alkaloids and polyphenols present in the bean.

Whether that bitterness is pleasant and structural, or harsh and unpleasant, depends on two things: the quality of the fermentation — which modulates the harshness of the polyphenols — and the conching duration, which resolves residual bitterness without erasing the cacao’s character. In properly made dark chocolate, bitterness is present but integrated. It gives depth. It does not dominate.

Why does chocolate texture vary between batches?

Cacao is an agricultural product. Seasonal variation, harvest-to-harvest differences in fermentation conditions, and variations in the bean’s moisture content at roasting all influence the finished texture and flavour profile.

At MayHawk, the process is calibrated to the character of each batch rather than standardised to eliminate that variation. Minor differences between batches are the honest consequence of working with real ingredients without suppressing what they bring.

Why does good chocolate absorb smells from other foods?

Cocoa butter is a highly efficient absorber of volatile aromatic compounds. Chocolate stored near strongly scented foods — coffee, onions, cheese, spices — will absorb those aromas over time. It is not a quality defect; it is a physical property of the fat. Store chocolate away from strong odours and it will hold its character.

Can I learn more about the chocolate-making process in depth?

Yes. MayHawk Insights covers the process in considerable depth — fermentation science, roasting decisions, ingredient sourcing, and the thinking behind specific bars in the range. New pieces publish weekly.

9. Ethics & Sourcing

Why does cacao sourcing matter?

Because quality begins before the cacao reaches us.

The variety, the fermentation conditions, the drying method, and the care taken at origin all determine the flavour potential of the beans. Sourcing from producers who take that work seriously — who ferment properly, dry carefully, and sort for quality — is the first and most consequential decision in making good chocolate.

Sourcing also matters because the people doing that work deserve to be paid properly for it. Cacao quality and ethical supply conditions are not separate considerations. They are the same consideration.

Does MayHawk source cacao transparently?

Yes. Further detail on our sourcing philosophy, the origins we work with, and our approach to supply chain relationships is on our Origins & Ethics page.

Does the quality of cacao affect the flavour of the finished chocolate?

Entirely.

Bean genetics, fermentation, drying conditions, and agricultural environment are the foundation on which everything else in production is built. The roasting, conching, and recipe can develop and refine what the cacao already contains. They cannot create quality that was not there. This is why sourcing is not a secondary concern.

What is direct trade in chocolate?

Direct trade describes a sourcing relationship in which the chocolate maker purchases cacao directly from a producer or cooperative — without commodity brokers or intermediaries.

The outcomes are greater traceability, closer control over fermentation and processing quality at origin, and the ability to pay prices that reflect the actual quality of the cacao rather than the commodity market rate. More information on how MayHawk sources its cacao is on our Origins & Ethics page.

Is MayHawk Fairtrade certified?

MayHawk is not Fairtrade certified, but we practice an ethical, direct-trade model.

Fairtrade is a certification company. A company producers and brands pay to join the scheme and carry the mark. It was designed primarily to audit cacao supply chains in West Africa — the region that accounts for the majority of global cacao production and, historically, the majority of documented cases of exploitative and trafficked labour in the industry.

MayHawk does not source any cacao from West Africa. Our beans come from single-origin producers, meaning we know exactly who is growing the cacao, under what conditions, and what they are being paid for it. And we pay above market rates.

The Fairtrade mark answers a real question about supply chain ethics — but it answers it for a supply chain model we do not use. Fairtrade has also faced several key accusations over the years regarding its effectiveness, business practices, and actual impact on farmers.

More detail on our sourcing approach is on our Origins & Ethics page.

10. Studio Projects & Limited Releases

What are the Studio Projects Bars?

The Studio Projects Bars are limited, batch-numbered releases built around proprietary process developments.

Each bar is named by its process rather than its flavour. The process is the product. Bar 7 and Bar 8 are current releases, each produced using a distinct fermentation method developed in the Chocolate Studio. Availability is limited by the nature of the process and the specific ingredients involved.

Why are Studio Projects Bars numbered rather than named?

The number is the record.

Studio Projects Bars are produced in finite quantities from specific harvests and processes. The batch number identifies exactly which production run a bar comes from — the cacao harvest, the process iteration, the ingredient source. It is not decoration. It is traceability.

Why do some Studio Projects Bars sell out and not return?

Because the ingredients are sourced seasonally and in specific quantities.

Some releases are tied to a single harvest or a particular growing season. When the ingredient supply for that batch is exhausted, the bar is not remade — the next batch of the process begins from new ingredients and carries a new batch number. This is the nature of the Studio Projects range: each release is a specific iteration, not an indefinitely repeatable product.

How can I be notified about new Studio Projects releases and preorders?

Through the MayHawk newsletter — subscribe in the footer of the website. Preorder windows and new launch notifications go to subscribers before stock opens to the general site. Some releases sell out within the preorder window.

What is the difference between Studio Projects Bars and Heritage Bars?

Studio Projects Bars are the exploratory, limited-release tier — process-led, batch-numbered, produced in smaller quantities. Each bar is the product of a specific development question answered in the Chocolate Studio.

Heritage and Midnight Bars are MayHawk’s evergreen range — made in larger numbers and consistently available, representing the mastery of established recipes and proven origins.

Both tiers are held to the same standard. They serve different purposes in the range.

What does “batch-numbered” mean on a Studio Projects Bar?

The batch number on the label (on the back of the packaging) identifies the specific production run the bar came from — which cacao harvest was used, which iteration of the process was applied, and when it was made. No two batches of a Studio Projects Bar are identical; the cacao changes between harvests, and the process is refined between runs. The batch number allows us to stand behind exactly what is in the bar.

11. Contact & Support

What if I can’t find the answer I need here?

Please contact us. We respond directly to every enquiry and are always happy to help — whether the question is about a product, an order, delivery, ingredients, or anything else.

Can I contact MayHawk before placing an order?

Please do. We are happy to answer questions before purchase — product guidance, ingredient and allergen queries, delivery questions, gifting requirements. No question is too small.

What if my question is about something technical — the process, the sourcing, or how the chocolate is made?

We are happy to go into as much depth as the question requires. Contact us directly, or explore MayHawk Insights — our editorial journal covers fermentation, roasting, ingredient sourcing, and process in considerable depth, with new pieces publishing weekly.

How do I stay informed about new releases, seasonal launches, and editorial content?

Newsletter subscription is the most direct route — new launches, Studio Projects releases, preorder windows, and seasonal information go to subscribers first. Subscribe in the footer of the website.

MayHawk Insights publishes editorial and educational content on chocolate, process, sourcing, and design — aimed at readers who want to understand what is actually happening inside a well-made bar.

MayHawk has been making chocolate the hard way since 2007. mayhawk.com

You can find more information in [New to MayHawk].