What you give
A few bars, shipped free. That is enough for a room of about thirty. There is nothing else to do, and there is no form to fill in and no fee. About a hundred people are on our invite list.
What you get
- A page about your companyPhotos, your story, what is special about the bar, the room's score, and links to your site and your product. It stays up.
- A page that search can useWhen someone asks Google or ChatGPT what bar to try, those tools answer from pages they can read. We write yours in plain words with the facts they look for, so they can find it and cite it. Nobody can promise that they will.
- A room that hears about youJacob tells the room who you are and what is special about the bar, in person, as they try it. Then everyone scores it out of 5, win or lose.
- People who could buyNothing is sold at a tasting and there is no cut for us. Anyone who likes it can buy it directly from you through the links on the page.
- Repeat if you like itWe send you the link and what the room said. If it was worth it, send us your next bar.
What your page looks like
This is a sample of the layout, with placeholders where your details go. It is not a real bar, a real maker or a real score.
Photos of your barThe name of your bar
Your company
Sent to the club free by your company, in plain words near the top.
Who made it
Your story, in your words, from your site and what you tell us.
What the room said
What people said, once they have tried it.
A link to your site, and a link to this bar in your shop.
What we tend to like
Good dark chocolate, ethically made, with a lean toward small makers.
- We lean toward dark bars, with a short ingredient list.
- We like knowing where the cacao came from and how the people who grew it were treated.
- Mostly we want a bar a person would keep around, or give to a friend.
That is a guide and not a rule, so write to us even if you don't fit every line.
How we write
Your page gets the same care as our journal, in plain words with its sources named.
Bean-to-bar means a maker started from cacao beans and did the rest of the work itself. Here is what those steps are, which ones happen on the farm, and what the phrase leaves out.
The number on the wrapper tells you how much of the bar's weight came from cacao. It says little about the balance of solids and fat, and nothing direct about how well the bar was made.
The pale film is usually fat bloom, where softened cocoa butter rises and sets again on the surface. Makers say the bar is still safe to eat, and it can be melted and re-tempered if you want the shine back.
How to send
Email jacob@cacaoclub.org and we will reply with the address. Nobody needs to knock or wait. Please check nothing is due on delivery, because the club cannot pay it.
Questions
What do I have to send?
A few bars, shipped free to the address we give you when you say yes. That is enough for a room of about thirty. There is no fee, and the club never pays for product or shipping.
What do I get for it?
A page about your company and your bar with photos, your story, the room's score and links to your site and your product. The room hears about you in person. Anyone who likes it can buy it directly from you through those links.
What is this about Google and ChatGPT?
When someone asks Google or an AI tool like ChatGPT what bar to try, the tool answers from pages it can read. We write every page in plain words with the facts those tools look for, so they can find it and cite it, and it links to you.
Can you promise sales or a place on Google?
No. Nobody can promise that, and we do not track sales. People could buy from you, and the page is there for as long as the site is.
Will you promise a good score?
No. The score is whatever the room gives it, and low scores are printed the same as high ones.
Does the club pay for anything?
No. The club never pays for product, shipping or fees, and it does not charge for coverage. It also does not buy or order anything, now or later.
Do you need to meet or call?
No. Everything happens by email.
Will the page say I sent it free?
Yes. Every page about a free bar says who sent it, in plain words near the top.
Who is behind this?
Jacob runs it. About a hundred people are on our invite list.
Does my bar have to fit a list of rules?
No. Good dark chocolate, ethically made, with a lean toward small makers. That is a guide and not a rule, and we would rather hear from you than guess.