There is no such thing as chocolate heaven? Well, you wouldn’t say so if you knew Belyzium, a tasteful mélange of showroom, factory and café situated in Lottumstraße in Berlin Mitte.
Managing director Klaus (36) explains the shop’s concept „Tree to Bar“ as follows: “We plant our own cocoa trees in Belize. The fine flavored beans are grown and fermented by local farmers before being shipped to our private laboratory in San Jose and to our artisan chocolaterie in Berlin. Here, our chief alchemist produces fine dark, vegan and organic chocolate in small batches every day.” So Belyzium focuses on both quality and sustainability. “In California “Bean to Bar” and craftbeer are much more common than in Europe”, self-appointed chocolate evangelist Klaus tells us. And do you know that in Europe dark chocolate is mostly consumed by Germans and French people? That’s why Belyzium opened a dependance in Berlin. As mass production doesn’t fit into the concept, it will stay the only store in town.
So much for the theory. In practise, we were invited to taste the top seller, a chocolate with 83% cocoa content and cocoa bits. And guess what? It was just so incredibly delicious it almost made us swoon! Not to mention the freshly made chocolate tea…
Klaus’ son Linus (13) also likes to hang around between all those sweets in his father’s store. But as he lives with his mother in Munich, he only has the opportunity when he’s on holidays in Berlin. Father and son meet three times a year, which is way too little time together, both of them say. To keep in touch they communicate via phone a lot.
As a man I cannot live without … ? Beard. And Trippen shoes.
Favourite place without child? Kreuzberg.
Favourite place with child? The whole of Berlin with its parks and cinemas. Although Berlin is a big city, it’s easy-going and friendly. You can make each day a holiday.
Photos: Claudia Kahnt Interview: Isa Grütering Text: Natascha Korol
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