a call to the curious
In their decades spent working in the global chocolate industry, our co-founders, David Zulman and Martyn O'Dare had both discovered some of the world's most remarkable small-crop cocoas that nevertheless remained hidden.
Sourcing exclusively from remote volcanic islands and regions, Firetree creates award-winning chocolate with remarkable depth, character and provenance. Every bar captures the distinctive flavours of its origin, revealing the influence of volcanic soils, unique climates and traditional farming expertise.
Our 'firetree', the affectionate name we give to the cocoa tree with is flame-hued pods bursting from the trunk, thrives on the rich, porous volcanic soil of our cocoa origins.
We source our cocoa from remote islands across the South Pacific and Indian Ocean where only a very small percentage of the world's cocoa can truly be considered 'volcanic'. It's this rarity that makes the long and difficult journey from these remote islands worth every step.
Cocoa pods ripen when they're ready and it's the skill of the farmer to nurture the cocoa and harvest only those pods that are perfectly ripe.
Then it’s on to fermentation - more an art than a science. The best farmers can tell if they have fermented for long enough just by using their sense of touch – and years of experience.
The cocoa beans are then sun-dried before they’re sent to us and our chocolate mastery begins.
We are a proud team of chocolate makers crafting bean-to-bar chocolate. We call it this because we are involved in every step of the process.
From working with the farmer to perfect the fermenting and drying of the cocoa beans to selecting the perfect low and slow roast, winnowing, grinding, conching, tempering and moulding the chocolate, every step requires an intimate understanding of how the cocoa bean is transformed into a chocolate we can truly appreciate.
To take a tour of our intimate chocolate factory is to awaken the senses and experience the teasing-out, refining and perfecting of the unique taste profile of every cocoa bean.
These flavours are what make our chocolate so distinctive. Each chocolate we create uses cocoa from a single estate or farm holding. This allows you to enjoy the unique and distinct taste notes of each one, in the same way you might enjoy a fine wine.
You'll notice that our chocolates have different cocoa percentages. That's because each cocoa origin is different - we develop each one so you can experience its subtle flavours and overtones to the fullest.
Great chocolate touches all of our senses. There's the clean shine, the deep aroma, the “snap” it makes when you break it, and that slow melt in the mouth.
Our chocolate is created to be savoured allowing the unique taste profile of each cocoa origin to develop on the tongue.
So, take your time. Linger over those different aromas and then allow it to slowly melt in the mouth, luxuriating in the taste as it develops and grows.
As a bean-to-bar chocolate maker, Firetree works to honour the natural character of every cocoa origin. Our craft chocolate is made to express the difference between one island and another, one farming community and another, and one harvest and another. This guide is designed to help you discover the people, places and flavour notes behind our single-estate dark chocolate.
By cutting out the middle man, our farmers get more for their hard work and quality. We pay a substantial premium above the market rate, giving our farmers the chance to provide for their families and commit to the high agricultural standards that make for great cocoa.
We believe that if you want a great-tasting chocolate you have to be prepared to pay extra for the finest quality. Our premium means that farmers can invest in high ethical and sustainable standards, whilst providing for their families. Our farmers are proud of their cocoa beans and delighted to be partners in crafting one of the world’s best-rated chocolate.
Meet
The Firetree Team
Chocolate Magicians
Over decades working in the cocoa industry, co-founder Martyn O'Dare came across many remarkable small-crop cocoa beans that larger companies had overlooked. Determined to share their distinctive flavours with curious chocolate lovers, he co-founded Firetree Chocolate. Before retiring in 2025, Martyn passed on his expertise in whole-bean roasting, carefully considered conching and precise tempering to our team of expert chocolate makers, now lead by the inimitable Jamie Lazenby.
SOURCING EXPERTISE
Chocolate has been part of co-founder David Zulman's family for generations. His grandfather established a confectionery business in his native South Africa, where David later began his own career. A period spent cocoa farming in the Philippines opened his eyes to the exceptional cocoa grown by small-crop farmers and inspired him to bring it to a British audience. David continues to source our cocoa today, building lasting relationships with farmers and co-operatives and seeking outstanding quality for which a premium price is paid.
the lighter side of chocolate
Our close-knit team of just twenty people crafts nearly one-hundred products using rich, volcanic cocoa from six distinctive origins. We are an eclectic group, representing five nationalities and even several members of the same family, united by an exacting attention to detail. Whether we are crafting a single bar or preparing an extravagant hamper, excellence guides everything we do. Nothing creates quite as much excitement as the arrival of a new cocoa crop - a first chance to taste the latest harvest and, naturally, capture the moment with a quick photo op!
