The Truth About Greyton’s Von Geusau Chocolates

Most chocolate minions will agree that chocolate is what separates humans from empty husks. What separates poor to middling chocolate from fine quality chocolate has much to do with the tempering process and the minimum 32% cocoa butter content required to conjure something special. Chocolate is a living thing that behaves funny. The nurturing process is 80% science, 20% art; and you need a 100% scorecard to get the right thickness and shine.

Cocoa butter’s evil twin

With overuse and blind application phrases like “hand crafted” lose their meaning. At Von Geusau, aside from the tempering machine, everything is carefully fashioned by hand and overseen by owner Richard Von Geusau. He self-selects and imports best quality Belgian couverture chocolate with no vegetable fats masquerading as cocoa butter. His jolly team set to work creating and putting together the finished product you see countrywide at boutique retail stores, hotels and wine pairings.

Popular, unconventional flavours

When surrounded by high-end quality stuff, most people feel obligated to verbalise a preference for dark chocolate. It’s the PC thing to do. Good and well if that is your preference. Dark is usually best quality. However, at the Von Geusau chocolate shop in Greyton you’re encouraged to leave the obligatory waft at the door and open your mind to the many unusual flavours and aromas you wouldn’t normally expect to find in chocolate. It’s part of the personality and humility of the place. They do a roaring trade in white, light and dark and everyone finds their niché.

Foraging for new ingredients

While fine quality artisanal chocolate has certain shared characteristics, Von Geusau flavours really are uniquely inspired. For instance, who would have thought that pear, Earl Grey, Masala Chai, whiskey cinnamon, rose geranium and a variety of other flavours would find their way into chocolate? Richard did, and you know what, it works. In fact, he’s constantly foraging for new flavours and is in the process of bringing out two new ones inspired by typically South African ingredients.

Synonomous with Greyton

Von Geusau Chocolates was born and lives in Greyton, and, as Richard says, wouldn’t have worked anywhere else. Greyton is, by all accounts strikingly pretty, and arguably more stylish (less rural) than some of its Overberg neighbours but there are no designer donkeys for effect. It’s personal, intimate and all real, much like “Greyton chocolate”, a term fondly used to refer to Von Geusau choccies. The shop is conveniently located off the Main Road in DS Botha Road at the Oak & Vigne Café. It’s open seven days a week from 11:00 until 15:00 but they’ll happily open on request if you’re planning on checking out early.