ORIGINAL BEANS | THE PLANET : REPLANT IT

Original Beans now availabe through Greenrewards.co.uk

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:35:51 +0000

Original Beans is now available through Green Rewards, the UK’s leading eco-rewards and ecommerce businewss to help corporations and individuals live in a more sustainable way. They provide reward and incentive schemes covering employees, households and consumers, with our own online Green Shop, unique Green Points currency and Eco Gift Vouchers. Everything in their programme is vetted and approved by an independent Sustainability Advisory Panel of leading experts so you can be sure it’s genuinely green. Here’s what he SAP says about Original Beans:

“Original Beans have outstanding environmental credentials – second to none. Not only do they consider the environmental implications of cacao harvesting but they also invest a huge amount in helping communities to boost the livelihoods of locals in the regions. In more ways than one – worth every penny.”

http://www.greenrewards.co.uk/products/Food+%26+Drink/Organic+Food+%26+Luncheon+Vouchers/The+Story+Of+Cacao+Luxury+Organic+Chocolate/564029916

Latest in-depth interview with Original Beans founder Philipp Kauffmann

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:33:31 +0000

Cat Black is a food writer, with special interest in, and huge enthusiasm for, chocolate. Here is her interview with Original Beans’ Founder Philipp Kauffmann. Check out her blog at www.chocolatecouverture.co.uk to read more about all the wonderful tastes, events, and people in the world of chocolate.

From Original Beans’ reading list this week: 2 Must-Read @Grist Magazine

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:29:16 +0000

E.O. Wilson, the eminent conservation biologist, wants to know why you’re not protesting in the streets : Edward O. Wilson dropped by the Grist office recently and asked why young people aren’t out protesting the mess that’s being made of the planet. Help us come up with a good answer. Read more.

Let’s put an end to ‘dietary tribalism’: Vegan, paleo, raw, locavore — who can say what’s best? One writer says concerned eaters should put down their weapons and work to change the food system together. Read more.

Piura Redux or: Why Chocolate determines the Fate of our Future (Part I)

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:34:53 +0000

REDUX REVIEW: In response to a chocolate review originally published on March 5, 2012, Philipp Kauffmann, Founder & CEO of Original Beans, contacted the C-spot™ & took exception to some of the remarks on conservation contained herein. What follows is an exchange between us, posted with mutual approval in a short series, which touches on a few of the nettlesome issues confronting chocolate &, dare say, humanity. Hopefully this will promote discussion to tackle these vexing problems.

C-spot™ closes

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Reviewed March 5, 2012. For review notes please visit C-spot.com.

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1. Note from Philipp Kauffman, Founder / CEO, Original Beans™ to Mark Christian of the C-spot™:

Very many thanks, Mark.

On your slightly nonchalant comments with regard to replanting, this merits a much deeper discussion & review. I’ve been working on these issues across the world for 15 years &, for all I see, if we want to keep our society intact for the next 100 years, then 4 principles of natural capitalism should be guiding: 1) Radical Resource Efficiency; 2) Bio-mimicry; 3) Service & Flow Business Models & 4) Reinvestment in Bio-capacity.

Applying this to cacao/chocolate correlates to something like: 1) increased productivity per hectare, no new land, short logistic chain, renewable energy; 2) analogue cacao forests; 3) buy chocolate to plant/rent trees; cradle2cradle packaging; & 4) replant & protect forest. That’s more or less Original Beans’ roadmap (the foil used to wrap this Piura bar is made from wood to cite just one application).

Below is graph from McKinsey that shows what is cheap/efficient when you look at climate change mitigation. I’ve marked in red what is most relevant to the cacao industry (reducing slash ‘n burn agriculture). Turns out this is at the same time most relevant for GHG abatement (Green House Gas).

Perhaps we could have a kind of discussion of these aspects on C-Spot some time?

Background on acute Virunga Security Crisis

admin — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:09:19 +0000

The current acute security crisis in Southern Virunga Park and Goma has been caused by hundreds of soldiers loyal to former rebel general Bosco Ntaganda defecting the Congolese army. Ntanganda is wanted for crimes by the ICC in The Hague. The situation in Goma and surroundings is tense.
For more backgrounds see
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17629500

Virunga Rangers evacuated from Rumangabo Station under threat

admin — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:22:49 +0000

Yesterday, we have learned in a short email, the headquarters of Virunga Park in Rumangabo had to be urgently evacuated. The 50+ rangers stationed there, plus management personnel, were caught in crossfires and had to quickly move Goma. This morning, the situation seems to have calmed as we’re awaiting news.

Galton Blackiston’s Morston Hall another Michelin starred Original Beans restaurant

admin — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 06:51:47 +0000

We are proud to welcome another Michelin-starred restaurant among the inspiring (and growing) list of clients cooking with Original Beans chocolates.

Chef Patron Galton Blackiston’s Morston Hall Hotel and Restaurant is situated on a quiet part of the Norfolk coast. Morston Hall is an intimate country house hotel with its origin in the 17th century. It has won great praises from regional and national press, including East Anglia Small Hotel of the Year. It is the only restaurant with both 3 red rosette’s and Michelin Star award within a 50 mile radius.

All food is prepared from the best and freshest ingredients, most of it from local sources. Head Chef Richard Bainbridge appeared on the BBC Two series of Great British Menu.

Hot Dinners picks Allsop/Original Beans as Best Easter Egg in London

admin — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:45:28 +0000

And London’s Best Easter Egg 2012 is? Damian Allsop’s Limited Edition Egg (£39.95) with Original Beans Cru Virunga 70% chocolate. Says Hot Dinner and adds: Inside the chocolate shell are seven smaller Cru Virunga chocolates filled with water ganache, a technique for which Allsop is best known – being apparently the only chocolatier to combine chocolate with water, instead of cream, to create a purer taste. Sounds like practically a low-cal option.

Buy Damian’s Egg at the Mount Street Deli and his smaller Cru Virunga Quail Eggs online.

Cafe On launches tropical fruit Rainforest Macarons with Original Beans chocolates

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:30:08 +0000

Tropical fruit flavours belong to the heritage of Cafe On‘s Singaporian Owner and Head Chef Loretta Liu. In her new distinctive series of macarons, rated by Time Out among London’s best, Loretta subtly combines mango, pineapple, banana, and even coffee with the fruity, award-winning chocolates of Original Bean. Purchase at Harvey Nichols and online.

Loretta worked alongside Pierre Gagnaire in the Raffles kitchen in Singapore where she was training as a chef. His thinking has inspired her approach to the unique flavours in “facing tomorrow but respectful of yesterday”. Each macaron tells its own story.

Charlie Lakin’s totally original Original Beans dishes @The Marquis at Alkham

admin — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:57:43 +0000

OK, taste this! Arancini (risotto croquettes) with Kent Blue cheese & chocolate as amuse. Orange and chocolate jelly with chocolate soil. And fantastic chocolate parfait with blood orange and pistachio sauces and blood orange ice-cream. Chef Charlie Lakin’s 3 Original Beans Piura dishes are totally delicious and original. @The Marquis at Alkham, near Dover, just won best Kent Restaurant.

Charlie has previously worked at the famous Michelin star restaurant in Yorkshire, Star Inn Harome, and will be on Great British Menu TV series soon.