In Saint-André-lez-Lille, Encuentro opens its bean-to-bar chocolate factory to visitors, revealing the transformation of cocoa from bean to finished bar. The tour takes place in a century-old former textile mill and introduces both the ingredients and the processes used by the chocolate maker.
How long does the tour last?
The standard visit lasts about 90 minutes. It includes an introduction to cocoa beans from different origins, explanations of the production stages and tastings that let visitors compare the flavour profiles of different chocolates.
What is the minimum age?
The factory tour is open to visitors aged 14 and over. Most of the visit is spent standing and, for hygiene and safety reasons, guests are asked to wear trousers and flat, closed-toe shoes.
Before booking
Groups can include up to 15 people. The factory is accessible to people with reduced mobility, although the amount of time spent standing should be taken into consideration.
Encuentro's greatest strength is showing a craft still relatively rare in France: it processes raw cocoa itself, so visitors can observe the complete production chain rather than just the assembling of finished chocolate products.
