Organization of the work of the shop for the production of chocolate. We open a business - production of chocolate and chocolate products

In Russia, the chocolate market is developing rapidly. From 2013 to 2019, the consumption of chocolate increased from 6 to 8 kg per person per year. Despite the trend towards proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, they continue to buy sweets and candies: for themselves and their families, as a gift for a holiday. The chocolate business pays for itself in a matter of months and generates stable profits for the owners.

Chocolate Making Business Ideas

There are two models for organizing the technological process: home or industrial production of chocolate.

By choosing the first option, you can start a business at home in the kitchen with a minimum investment in equipment. But it will not be possible to register such a business officially, so the responsibility for working without registration with the Federal Tax Service and paying taxes will lie with you.

In the second case, you will have to comply with the requirements of the inspection authorities, rent and prepare a workshop, hire employees and establish a stream production of chocolate products.

Making handmade chocolate

"Chocolate boutique" is a concept that came to Russia in 2016. The boutique sells premium handmade chocolates made according to home recipes. The owners of such establishments rely on the uniqueness of the products, yielding to large workshops in terms of production.

The assortment of the chocolate boutique includes:

dark, white and milk chocolate bars;
chocolate with fruit and berry fillings;
truffles;
sweets with non-standard fillings;
gift sets of different types of chocolate.

Customers can order custom sets, chocolate fountains, and even engraved candy.

The fashion trend in gourmet boutiques is a combination of incongruous tastes. Manufacturers of elite chocolate offer ginger, chili peppers, candied peppers and even bacon as filling. They sell flavored candies exclusively in their original packaging.

Handmade chocolate is a delight for gourmets, so it will always find its buyer

Making fruit in chocolate

Strawberries, apples and bananas are fruits that are in demand all year round. Combined with chocolate, they form a unique delicacy. The advantage of the chocolate-covered fruit production business is minimal competition in the Russian market. The disadvantage is the pronounced seasonality. In winter, the value of the fruit rises and the demand from buyers falls.

A possible way out of the situation is to rent an area in a city shopping center to work even in the cold season, in a place with maximum traffic. In advertising, you can focus on the saturation of products with vitamins.

There is nothing tastier than fruit in chocolate: neither children nor adults can resist this delicacy

Making chocolate figurines

The technology for making chocolate figurines is simple - hot chocolate is poured into the molds, then cooled until solidified and the halves are removed. The edges of each are carefully heated and glued together. Figures are used to decorate cakes and pastries, they are presented for holidays to children and adults.

To prepare a chocolate butterfly or openwork lace, you need:

melted chocolate;
glass bowl for heating;
Silicone forms.

Instead of molds, you can use any objects: cups, stacks, spoons, paper sheets and others. By combining different types of chocolate and adding food colors, pastry chefs give the figurines a unique design. Show your imagination and an unprecedented result will not keep you waiting.

Chocolate figurines are ordered to decorate wedding and anniversary cakes

Where to start: business registration

Chocolate production belongs to the food industry, so be prepared for numerous inspections by the SES and Rospotrebnadzor. Register a business before starting work by choosing one of the forms - LLC or IE.

Benefits of being an individual entrepreneur:

registration in 5 working days;
minimum state duty when registering a business;
minimum of documents.

The main disadvantage of individual entrepreneurs is responsibility to creditors with all property. If you own an apartment, and the business has accumulated debts, be prepared for the property to be put up for sale.

Advantages of opening an LLC:

financial responsibility within the authorized capital;
a member of a legal entity can exit it by alienating a share of the company;
the company can be sold or donated if necessary;
in case of suspension of activities, the organization does not transfer contributions to pension and insurance funds.

The disadvantages of an LLC are a complicated registration procedure and the need to contribute authorized capital from 10 thousand rubles, as well as a state fee of 4 thousand rubles. for the registration of the company.

When registering, choose a tax system that is comfortable for you. Small businesses should consider a simplified regime (STS 6 or 15%). When planning to open a large production, think about UTII (flat tax on imputed income). The amount and procedure for paying taxes depends on the chosen system.

Table: Comparison of Tax Regimes

Tax regime	Limits
Tax regime	Revenue	Average number of employees	Average annual value of funds	Kind of activity	Capital structure
OSNO	Without Borders
ESHN	Without Borders	Without Borders	Without Borders	Agriculture	Without Borders
UTII	Without Borders	100 people	Without Borders		The share of participation of other organizations no more than 25%
Simplified taxation system 6%	RUB 60 million		RUB 100 million	Except for some activities
Simplified taxation system 15%	RUB 60 million		RUB 100 million	Except for some activities
PSN	RUB 60 million	15 people	Without Borders	There is a list of activities	For sole proprietors

Obtain permits from Rospotrebnadzor and Pozhnadzor, as well as the conclusion of the SES about the possibility of starting work. Get a health certificate, even if you will make candies in minimal quantities.

Organization of home production of chocolate

An exclusive homemade confectionery can compete with large industries due to the quality of products, the use of natural ingredients and proven chocolate recipes. When working on your own, pay close attention to the quality of the product. Experiment with combinations of flavors, offer customers a variety of products. The disadvantage of a home business is the inability to officially register a company. This is due to the fact that the kitchen room must be removed from the housing stock in order to organize food production in it. In this case, you assume all the risks associated with informal entrepreneurship.

Recipe and manufacturing technology

Observe the recipe and technological process when making chocolate - the taste and shelf life of the finished product depends on it.

The simplest homemade chocolate recipe:

Mix 5 tbsp. cocoa spoons, 7 tbsp. tablespoons of sugar and 150 ml of milk in a bowl. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly.
Gradually add 1 teaspoon flour and 50 g butter. Continue stirring until smooth.
Pour hot chocolate into molds, after adding the filling (waffle crumbs, nuts, raisins) into it.

Choosing chocolate, customers first of all pay attention to the appearance and taste.

When the chocolate cools down, you can eat it. You can store homemade sweets for 2-6 months at temperatures up to 17 degrees. Chocolate may only be transported in vehicles equipped with cooling systems.

The weight of the candy should not exceed 3–6 g, so that the client can put it whole in his mouth and taste it without biting off.

Requirements for the premises

The technical conditions for the production of chocolate are determined by GOST 31721–2012. In the document, you will find information on the quantity of ingredients for the manufacture of different types of cocoa-based products, as well as the requirements for equipment and workshop. Despite the lack of registration and verification, try to comply with the maximum requirements of the standard. The room must be ventilated, with an artificial temperature regime and a low level of humidity. The optimum temperature for storing chocolate is up to 17 degrees.

Purchase of equipment and raw materials

A home bakery can be opened with minimal investment if you work to order and use kitchen equipment. Purchase raw materials for the production of chocolate:

chocolate mass or cocoa;
cacao butter;
sugar;
vanilla;
emulsifiers;
milk or cream.

Buy quality ingredients. To save money, replacing cocoa butter with palm, and cocoa with carob, you risk the taste of future chocolate.

At home, use a coffee grinder to grind cocoa beans into powder

With the development of your business, start purchasing professional equipment:

a high-power juicer for producing cocoa butter;
sander for removing excess moisture;
temper for fast crystallization of chocolate;
various shapes and stencils.

The cost of a home kit for the production of elite sweets does not exceed 150 thousand rubles.

Sales and advertising company

Sell candy directly to customers at first. To do this, create groups on social networks, take attractive product photos and post ads. Invite friends and acquaintances to groups, set up targeted advertising for members of competing groups.

When you develop a business and open a kitchen outside the home, having received permission from the SES, negotiate with retail chains and coffee houses that do not have cooking, and supply sweets for sale. The main thing is to comply with the terms of delivery and storage of goods.

Financial calculations

Home production does not require any special costs and pays off within a few months.

Table: costs of starting a business

Table: systematic costs

Planned income

The cost of one bar of exclusive handmade chocolate is 200 rubles, the cost of making it is 25–35 rubles, depending on the filling. On average, 200 tiles can be sold per month, the total income is 40 thousand rubles. The net profit per month is 15 thousand rubles, the payback period for the home business is 5 months.

Business plan for the production of chocolate on an industrial scale

Industrial production is different from home production. You will not be able to cope with the volume of production alone, you will need to involve employees. Equipment for a full-fledged workshop costs dozens of times more, and the manufacturing technology is more complicated than home-made.

The first thing to do at the enterprise is to hire a technologist. He will be responsible for the chocolate making process and work out the recipes. Buy raw materials only after working out each recipe.

To obtain chocolate, cocoa beans are fried, ground and mixed with the remaining ingredients in a conche machine, and then cooled and formed into bars.

The process of making chocolate in the workshop is automated and includes the following stages:

dosing of components;
initial mixing;
mixing in a conche machine up to 3 days;
heating the chocolate mass up to 50 degrees;
filling in forms;
cooling to 33 degrees and holding for 40 minutes;

The production of different types of chocolate differs in the initial set of ingredients and technology adjustments. To make porous chocolate, it is enough to add air when loading raw materials for conching, and for bitter chocolate you will have to use more cocoa powder.

Room selection

To organize a chocolate shop, a room with an area of 60 sq. m. Requirements for the workshop:

is not part of the housing stock;
equipped with ventilation;
there are sinks with cold and hot water;
walls are finished with tiles up to 1.5 m from the floor;
the rest of the walls are painted.

To make the tiles and candies perfectly even, buy a molding machine from the workshop

In the room, equip a place for a warehouse of products with an optimal temperature, as well as an office and directly a workshop with equipment.

Purchase of equipment

The cost of purchasing equipment ranges from 1 to 10 million rubles. Industrial equipment for the chocolate shop:

ball mill for mixing ingredients;
boiler for kindling oil;
mixing conche machine;
refrigeration equipment;
temper for crystallization of chocolate.

In conche machines, the chocolate mass is kept with constant stirring for 24-72 hours

Accessory equipment:

conveyors;
ventilation system;
thermostats;
planetary pumps;
hoods;
molding equipment;
packing unit;
printing press for making wrappers.

Purchase of raw materials

Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, which can be purchased in Africa, Australia, Asia. There are three types of beans suitable for the production of chocolate:

"Creole" - selected top class beans;
"Outlander" - average quality;
"Pumpkin" - low-grade beans.

Cocoa beans go through three stages before they turn into powder:

frying at a temperature of 150 degrees;
separation of liquid and husk;
grinding into powder.

In addition to powder, buy cocoa butter, sugar and milk, as well as filling ingredients if you plan on making candy.

Don't skimp on ingredients: the more natural ingredients, the higher the quality of the chocolate

Staff recruitment

Hire employees for the normal functioning of the shop. Make sure everyone has valid health records.

Composition of employees:

manager;
accountant;
technologist;
confectioners;
driver;
cleaner.

Enter into nondisclosure agreements with the employees of the company's recipe.

Assortment formation

Large confectionery factories use a similar recipe, and their production volumes do not allow producing exclusive chocolate in small batches. In a small workshop, you can make chocolate according to original recipes, varying the composition of the components and filling.

Together with the technologist, evaluate the production capabilities, calculate the estimated production volumes. Develop your own specifications. Based on the planned purchases of raw materials, create a menu. Make them out and post them on the company's website or in a group on social networks.

The high-end chocolate boutique's assortment typically includes handmade chocolates and cakes, as well as beautifully packaged gift sets.

Possible distribution channels and advertising

Chocolate lovers (82%) buy their favorite product in supermarkets at the same time they purchase other goods. At the same time, 21% of them are ready to specially go to the store for chocolate. More often than others, they choose dairy tiles, less often - bitter ones. White chocolate is loved by only 4% of customers. Chocolate boutiques with exclusive varieties of their favorite product are gaining momentum.

Probable distribution channels:

supermarkets;
off-chain grocery stores;
stalls, tents;
coffee shops, cafes;
fairs, exhibitions.

shops, coffee houses;
internet, social networks;
city magazines;
release of own catalogs;
sponsoring events.

So that your product does not get lost on store shelves, do not skimp on original packaging and memorable advertising

Business calculations

Calculations are shown using the example of a workshop with an area of 60 sq. m., equipped with everything necessary and operating under license.

Table: opening costs

Table: recurring costs

Expected income

The cost of one chocolate bar is 100 rubles, the cost of making it is 20–35 rubles. On average, 5200 tiles can be sold only through retail chains per month, the total income is 520 thousand rubles. The net profit per month is 260 thousand rubles, the payback period for the home business is 2 years.

Business profitability reaches 200% even when using natural ingredients. If you replace cocoa powder and cocoa butter with cheap analogues, it will increase by another 1.5 times.

Franchise or own brand

You will need impressive capital to start your chocolate business from scratch. There is an exit. When in doubt, buy a franchise. Notable franchised chocolate factories:

"Shantimel";
Podarilli;
Frade.

Franchise benefits:

work under a well-known brand;
proven production technology;
the opportunity to buy equipment at a discount / lease;
consulting assistance;
business mechanics;
a sense of teamwork.

Disadvantages of franchising:

the need to pay the franchise seller a monthly fee - royalties;
high business value;
overestimated requirements for the incoming partner;
the need to comply with the terms of the franchisor.

The buyer of a franchise always runs the risk of running into an unscrupulous company, which, instead of the existing mechanisms for effective work, gives only a couple of instructions on how to do business.

The Confael franchise allows you to ensure stable turnovers and gives you the opportunity to get higher profitability compared to a business created from scratch

Newbie mistakes

Beginners in the chocolate business are often mistaken. The key problem is the underestimation of consumer needs. This is especially true for manufacturers in small towns. They rely on the uniqueness of the product, not paying attention to consumer qualities. As a result, the client receives an exclusive candy in an expensive package, but it tastes obscene. Naturally, the client does not come again. In general, in provincial cities, people make excessive demands on the quality of food, compliance with which is the key task of an entrepreneur.

Having decided to start a chocolate business and have enough funds, don't hesitate. Assess the market in your city, analyze the demand of potential buyers. Calculate your expenses and income and get started. When in doubt, choose a popular franchise and follow the proven methods of professionals.

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Chocolate is perhaps the most delicious treat of all confectionery. Regardless of the time of the year, the economic condition in the country and other factors, people regularly use it. And even those who follow the correct diet or dieters do not give up a couple of slices of dark or diet chocolate. Therefore, a business idea for the production of chocolate looks very tempting. The main thing is to know some of the nuances, as well as to study the technology.

Pros and cons of a chocolate business plan

Chocolate production provides the following benefits:

High demand for products
Small investment if you plan to organize a home business or mini-workshop
High income, profit 200% or more
Simple and straightforward production technology.

But there are also disadvantages:

Difficult to compete with large manufacturers
High investment for a full-fledged factory
The need to create an exclusive product or original packaging in order to win over the target audience.

If you want to get the expected profit, you need to work on the assortment. The stores offer a wide selection of chocolate: milk, bitter, white, with additives and fillings.

Equipment and technology for the production of bitter and white chocolate are not much different. So, don't be limited to one type of product!

Legal aspects

It is worth starting the implementation of a business plan for the production of chocolate with the registration of activities. This stage is not quite as easy as it seems. After you have opened an individual entrepreneur or registered an LLC, you will need to receive several cherished "pieces of paper", without which it is impossible to implement such an idea.

One of them is a certificate for the release of food products, which is issued by Rospotrebnadzor. To obtain it, it is necessary to draw up a project plan for the workshop and indicate sanitary standards. This document also contains all the methods for the production of chocolate with technological maps.

If you are not well versed in this area, it is better to contact experienced specialists to draw up the necessary documents. Otherwise, there will be many problems on the way to obtaining permits.

Raw materials for the production of chocolate

Each plant has its own recipe, but the main set of raw materials remains unchanged:

Cocoa powder
Powdered sugar
Cocoa butter.

Modern production uses various substitutes to reduce the cost of production. So, for the manufacture of dark chocolate, palm oil is added instead of cocoa butter - a cheap analogue. Various aromatic and flavoring additives are also in use.

The more natural raw materials in chocolate, the tastier it is!

It is necessary to purchase raw materials only after the technologist has worked on the recipe for the products.

Step-by-step technology for making chocolate

The production process in a factory on a special line is different from recipes at home. The technology includes the following stages:

Roasting cocoa beans. You can buy ready-made ingredients, but to create a really high-quality product, it is better to carry out a full production cycle.
Processing cocoa beans using a beater. At this stage, the beans are peeled, refined and crushed into cereals.
Getting cocoa butter. For this, the powder prepared at the last stage is heated to 95-105C and pressed. Then cocoa powder, butter and powdered sugar are mixed, and then ground again.
Conching. This is the process of mixing mass under the influence of high temperature. During this stage, various flavors and flavorings are mixed in. The longer the mixing takes place, the richer and brighter the flavor. So, the conching of the mass for elite varieties of chocolate is carried out within 3-5 days without stopping!
Tempering. This process gives the chocolate a beautiful shine and presentation. This is done by cooling the product to 28C, after which it is heated to 32C.

Each point must be strictly followed. Temperature differences and heating and cooling times are not allowed.

The last stage - chocolate is poured into molds, raisins, nuts, etc. are added. according to the recipe. At the end, the finished product is kept in the refrigerator, after which it is packed.

Equipment

The chocolate production line consists of the following units:

Cocoa butter melter
Conche machine
Ball mill
Tempering unit
Refrigeration unit for cooling the mass.

Additionally, you will need a conveyor belt, a refrigeration tunnel, an aeration unit, chocolate molds, thermostats, and a packaging machine.

All of the above equipment will require a considerable amount. The new line will cost 3.5-8 million rubles. But you can reduce the cost by abandoning the automated line in favor of a cheaper analogue with less power. Such an installation will cost 1.5-2 million rubles.

The high cost of equipment is the only negative

Business profitability assessment

Even taking into account the high costs of purchasing equipment and organizing production, the profitability in such a business is high. The investment will pay off quickly enough.

Example: the cost of dark chocolate is 600 rubles per 1 kilogram. In stores, 100 grams of the same chocolate costs a maximum of 100 rubles.

But in order to reach a regular profit, you will need to find regular wholesale customers.

Other ways to make money on chocolate

If it is not possible to organize the production of chocolate, but the "sweet" business is still interested, you can consider other options.

For example, buying a franchise from a well-known brand. The sale of franchises is carried out on specialized sites. As a result, the franchisor will help you at all stages of the business, advise and, if necessary, train. Plus buying a franchise - you get a completely finished idea and a promoted product that does not need advertising.

You can also open a small shop selling chocolate of your own production or make chocolate-covered fruits, chocolate fountains, etc.

If you want to open your own small business in the future and compete with store-bought sweets with preservatives, emulsifiers, flavors and other chemical components of unknown origin, try making natural sweets.

Those who cannot live without chocolate, or who simply love it, will be interested in learning the basics of the profession that makes sweets, bars, decor and other miracles from chocolate. Even if you will not make candies for sale, the issue of an unusual handmade gift for all occasions will be solved for you.
What is the best place to start?

Step 1. Tools

Cooking thermometer.

You will definitely need a tool to work:

It is better to use a plastic bowl in which you will melt the chocolate.
Culinary thermometer with a range of measurements up to 200 degrees Celsius. You do not need to heat chocolate above 45 degrees, but if you are fond of the process, you may want to make caramel and other sweets. Here such a thermometer is irreplaceable and it is better to stock up on it right away. Now on the Internet there are many offers of inexpensive Chinese thermometers, they are quite suitable for a start, although you can also use alcohol with the desired measurement range.
A spatula for tempering chocolate (we will talk about this process later). A medium-width stainless steel spatula can be selected at a hardware store.
A microwave oven or a small marble (granite) slab, which will also be needed for tempering.
Parchment, ready-made candies are spread on it until the chocolate is completely solidified and crystallized.
Once you gain experience and want to make a variety of candies, you will need chocolate forks, pallets (narrow long spatulas), chocolate molds, disposable pastry bags, and many other tools.

Step 2. Choosing chocolate

The next step is choosing the chocolate for the job. If you want to make exclusive sweets, try different types of professional Belgian, Italian, French chocolate, which are now easy to order online. This chocolate is sold in blocks or small tablets that are easy to work with and may cost more than the bars available in stores. Since you are still a beginner chocolatier and you are afraid to spoil expensive food, try to first melt a few store-bought tiles.

Step 3. Making chocolate

Step 3.1. Introduction

Adults and children love chocolate. It's no secret that a bar of chocolate bought in a store contains various additives: preservatives, dyes, hardeners, etc. You can make your favorite delicacy at home. True, you need to work a little. There are several varieties of chocolate: milk and bitter. You can add nuts, cookies to it, it all depends on your preference and taste.

The Indians learned about chocolate thousands of years before our era, later the Mayan tribes considered the fruit of cocoa "food of the gods" and drank chocolate when performing various rituals. The first European was Columbus to taste this drink, and the Spanish monarchs rated it at the highest point. Joseph Fry in the XX century prepared the first chocolate bar, which: improved mood, stabilized blood cholesterol, had a positive effect on the skin of the face and body, pancreas, heart muscle, strengthened the immune system. Until now, bitter chocolate clearly fulfills its functions.

Step 3.2. Master class for home

Let's take up, without further ado, the preparation of chocolate, for which you need: butter, honey or sugar, and of course cocoa. To make chocolate, you should not skimp, buy quality products, and the result will please. We decided on the products; the chocolate mold can be silicone (for sweets and marmalade) or you can pour it into an ice mold. Now about the proportions. Have to take:

cocoa-100 g or cocoa butter (if you find it!);
butter-50 g.
three tablespoons of sugar;
5 tablespoons of water;
15 g vanillin;
two tablespoons of any liquor (optional).

water is mixed with cocoa and sugar;
then we put it on a small fire;
stir this mixture all the time until it boils;
add butter, stir, bring to the state of thick sour cream;
cook for another 1-2 minutes;
pour the finished mixture into prepared molds, greased with butter;

then put it in the refrigerator until it cools completely. If you want to add nuts, raisins, cookies, lemon or orange zest, liqueur, cognac, then add this at the stage of pouring into the mold. Top, sprinkle with any chopped nuts.
Place the chocolate poured into the mold in the freezer, when frozen it will be hard, and if you just put it in the refrigerator, it will be soft.

It will not be possible to make real bitter chocolate at home, due to the lack of cocoa butter or grated cocoa. But it doesn't matter, in any case we have got a delicious and healthy dessert.

Step 4. Glazing of fresh fruits, nuts

You have prepared the chocolate for work, what to do with it next. For starters, try icing fresh fruits, candied fruits, nuts, and apple chips in chocolate. To do this, you can simply dip them into the chocolate with a fork, let the rest of the chocolate drain and put on parchment. Candied fruits look beautiful, partially dipped in chocolate, when their tip is visible (in this case, forks are not needed). French chocolates - mediants also look spectacular. To prepare them, you need to pour a small amount of chocolate (a teaspoon or dessert spoon) on parchment and decorate with nuts, candied fruit pieces, raisins, let it freeze and start tasting. All together this is very effective, delicious in taste and makes it possible to create chocolate delights.

Now you are no longer afraid to work with chocolate, you want to master new types of sweets, do not be afraid, experiment, look for new information, purchase literature, come up with your own recipes.

Chocolate is a demanded product that is popular all over the world. Both children and adults love him. After all, this is not only a delicacy, but also a useful product that reduces stress, energizes and stimulates mental activity. The chocolate business is a great investment. It has a significant initial investment and a high return on investment.

Prospects for the chocolate business

Russians love chocolate: not a single holiday is complete without it, and on weekdays, rarely anyone refuses to pamper themselves with this delicacy. In addition, chocolate is widely used as a gift - from ordinary bars to a set of elite sweets and handmade figurines. Therefore, the demand for chocolate is stable in any economic situation. On holidays, the demand for chocolate increases 3-4 times. Moreover, according to some sources, sales are growing 1.5-2 times every year. All these factors make the production and sale of chocolate a promising line of business.

The selection of chocolate sweets is huge

Ideas for business

There are several options for organizing a chocolate business, from selling off-the-shelf European chocolates to making unusual chocolate bars.

Chocolate boutique

The easiest option is to open a chocolate shop where ready-made chocolates from foreign and Russian manufacturers will be sold. The simplicity of this business lies in the fact that you do not need to bear the costs of purchasing equipment, renting a workshop, hiring pastry chefs and technologists. It is enough to rent a retail outlet in a place with a good flow of potential customers (for example, in a shopping center or in a downtown area), hire several sales consultants. Of course, in this case, you will have to invest in the purchase of chocolate (up to 1 million rubles).

The assortment of the chocolate boutique includes thousands of products

Usually, chocolate boutiques are targeting consumers with an income above average, and they are in demand for luxury chocolate. Among the Russian manufacturers are "Korkunov", "U Palycha", "Konfael", but the brand is undoubtedly set by European manufacturers (Belgian, Swiss, German, Italian, American). These are world famous brands Toblerone, Amedei, Wittamer, MoserRoth, Leonidas, Ghirardelli and others.

It is wise to open a small cafe in the boutique with hot chocolate and various chocolate desserts. The aroma of hot chocolate in the boutique will stimulate customers to buy sweets, and you can attract attention with the help of the chocolate fountain. Some cafes make a glass wall in the kitchen so customers can watch a handmade treat being created.

To prepare a hot drink, pieces of chocolate are melted in milk

Chocolate Production Line

An automated line for the production of chocolate is an expensive equipment, but it allows you to produce large volumes of products and minimize human intervention in the production process. To establish such a production, you will need an experienced technologist.

Handmade chocolates and candies

Handmade chocolate is usually made from ready-made chocolate: it is tempered (melted), then nuts, fruits, spices and other ingredients are added, and then new bars are formed. Such chocolates look very attractive, therefore they are in demand as an original gift. Likewise with handmade chocolates. Usually Belgian chocolate is used as a raw material, as it has an amazing taste.

And even chocolate bouquets can be made from sweets.

A bouquet of chocolates looks very unusual

Fruit in chocolate

Fruits in chocolate are an excellent alternative to conventional chocolates, in which the words "strawberry", "cherry" most often mean fudge with added flavors. Citrus fruits, bananas in chocolate are a natural delicacy that will delight relatives and will be perfect as a present. The disadvantage of such products is a short shelf life. And the main advantage is that you do not need to bother with making chocolate yourself, it is enough to buy high-quality bars without additives and melt it.

Most often, strawberries are covered with chocolate, but there are other options: cherries, tangerine and orange slices, kiwi

Chocolate figurines

Chocolate figurines are often used as romantic gifts. They do not have a very long shelf life, and due to the fact that figurines are usually made by hand, their cost is quite high. Small figures cost 80-200 rubles, while large compositions cost the consumer several thousand rubles. To implement them, you can open your own store or make products to order.

Chocolate hearts are usually chosen as a gift for a beloved girlfriend or wife, children like figurines of animals and cartoon characters, and it is quite possible for a car enthusiast to give a chocolate car of his dreams. There are also neutral topics. For example, the boss is presented with a horseshoe as a symbol of good luck or a chocolate million dollars. Chocolate paintings and medals are in demand. Corporate clients are in demand for chocolate figurines with a branded brand, which are usually ordered in large quantities as a present to clients and business partners, company employees.

Large chocolate figurines are usually made hollow.

Chocolate cakes and pastries

Another chocolate product is chocolate cakes. The easiest way is to make them to order. Custom-made cakes with personalized congratulations are in-demand products that are bought for birthdays of children and adults, for corporate parties, New Year's holidays, March 8, anniversaries, weddings and more.

Chocolate cake with the name of the hero of the day is a great gift

Where to start: business registration

You can organize a chocolatier business in any form convenient for you. If you are planning to start with a small investment, register as an individual entrepreneur and choose one of the simplified taxation systems. If you are planning to do business with partners, it is better to found a limited liability company. Are you planning to sell chocolate in bulk to large customers? The LLC format would be preferable.

The registration procedure itself is simple, the tax one registers individual entrepreneurs and LLCs within three days. Provided that you prepare the documents correctly.

Documents for registration of an individual entrepreneur:

an application for state registration of an individual entrepreneur in the form of Р21001 - completed by hand or in hard copy;
a copy of the passport (with a personal visit to the tax office, you must also provide the original so that the inspector can compare the data);
a copy of the certificate of assignment of an individual tax number (TIN);
original receipt of payment of state duty (800 rubles).

Documents for registration of LLC:

application form R11001;
the decision of the sole founder or the minutes of the general meeting of founders on the creation of an LLC;
LLC charter (2 copies);
a receipt for payment of the state duty (4 thousand rubles);
documents confirming the existence of a legal address.

If you plan to make chocolate yourself, then choose the following codes for the classification of economic activities (OKVED):

15.84 - Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery;
52.61 - Retail trade by order;
52.62 - Retail trade in stalls and markets;
52.63 - Other retail trade outside stores.

Permitting documents

Since the manufacture of chocolate belongs to the food industry, it is necessary to notify Rospotrebnadzor (which now performs the functions of a sanitary and epidemiological station) about the start of activities. Rospotrebnadzor will be able to conduct a routine inspection only after three years, and an unscheduled one - if a complaint is received against you. Rospotrebnadzor must be provided with a recipe in order to obtain a certificate of conformity.

Another instance is the fire department. It issues an opinion on the compliance of the working space with the standards (availability of communications, fire-prevention system, ventilation).

The production of chocolate is regulated by the national standard GOST R 52821-2007, adopted in 2010. GOST contains general technical conditions: it determines the composition of various types of chocolate, its taste and smell, consistency, appearance, requirements for raw materials, labeling, packaging, etc.

Room selection

If you only plan to produce chocolate without opening a retail outlet, then the location of the workshop does not matter. You can even place it in the suburbs, as rent is usually cheaper there. When opening a chocolate boutique, it is better to choose a place with high traffic - in the city center or in a shopping center. It is best to locate the store in a mall next to gift shops.

This is what an equipped room for chocolate production looks like.

As for the requirements for the workshop, they are standard - as for any food production: an area of 40 square meters, good ventilation, heating, hot and cold water. Walls up to a height of 1.5 meters must be tiled, above 1.5 meters - covered with non-toxic paint.

The room should be divided into several functional areas: the place of direct production, a warehouse for raw materials and finished products, a rest room for employees, a toilet. The warehouse of raw materials and products should be at a constant temperature - 16 degrees. After all, if the temperature regime is not observed, the finished chocolate will melt and then freeze, which will lead to the formation of an ugly white coating.

Is it possible to make chocolate at home

Unfortunately, when running a legal business, the production of food in an apartment or private house is prohibited. Even if you plan to make a small volume with your own hands, it is necessary to remove the production premises from the housing stock. And to do this for premises in a residential building will not work.

Staff

For a chocolate workshop, you will need a pastry technologist, workers, equipment maintenance personnel, a loader, a truck driver, a cleaner, an administrator, a sales manager, an accountant, and a manager. And if there is a store, then sales consultants. Of course, at first you can get by with small forces, but you still need a technologist. The rest of the functions can be performed independently, it is better to outsource something (for example, accounting, equipment maintenance and transportation services).

In order for chocolate products to be in demand among consumers, you should take care of hiring highly qualified personnel.

In addition, the chocolate business often becomes a family business, so feel free to involve your wife (or husband), parents, and adult children. If you have no experience in the field of chocolate production, it will be useful to take specialized courses (their cost is about 15 thousand rubles).

All employees working directly with chocolate must have health records.

Raw materials

You can use ready-made chocolate as a raw material - just melt it, add your ingredients, pour into molds and cool. But if you plan on making chocolate from scratch, you will need cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and powdered sugar.

The fruit of the chocolate tree is the cocoa beans from which the powder and butter are made

They are inexpensive: cocoa powder - about 120 rubles, cocoa butter - 66 rubles, powdered sugar - 55 rubles per kilogram. GOST allows the addition of carob (carob) to chocolate, which is half the price of cocoa powder - about 60 rubles per kilogram. And cocoa butter can be partially replaced with vegetable (palm) butter - it costs about 50 rubles per kilogram. And also as a cheaper substitute for cocoa butter, milk fat, peanut and coconut butter are used. The use of such additives makes it possible to save up to 10% on raw materials.

But it should be borne in mind that the use of cheaper ingredients affects the taste of chocolate. So if you are planning to produce elite chocolate and emphasize its high quality, use the classic recipe.

Chocolate is very diverse. The most popular types: black, milk, bitter, white, porous chocolate. You can produce chocolate for diabetics, vegans, those who follow a diet.

Aerated chocolate is saturated with air bubbles, and white chocolate is made using cocoa butter (no cocoa powder)

The composition of the main types of chocolate is regulated by GOST. So, dark chocolate must contain at least 55% of cocoa powder and at least 33% of cocoa butter, dark - 40 and 20%, respectively, milk - at least 25% of cocoa products, at least 12% of milk solids, at least 2 , 5% milk fat.

Alcohol is sometimes used as a flavoring agent. And of course, chocolate with grated, crushed and whole nuts is very popular: hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, peeled pistachios, etc. Whole nuts must be roasted and fresh, otherwise the rancid nut will ruin the taste of the entire bar. Pieces of fruit, raisins, waffles, cinnamon, sesame seeds, puffed rice, marmalade and much more are added to the chocolate. There are also completely unusual combinations: chocolate with figs, chili peppers, lemon zest, thyme, olives, ginger, dried tomatoes. The fillings for sweets and chocolate bars are also very diverse. In addition to nuts, these are various sweets, soufflé, jelly, nougat. Truffles, pralines are also popular with those with a sweet tooth.

It is important to take into account that chocolate is usually stored for a short time - 2–6 months.

Experiment, keep track of what kind of chocolate is in demand, come up with something new and unusual to interest the consumer.

Technological process and equipment

There are fully automated chocolate production lines that save on hiring. But this is expensive equipment. For example, an automatic line for molding chocolate products AC 275 One Shot of Russian production costs 6.65 million rubles in the basic configuration. An automated line can be serviced by 1–2 people, while manual production will require 8–10 people.

Diagram of the production of chocolate on an automated line

To understand what kind of equipment you need to make chocolate, you need to familiarize yourself with the production technology. It includes several stages:

Rolling - grinding of components in a special mill.
Conching is the thorough mixing of all ingredients. First, cocoa powder and powdered sugar are mixed, then the liquid evaporates from the mixture, after which the dry mixture is mixed with cocoa butter. The result is a homogeneous (homogenized) mass. Conching rollers are made of granite, as steel and plastic are not suitable for mixing heated chocolate. Conching directly affects the taste of chocolate - the longer it is conched, the better. Therefore, elite chocolate is conched for 5–15 days, ordinary chocolate - for 1–3 days.
Tempering - cooling (or heating) and crystallization of chocolate at a controlled temperature.
Molding - filling molds (special molds for chocolate) with the finished mass and solidification.
Wrapping - wrapping chocolate in foil.

If you plan to make handmade chocolates and candies from ready-made bars, the whole process comes down to three steps: melting the chocolate (tempering), adding the filling and shaping.

As you can see, the technology for making chocolate is pretty simple. However, it requires a significant investment in equipment. You will need:

fatty melting pot for melting cocoa butter;
ball mill for rolling, filled with steel balls similar to bearings;
3-4 conche machines (melanger) for continuous mixing;
vertical cooling tunnel for cooling molded chocolates or sweets.

For small production, conche machines with a volume of 200 kg are suitable.

Additional equipment includes an industrial air conditioner, hoods, thermostats, conveyor belts, heated pipelines, molds and punching machines, packaging machines (ways to wrap up to 360 tiles per minute), paddles, scrapers, etc.

To sell chocolate in a store, you need refrigerated display cases that maintain a temperature of 15–20 degrees.

Table: the cost of the main equipment for the chocolate workshop

Chocolate marketing routes and marketing

How you sell your chocolate depends on what products you make and who you target. If you have a workshop with a large production volume, which boasts high-quality products, then it can be offered to other confectionery enterprises producing desserts, sweets and other sweets, as well as cafes and restaurants. If you focus on end consumers, have developed attractive packaging and a memorable brand, then try to negotiate directly with stores and retail chains. It is not easy to get on the shelves of large chains, but their turnover is also high. You can negotiate with chocolate boutiques, which can be found in almost all big cities.

Another option is to open your own store. It can be a point directly at the shop, but it is better to focus on shopping centers and city streets with a large flow of pedestrians.

An elite chocolate shop can be found today in every major shopping center.

Many small businesses, especially those with manual production, only make chocolates to order. You can promote it through your own website, social networks, local media, city portals and forums. This method avoids the risk of overproduction and spoilage of unclaimed chocolate.

Of course, at the initial stage, you will have to invest in advertising. Use every method you can - from distributing leaflets on the streets (you can sprinkle them with a special perfume with a chocolate scent) to advertising on television. If you are planning to open a chocolate boutique, arrange a lush opening with free tastings. In the future, tasting of new positions can be held once a month.

Franchise or own brand

The main advantage of a franchise is that you will work under an already promoted brand known to consumers. The franchisor will help you organize production and establish distribution channels. However, to become a franchisee (buy a franchise), you need to pay 50 thousand rubles or more. Some franchises involve royalties - a monthly deduction from the franchisor's profits.

Frade handmade chocolate outlet

Most of the franchises on the Russian market are offers for the sale of finished products of popular brands. For example, you can become a franchisee of the Belgian company Baccarat, which offers handmade candies. Frade, a Kazan manufacturer of handmade chocolate, offers a franchise from Russian companies. You can sell Frade chocolate in your city by paying a lump-sum (entrance) fee of 50-100 thousand rubles. Franchise "Confael" costs from 150 thousand to 12 million rubles, "Shoconel" - from 620 thousand rubles, Candy Shop - from 600 thousand rubles.

Financial plan

Below are the estimated costs of opening a chocolate shop.

Table: initial and current costs of organizing the production of chocolate

Cost and profitability

The production of chocolate is characterized by high profitability - an average of 200%. Judge for yourself: the cost of 1 kg of chocolate is 400–600 rubles, a bar of chocolate in the retail network (200 grams) is 100–200 rubles. This allows you to receive from 300 thousand to 2 million rubles of profit per month.

Considering the high cost of equipment, the average payback period for chocolate production is from 10 months to 2 years.

Video: how to run a chocolate business

Thus, if you decide to invest in the production of chocolate, it is better to focus on the production of a high quality product with unusual additives, because it is in constant demand. Although the hardware is quite expensive, the expense will pay off quickly. In this area, you can earn up to 2 million rubles a month.

Chocolate is not just a product, but a real joy experienced by children and no less adults in anticipation of feeling the taste of a delicate delicacy melting on the tongue. He is able to cheer up on a gloomy day, energize during a break, help out on almost any holiday and even become a kind of "bribery" when you need to ask someone for something.

Whatever one may say, chocolate makes people happier. Do you want to give others joy, and even get paid for it? Start your own chocolate production. This business will always be in demand, and people will not stop eating sweets even in times of crisis.

What does a chocolate maker need to know?

The presence of a large number of competitors will not affect your products if you strive for its high quality and do not skimp on components, replacing them with cheap counterparts. It is better to make the product more expensive than cheap and low-quality one. Few will save on pleasure, and chocolate is for most.

The use of all kinds of additives "dilutes" the cost of the finished tile, reducing it by 20-40%. Therefore, do not be afraid to introduce chocolate with various fillings into the assortment, thinking that this will increase costs (rather, it will be the other way around).

Just starting a business, focus on one product - choose either the production of chocolate bars or the production of bars. This will allow you to save on the necessary equipment, carefully think over one recipe (in different variations) and purchase less raw materials than if you produced everything at once.

"Chocolate technology": stages and processes

Chocolate production begins with the primary processing of cocoa beans. They are sorted, cleaned, subjected to thermal procedures and crushing, then the cocoa vella (shell) is removed. Thus, cocoa liquor is obtained. Then it is pressed, cracked and sieved. As a result of processing, two components are obtained - cocoa powder and butter. Then they move on to dosing and mixing the components according to the recipe. The resulting mixture is subjected to rolling - it is crushed in specially designed mills.

Conching: stages

After that, the main production stage begins - conching. This process is very important and largely determines the taste and quality of the finished product. It consists in continuous stirring of the chocolate mass for a long time. The minimum is a day, but this is in the case of making cheap tiles. On average, the process takes three days, and in the production of elite varieties it takes up to 5 days. This stage is implemented in three approaches:

Mixing cocoa powder and powdered sugar, that is, dry components.
Removing excess moisture from the mixture.
Adding cocoa butter and kneading the already heated chocolate mass.

The described procedure is carried out in special conche machines, as a result of which a homogeneous thick mass is obtained - it is called homogenized.

Final processes

The next step is the formation of chocolate masses in the form of bars, bars or candies and their filling, if provided by the manufacturer. Various nuts, raisins and candied fruits, puffed rice, flakes, waffles, liquid and cream fillings, etc. can be added to chocolate. These components allow you to expand the range of products without using additional recipes.

The finished masses are poured into molds (special molds) and kept at a temperature of 33 degrees for half an hour. The procedure is called "tempering". Finally, the fully cooled products are removed from the mold and sent to packaging.

Equipment for a chocolate factory

In addition to the main question of how to produce chocolate, there is another, no less important and more significant financially - what to produce. Equipment in this business is the main cost item, but you can't do without it. According to various estimates, the purchase of all the necessary equipment will require about 10-15 million rubles. Naturally, they will pay off, and more than once. But first you have to invest.

Equipment for the production of chocolate is a fully functioning line, consisting of the following mandatory attributes:

ball mill - the rolling process takes place here;
conche machines - for the conching procedure;
fat melting boiler - for kindling cocoa butter;
tempering machine;
refrigeration tunnel;
conveyor line;
aeration plants, heated pipelines;
punching machine for making molds;
packaging machines;
thermostats, hoods.

As you can see, a lot is needed. Equipment for the production of chocolate is not limited to two or three main items. At the same time, each machine is important at some stage, so you cannot do without something. There are, of course, a number of auxiliary installations that will be needed in the case of a certain range of products. For example, equipment for caramel (if you use it as filling for bars or bars). But at the initial stage, such acquisitions can be dispensed with.

Raw materials for quality chocolate

The basic composition of the chocolate bar is no secret. It is enough to look at any packaging where the well-known components are painted. These are cocoa butter, cocoa liquor and powder, icing sugar, sometimes flavoring (vanillin). In addition, depending on the specific type, there are other ingredients (for example, nuts, raisins and other fillings).

But not everything is so simple, many manufacturers, in order to save money, replace quality components with cheaper counterparts. For example, they use carob instead of cocoa powder or palm oil, vegetable fat instead of cocoa butter (or together with it). This allows you to reduce the cost of the chocolate bar several times, but the taste will suffer.

If you are concerned about your long-term reputation and the presence of regular customers, then it is better not to use such tricks. Offer customers quality chocolates, albeit more expensive ones. If the product is really tasty, then there will always be demand for it.

At the same time, you will not remain at a loss. For example, making a kilogram of high-quality dark chocolate (from cocoa powder, cocoa butter and powdered sugar) will cost about 400-500 rubles. At a price of 80-100 rubles per 100 grams, you will earn 2 times more than you spend.

Requirements to be aware of

Every entrepreneur, of course, is concerned about compliance with all the rules and regulations of the law applicable to his type of activity. Chocolate production belongs to the food industry, therefore, one cannot get away from communicating with the bodies of Rospotrebnadzor and the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station. First, let's say a few words about the premises for organizing production. Basic requirements for the workshop and warehouse:

the presence of a hood and ventilation;
installed air conditioning system (to maintain air humidity at 75%);
temperature in the warehouse - 16-18% (this is important to preserve the properties of raw materials such as cocoa beans);
water supply, sewerage.

As for specific documents, you will need a technological instruction for approval with Rospotrebnadzor, a certificate of conformity for the manufacture of chocolate products, registration documents, health books for all employees. If you follow sanitary rules, fire safety, production technology, then there will be no problems with supervisory authorities.

Conclusion

To organize chocolate production is both simple and difficult at the same time. All the main processes have been known and worked out for a long time; every entrepreneur is able to draw up a recipe and arrange production of products. However, at the initial stage, you will have to decide on a number of the most important points regarding the raw materials used, the purchase of all the necessary equipment, and the collection of documents for starting a business.

All this will require a lot of time and effort, but the undertaking is worth it. If you correctly draw up a business plan for the production of chocolate, then you will soon be able to recoup the costs and start making a very good profit. And how much new joy you will give people in the form of chocolate bars!

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