- BY ISSIMO
- November 8, 2023
Fall and winter are the perfect seasons to indulge in some velvety, decadent chocolate. Even better? Opting for the artisanal kind. With its rich, nuanced flavours and exquisite craftsmanship, artisanal chocolate takes the humble cocoa to whole new heights, while honing traditions that have been cherished for centuries.
It is, in a way, chocolate at its very best, no extra frills or enhancing ingredients needed.
We know a thing or two about it. In our hotels, the only chocolate you’ll find is by small but mighty Angiolini Cioccolato, a family-run company that’s been perfecting the art of chocolate to reach what they call the ‘sublime.’
Created with Hotel Il Pellicano Chef Michelino Gioia and inspired by the bouquet of aromas found around our Monte Argentario hideaway, the dark treat is smooth and lovely, tailor-made to the Pelli-taste and infinitely addictive – so much so that you’ll want to slow down to savour it, possibly while doing some deep-thinking.
Angiolini developed the recipe especially for us, but it’s by no means the only delight you’ll find in their repertoire.
Founded in 2018 in Pontedera, near Pisa in Tuscany, the chocolate company has in fact an entire gamut of chocolate-centred offerings, from classic bars to pralines, crunchy ensembles that mix dried nuts with the best cocoa, and more.
Behind it all is Giovanni Angiolini, a master chocolatier with 30 years’ experience leading the production department of one of Italy’s (and the world’s) leading chocolate companies. Six years ago, he decided to embark on a new chapter of his career with his family, and Angiolini was born.
Today, it counts nine people – four of which are part of his family. “We are very much a family operation,” says his son Alex, who takes care of the commercial side of the business. “And we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
That small-scale approach to the business shines in all aspects of the Angiolini philosophy. Everything is tailor-made and handmade in small batches, following no-nonsense techniques and using only the highest quality ingredients – with a keen eye towards sustainability.
“All our cocoa is organic and fairtrade,” Alex says. “We have made a point to ensure that the people who provide our beans can actually make a living from it. The idea was always to create an entrepreneurial reality that wouldn’t create any harm, to people or the environment.”
Sourcing takes place in Colombia Venezuela, Perú, Guatemala and Madagascar, with the strictest attention to ensuring the materia prima fits with Angiolini’s visions and needs – no cutting corners allowed.
“Industrially made chocolate has little to do with chocolate,” Alex says. “Angiolini is all about going back to the origins.” That means no use of soy lecithin, vanilla flavouring or unnecessary additions, but just really good cocoa beans and sugar.
Sourcing takes place in Colombia Venezuela, Perú, Guatemala and Madagascar, with the strictest attention to ensuring the materia prima fits with Angiolini’s visions and needs – no cutting corners allowed.
“We have a Criolla [a type of bean] de Colombia bar that’s especially popular among our clients,” Alex says, “not to mention it’s fully traceable production-wise, with a true ‘tree-to-bar’ approach to it.”
Their pralines, too, are big hitters. Coming in a variety of different flavour combinations, “they tell the story of Italy through their ingredients,” Alex says.
That, ultimately, is Angiolini’s mission. “Italy has such a fantastic tradition of artisanal chocolate-making,” he says. “We want to carry it on, and let people get reacquainted with pure, original chocolate. I see it as something ‘alive,’ ever-changing, that you fall in love with.”
That, ultimately, is Angiolini’s mission. “Italy has such a fantastic tradition of artisanal chocolate-making,” he says. “We want to carry it on, and let people get reacquainted with pure, original chocolate. I see it as something ‘alive,’ ever-changing, that you fall in love with.”
