From little beans, delicious bars grew as Bournemouth school children were given a magical insight into the making of chocolate.
The Pokesdown Community Primary School children participated in a ‘bean to bar workshop’, run by Bournemouth’s Chocolate Boutique Hotel’s Leoni Wilton.
Leoni, who also hosts children’s chocolate parties, was invited to host three workshops for 90 Year 3 pupils.
Each child was given a cocoa bean and Leoni took them through the whole process of how one bean can be transformed into truly scrumptious chocolate.
During the workshops the children peeled the shell off a cocoa bean they had been given, and then crushed it with pestle and mortar.
Adding cocoa butter, sugar and milk powder, their beans began to take the shape of milk chocolate.
Working in small groups the children sieved their liquid mixture and then popped it into moulds before placing them in the fridge.
As their chocolate was left to cool their knowledge on how chocolate was sourced and produced was tested.
Year 3 teacher, Gemma Hill, said: “We were very lucky to have Leoni teach us the journey of chocolate from bean to bar.
“The children in Year 3 are studying an integrated learning topic called ‘Oompa Loompa’ where they have looked closely at the author Roald Dahl and his story ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.
“From studying this text, it only seemed fair to allow the children to work on the journey of chocolate for real and make their own.”
She continued: “We used Leoni last year for this same project and it went down so well with both children and adults, we decided to use her again.
“She brings such fun to the classroom and the children thoroughly enjoyed their workshop experience.”
