What can foodies in Luxembourg discover by tasting the chocolate you make, from the bean to the bar?
Pierre Marcolini: I want to help people discover the chocolate that we offer through our grand cru dark chocolate bars. A grand cru is a place, a plot of land--the most important thing is not the percentage of cocoa, but, because we are dealing with plants, the soil and how it is used.
As early as 1995, I said to myself that a chocolate-maker should participate in the making of their chocolate from the cocoa bean onwards. And in 2000, I took the step of going bean-to-bar [editor’s note: Marcolini was one of the precursors of this movement]. Today, it is unthinkable for me to create a bar without having been to the plantation. I need this source of inspiration, to understand the history of the harvester, how the cocoa farm is structured and the biodiversity that surrounds it. This work is also what justifies the price.
What were your inspirations for the winter collection?
The guiding principle was that we are still coming out of the covid-19 period, we are finally meeting our families, without masks, we want and need to embrace each other, to give each other hugs. And what do we kiss under? Holly. The collection was also inspired by the idea of walks in the forest and family gatherings around the fire.
We can be creative with the Christmas theme--we’ve already done things with sake and smoke, for example--but it remains a traditional holiday. We added touches of berry flavours with bilberry or barberry, but above all we wanted to appeal to the whole family with hazelnut, nougat and praline flavours.
What is your relationship and history with Luxembourg?
Luxembourg is a favourite. For Belgians, it’s almost a second home: the Benelux countries are not insignificant for us, nor is the grand ducal family [editor’s note: Marcolini is a supplier for the grand ducal court]. There is a strong link between Luxembourg and Belgium in terms of state of mind, conviviality and the art of living. In terms of chocolate, Saint Nicholas traditions are an example of this commonality, as is marzipan.
Luxembourg was also one of the first countries where I set up the brand outside Belgium, namely in the Smets shop. A few years later we opened in the Cloche d’Or and today we are present also at the Galeries Lafayette. We bring a certain Belgian charm to the group’s French style, which is a nice touch.
Pierre Marcolini was already present at Galeries Lafayette in Paris. Commenting on his arrival to the Luxembourg shop, the chef says: “They trusted us and we are very happy to be here.” (Photo: Romain Gamba/Maison Moderne)
In addition, Pit Oberweis is a great friend and mentor of mine; he has both driven and followed my career, and is someone I love and respect very much, as well as the Oberweis house as a whole. His two sons, and , are also great people, and have even visited the chocolate factory. It is also true that there is a private story of the heart in the grand duchy: my son has been working in a big law firm in Luxembourg for a few years and he has fallen in love there.
You offer sustainable chocolate and have launched a range of bars with no added sugar. Is this a way of adapting to the new needs and concerns of consumers?
Consumers are more and more enlightened; they want more and more information. The younger generation is looking for transparency, sustainability and traceability. The bean-to-bar movement, of which I’m a part and whose following is growing, is therefore for me the future of chocolate. The challenges are certainly greater than before, but we can’t ignore the current trends.
In terms of circular economy and energy, we have installed 1,000 square metres of solar panels on the roof of our Brussels workshop, we have a water recovery system and we use less and less plastic packaging. As far as the chocolates are concerned, we only use vegetable pigments which have replaced the colouring agents. We are fortunate to have a range of products that can satisfy people who have adopted a vegan or lactose-free diet. For example, if you look at the composition of a dark chocolate bar, it is vegan. The same goes for orangettes. There is always a way to indulge!
What can we expect from the next Pierre Marcolini collections?
Something to share for Valentine’s Day, a very poetic spring au fil de l'eau and a vanilla fragrance for summer…
Pierre Marcolini @ Galeries Lafayette: 103, Grand Rue, Luxembourg (Centre-ville), T. 23 63 35 00
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This article in French in Paperjam. It has been translated and edited for Delano.