10 QUESTIONS WITH DAVID ZULMAN, FOUNDER OF FIRETREE CHOCOLATES
1.) Welcome to The London Musings! To those who are yet to experience Firetree, how would you describe the brand?
It’s is all about taste - super smooth chocolate, with one taste morphing into another, allowing the senses to drift along in a pleasurable journey.
2.) Have you always worked in the world of chocolate?
Yes - I grew up in a family confectionery business in South Africa where we made our own excellent chocolate and many delicious products.
3.) Can you tell us a little about your namesake - the firetree?
It is our self-professed ‘firetree’ - from a distance walking through a cocoa farm, the sun glinting through the trees, you see a cocoa tree with red, yellow and orange pods hanging off it in abundance - the tree looks like it is on fire. Furthermore, most of the little volcanic islands we source our cocoa from are all on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’.
4.) Where do you make your chocolate?
Our little factory is in Peterborough!
David Zulman, Founder of Firetree
5.) I am in love with your Vanuatu Malekula Island chocolate, it is beautifully rich, complex and beautiful! How do you create such powerful and unique tasting notes?
We eat a lot of chocolate and discuss in detail what we think we can taste - this is both down to experience and training in how to taste. We source our cocoa from farms with rich volcanic soils which makes great terroir for cocoa to grow in. This is where the intense flavours start.
They get further enhanced in the strict fermentation and solar drying process our farmers follow. Then we further intensify them by slow roasting the beans in the shell, before bending the flavours in the dark arts of mixing (or conching) of the ingredients. My co-founder and master chocolatier, Martyn, is really our big cocoa hunter finding the best beans and is a magician in his ability to draw out these complexities in taste.
6.) There is a romantic Willy Wonka perception of chocolate factories and their staff! Can you tell us a little about the reality of the chocolate-making process?
It is amazing what passion, experience and science all mixed together can deliver. It is a great product to be involved with every day. We taste our product daily, we taste other products daily and we try new origins of beans regularly. It’s tough but somebody has to do it - and we never get tired of doing it, debating the tastes and textures while enjoying the smells.
7.) With Christmas approaching, can you suggest any products that would make brilliant gifts for chocolate lovers?
For the serious chocolate lovers who want to indulge their senses, eat the real thing neat - savour the eat by slowly letting the chocolate melt in the mouth - don’t rush it. Go with the flow. Think about what is happening on your taste buds. Discuss it and compare it. For those maybe not so serious but still looking to indulge, use the chocolate in a pastry, a cake or a desert. Then for those who want to push the boundaries enjoy the trial and error of pairing the chocolate with wine, whisky, brandy of even just a coffee.
8.) Where can we buy Firetree?
On firetreechocolate.com on Amazon, Yumbles.com, Panzer’s, Dayelsford or a deli near you.
9.) What is next for the brand?
New sizes, packs, tasting packs and gift packs. The UK and many countries abroad. In due course some new origins that can complement the range.
10.) When you're not busy working, where can you be found?
In the market looking for ideas, new products, food markets, delis and believe it or not, trying to keep the balance, in the gym.
