Cover Mr. Bucket Chocolaterie
Mr. Bucket Chocolaterie
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Tremendous things are in store for you at Mr Bucket Chocolaterie, and many surprises await
Many people would be familiar with Roald Dahl’s famous children’s novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory—a story of a young boy named Charlie Bucket who won a once-in-a-lifetime trip inside Willy Wonka’s whimsical chocolate factory.
Like Charlie, haven’t we all fantasised about visiting a chocolate wonderland as a child—one filled with edible trees, chocolate river and invention rooms where you have access to Willy Wonka’s latest sugary innovations?
Enter Mr Bucket Chocolaterie, a homegrown chocolate shop conceptualised by founder and chocolatier Jerome Penafort as a reimagination of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Penafort shared that the 5,000-sqft space—which is set to open its doors at Dempsey Hill on December 3—is a “contemporary and whimsical interpretation of what Willy Wonka’s factory would look like after Charlie takes over.”
Read more: 7 of the Most Indulgent Chocolate Desserts in Singapore
Above Creation Station
Above Various toppings to choose
Creation Station
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We visited the factory before its big opening and discovered a chocolate wonderland designed for the young and young-at-heart. There are no nut-testing squirrels or magic gum inside, but you have something better—the chocolaterie’s classic and new treats crafted using sustainably sourced cacao from Malaysia, India, Vietnam and Thailand. Through showcasing these cacao producers from the region, Penafort hopes to show how Asian cacao can “taste just as good as those produced in Europe or America”.
Five different sections await; each one took us through a multi-sensory journey to experience and learn more about the cacao fruit. We wanted to dig into the art of making chocolate right away, so we commenced our journey at the Creation Station. Penafort shared that this is his favourite section, and we understood why when got to customise our own slabs with the variety of ingredients available. Being fans of the sweet-salty combination, we picked caramelised peanuts and dried strawberries, then watched as the masters meticulously incorporated them into the decadent chocolate slabs.
With enough time to explore the space, we stopped by the Tasting Room for the bean-to-bar journey set which showcased cacao beans from a farm in Panchor, Malaysia.
The chocolate flight took us through the bean-to-bar process. The set began with the cacao bean dark chocolate dragees, featuring cacao beans that was roasted and coated in dark chocolate. It was followed by a refreshing cacao husk lemon tea, made from cacao fruit husk which was cleaned and cold brewed for 24 to 48 hours. This was infused with lemon juice and tea to give the chocolate another depth of flavour. Moving on, we had a taste of the 66 per cent chocolate bar, rich double soy caramel bon bon and ended with a 64 per cent chocolate passionfruit sable.
Delectable pastries and tarts were available too, like the dark chocolate choux puff—a must-try and one of our favourites due to the 80 per cent dark chocolate blended with Anaimalai cream and vanilla chantilly.
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Bean-to-bar journey set
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A good way to digest before the next feast is to walk around the venue, and this led us to watch the culinary team in action at the Bean Room. We saw the intricate ways the cacao beans were dried, roasted and ground before being tempered into a rich and velvety substance. This was moved to the Chocolate Room and crafted into bon bons, chocolate bars and pastries. It was fascinating to watch the various bean-to-bar processes, turning a singular cacao fruit into an intricate dessert.
“We want our customers to learn more about how chocolate is made, so we made sure everything was transparent,” says Penafort of the overall experience. From its informative packaging to its chocolate creations, the chocolaterie hopes to be the vessel that shares the stories of these cocoa farms and farmers.
Above The Dispensary
The Dispensary
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The experience ended at The Dispensary, where we were met with a range of chocolate treats for us to purchase, including cacao wine made from the cacao bean’s mangosteen-like pulp. While typically thrown away, the flesh is collected, cleaned, and fermented for two years. The result? A full-bodied sweet wine that offers rich and fruity flavours.
Through its highly immersive and educational multi-sensory journey, Penafort hopes to change our perception of the humble cacao fruit, one chocolate bar at a time—and it’s safe to say he has done just that.
Mr Bucket Chocolaterie Dempsey Factory, 13 Dempsey Road, 01-03/04, S(249674)
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Amanda Goh was the former senior writer for Tatler Singapore.
