a bar apart
Chocolate worth finding.About our emblem
A signature of chocolate makers with shared values, to help you choose with confidence.
A Bar Apart is a celebration of chocolate makers who are open about the source of their cacao beans and transparent about how they make chocolate.
What does it mean?
Our chocolate makers display the A Bar Apart emblem to show their commitment to the following four things:
Bean-to-bar
Our emblem is only used by craft chocolate makers who make chocolate from scratch, starting with roasting cacao beans. The process of transforming cacao beans into chocolate is complex and magical – A Bar Apart exists to celebrate and support this craft.
Transparent origin
Our chocolate makers are transparent about the source of their beans, beyond just the country where the cacao was grown. There are well-reported ethical and moral issues in the cacao supply chain, and we believe transparency is an essential step towards improving the chocolate industry.
Transparent process
Our chocolate makers share their chocolate making process publicly, whether it be online or in a factory you can visit. When shopping for chocolate there can be some confusion about whether or not chocolate companies make the chocolate from scratch. A Bar Apart helps provide clarity by highlighting true bean-to-bar makers.
Celebrating flavour diversity
The flavour of chocolate can be so much more than ‘chocolatey’. A Bar Apart supports makers that source a variety of specialty cacao beans in order to create chocolate with exceptional, diverse or complex flavours. Tasting this kind of chocolate can be a beautiful and revelatory experience.
Why does it matter?
Chocolate can be confusing. For most of its modern history, the industry has done little to help you understand what you're actually buying – where the cacao was grown, how it was transformed into chocolate, or who really made it. Today, the shelves are full of products, labels and terms that blur the line between bean-to-bar craft chocolate, mass-produced industrial bars, artisan chocolatiers working with pre-made couverture, and mainstream confectionery. It's a lot for chocolate lovers to navigate.
Craft chocolate makers source their cacao with care, control every stage of production, and create something that reflects both the origin of the bean and the skill of the maker. A Bar Apart makes it easy for you to identify this craftsmanship, giving you the clarity to choose with confidence.
A Bar Apart on 1News
Launching 7 July 2026 for World Chocolate Day!
Join us for a week-long pop-up shop in Britomart, Auckland, to celebrate our launch. Featuring bars and treats from 14 chocolate makers, in-store tastings and chocolate talks with some of our makers.
Helping you discern and enjoy the difference between ‘big chocolate’ and bean-to-bar craft chocolate
“It’s a passionate craft industry, following along in the steps of specialty coffee, craft beer, and even wine. The guys who are producing in giant factories, working with low margins and high volume – that’s not conducive to quality food.”
Mike Renfree, Raglan Chocolate
“When we’re at an event, we guide people through tasting flights of our chocolate and take them on a world trip. People are blown away with the flavour notes they’re tasting; the clarity in the differences, and the ease with which they’re tasting them. They can’t believe there are only two ingredients, yet all these different flavours are coming through.”
David Herrick, Foundry Chocolate
“Anybody, seven days a week can walk in. They can see the beans on one side and then they can watch us make the chocolate, right from the bean to the bar. There’s nothing to hide.”
Gabe Davidson, Wellington Chocolate Factory