Before he turned his talents to crafting chocolate, Mark Schimmel was a talented pastry chef. He trained in three-star Michelin kitchens before eventually becoming head pastry chef in a two-star Michelin restaurant in The Netherlands. It was during this time that Mark developed a real passion for chocolate.

He loved working with it as an ingredient and wanted to learn more. He wanted to understand the story behind the chocolate that would arrive in his kitchens ready for him to meltdown and craft into spectacular creations.

He loved working with it as an ingredient and wanted to learn more. He wanted to understand the story behind the chocolate that would arrive in his kitchens ready for him to meltdown and craft into spectacular creations.

Krak Chocolade was born in early 2013, with Mark starting his operations with two small scale grinders from India before graduating to a slightly larger setup.

Today, Mark makes chocolate for top chefs across Europe, taking the time to work with each chef to understand their precise needs, whether they are looking for a slightly acidic chocolate with a clean finish, or a rich, nutty chocolate with a buttery texture.

Mark then sources the cacao and crafts a bespoke recipe. It is, therefore, no surprise that with such attention to detail, Mark’s couverture is very much in demand. So much so that he only makes very limited runs of bars of Krak.