Tasting chocolate is something you do with all your senses. We explain in our 'your own chocolate tasting at home' out how to make the most of your chocolate at home. But much rather we will explain it to you ourselves during one of our workshops.

Good question! It is quite a complicated process and a bit too long to explain here. That's why we have the blog 'This is how chocolate is made' written.

Chocolate is a fragile product. Store it in a dry, cool place at a temperature between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius. So choose a dark place to store your chocolate, such as a pantry or kitchen cupboard. Preferably avoid the fridge.
Want to know exactly why this is so important and how to keep your precious chocolate in top condition for as long as possible? Read it in our blog 'What is the best way to store chocolate?'

White chocolate basically consists of: cocoa butter, milk powder and sugar. A cocoa bean consists of 52 - 58% of cocoa butter, depending on the type of bean. Therefore, in our eyes, white chocolate is real chocolate.
According to the Commodities Act Decree on cocoa and chocolate, white chocolate must contain a minimum of 20% of cocoa butter.
For your convenience, you can filter by chocolate type in our shop. Discover these white chocolates

It is a conscious decision by us not to make our own chocolate. Instead, the Chocolate Girls are committed to introducing people to bean-to-bar chocolate. We do this by offering craft chocolate in our webshop and giving various chocolate tastings.

The scientific name of cacao trees is Theobroma cacao. Cocoa trees are native to the Amazon region. Cocoa can actually grow anywhere around the equator (23 degrees north and 23 degrees south of it) and up to a maximum altitude of 1,000 metres.
Read in our blog "this is how cocoa trees grow" much more about this special tree.

Bean-to-bar chocolate literally means 'from bean to bar' chocolate. This means that the chocolate maker keeps the entire process, from selecting the cocoa beans to packaging the chocolate, in-house. Bean-to-bar chocolate is more sustainable than the usual chocolate from the supermarket. We explain exactly how this works in detail in this blog.

Chocolate is often chosen based on its cocoa percentage, but what exactly is it? Chocolate usually consists of cocoa mass, cocoa butter and possibly added sugar (in the case of milk chocolate, milk solids are also added).
The cocoa percentage is the sum of the percentage of cocoa mass and cocoa butter. However, the manufacturer is not required to state the ratios between the two.

For example:
Bar A: with 70% cocoa -> cocoa mass: 62% + cocoa butter: 8%
Bar B: with 70% cocoa -> cocoa mass 50% + cocoa butter 20%

But which one should I buy? Our advice is simple: taste it! Try different bars with the same cocoa percentage, for example two bars of 70% and discover the difference in taste.

The difference between dark chocolate and milk chocolate is in the ingredients.

These are the minimum ingredients needed to make the chocolate.

Cocoa mass
Cocoa mass is created by grinding cocoa beans and is an important raw material for chocolate.

Cocoa butter
Cocoa butter is extracted from cocoa beans. The cocoa beans are ground and cocoa butter is pressed from this mass.
Some chocolate makers choose to add extra cocoa butter to the cocoa mass. How is no rule for it has everything to do with personal preference and the style of the chocolate maker. Too little cocoa butter can create a dry mouthfeel, while too much cocoa butter can make the chocolate oily, slimy and lacking in flavour.

Sugar
Pure bleached cane sugar is the most common choice because it has no flavour. Natural or organic cane sugar is often preferred, but has the disadvantage that its own flavour mixes with the flavours of the chocolate. Alternative sugars such as coconut blossom sugar are becoming increasingly popular, but these all have their own distinctive flavour that changes the overall flavour profile of the chocolate.

Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate must contain a minimum total of 35% of cocoa mass and cocoa butter.

Milk chocolate
Milk chocolate must contain a minimum total of 25% of cocoa mass and cocoa butter.

We apply a minimum order value of €15.

No, we do not have a physical shop, but you can order our sustainable chocolate in our webshop and pick it up in our workshop. When completing your order, you can select the "collect" option. We will contact you when you can pick up your order. This way, there is always someone from us present to receive you. In principle, your parcel will be ready for you the next working day.

Our studio is located at Daalakkersweg 8-20(4), 5641JA Eindhoven. We look forward to welcoming you there. If you have any questions about picking up your order, please feel free to contact us at post@dechocolademeisjes.nl or by phone on 06 - 19 36 37 46.

When confirming your order, you can choose the option "Do you have a voucher? Click here to enter your code." Enter the gift card code and it will be deducted from the total order amount. If there is a remaining amount, you can pay it via another payment method.

• Ideal
  Ideal the most widely used online payment method in the Netherlands. You can make your payment in a familiar online banking environment.
• PayPal
  PayPal is an online payment system that offers buyers a lot of protection. If you want to use this simple payment service, you need to create a (free) account with PayPal.
• Belfius Direct Net
  Belfius Direct Net is one of the most widely used online payment methods in Belgium. You can make your payment in a familiar online banking environment.
• KBC/CBC Payment button
  KBC/CBC Payment Button, alongside, Belfius Direct Net, is one of the most widely used online payment methods in Belgium. You can make your payment in a familiar internet banking environment.
• Gift voucher
  With the gift card of The Chocolate Girls, you can pay in the webshop of The Chocolate Girls. If the amount of the order exceeds the value of the gift card, you can pay the remaining amount with another payment method.
  

Place the desired items in your basket, by clicking 'add to basket'. Once you have placed all desired items in the basket, click on the shopping basket in the top right-hand corner. If you have not yet logged in, you will be asked for your login details. You can also checkout as a guest, in which case you will be asked for your details. Next, select the desired shipping method and payment method. In the last step, you will get the chance to check the order.

When you are satisfied with the products in your shopping basket, click 'complete order'.

Did you not receive a confirmation e-mail after successfully paying for your order? If so, please check your spam, junk mail or 'junk' folder. You can also view your order in your account under 'Orders'. If you cannot find your order, please contact us at post@dechocolademeisjes.nl or call us on 06 - 19 36 37 46.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to change your order after it has been placed.
If you have made a mistake in the address details, we recommend contacting us as soon as possible by phone on 06 - 19 36 37 46. We will then check whether it is still possible to change the delivery address.

Yes, it is possible to cancel your order. Please contact us by phone at 06 - 19 36 37 46 as soon as possible to do so.
Please note that if the order has already been dispatched, cancellation is no longer possible.
The total amount of your order, will be refunded to your account as soon as possible after cancellation.

In the unlikely event that something goes wrong with your order, we would like to reach you as soon as possible to find a solution. Our preference is to do this by phone, but leaving your phone number is of course not obligatory.
If we do not have your phone number, we will send you an e-mail.

We offer two options:

• Sustainable delivery by Tour de Ville (bicycle couriers)
  If you choose to have your order delivered, you will receive a Track & Trace code as soon as the shipping label has been created. If you order before 14:00 on working days, your order will in principle be dispatched the same day. In the unlikely event that we are unable to dispatch on the same day, you will be informed. Please note that during busy periods delivery may take longer than normal.
  
• Self-collection at Section-C in Eindhoven
  If you choose to collect your chocolate yourself from our premises at Section-C, we will send you an e-mail to coordinate the date and time. This way, someone from us will always be there to receive you. In principle, your parcel will be ready for you the next working day.

Yes, we ship orders to Belgium, shipping costs are €8.50 per parcel.
Upon request, we also ship order to a number of other countries. Please contact us via post@dechocolademeisjes.nl or by phone on 06 - 19 36 37 46.

We ship chocolate at temperatures up to 24 °C so not in very hot weather. But feel free to place your order and as soon as the temperature drops below 24 °C, we will ship your chocolate.

Once we have created a shipping label, you will be sent a Track & Trace code. This Track & Trace code allows you to track your parcel.
Please note that this mail may end up in your spam box.

Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to ship for free. After all, packing and shipping chocolate costs time and money. Because we want to be as transparent as possible in the entire chain, from cocoa farmer to shipping, we charge you for part of these costs.
In the Netherlands, this is €4.50 for a letterbox parcel.

We send your chocolate in letterbox parcels in a sustainable way with Tour de Ville bicycle couriers. The parcels are delivered from Monday to Saturday throughout the Netherlands.

Order on Monday to Friday before 2pm?
Then your order will be packed and transferred to Tour de Ville the same day. Immediately afterwards, you will receive a track and trace number so that you can follow your parcel. In principle, you will receive your parcel the next day.

Do you order on Monday to Thursday after 2pm?
Then your order will be packed and transferred to Tour de Ville the next day. Immediately afterwards, you will receive a track and trace number so that you can follow your parcel. In principle, you will receive your package within 2 days.

Order on Friday after 2pm, or during the weekend?
The first thing we do on Monday is pack your parcel and hand it over to Tour de Ville. You will receive a track-and-trace number from us so you can follow your parcel. In principle, you will receive your chocolate on Tuesday.

Should the temperature be above 24 degrees Celsius, we will not ship your chocolate until it is cooler outside.

Delivery
For delivery within the Netherlands, shipping costs are €4.50 for a letterbox parcel. If your parcel does not fit through the letterbox, we will send it by parcel post for €6.70.

Self-collection
Picking up your chocolate package at our workshop at Section-C by appointment is of course free of charge.

An order is only truly complete as a gift if it is also wrapped. That is why we offer a gift service. In the shop you will also find the option 'gift service'. By adding it to your order, you indicate that we may pack the parcel for you. The wrapping service costs € 2.50 for the entire order.
We wrap the chocolate in beautiful paper. In addition, we add a tasting card to the gift. Using this, the recipient can follow step by step how to "really taste" chocolate.
The letterbox parcel is provided with a shipping label. On this we hand write the name of the lucky recipient.
Want to complete the gift? Then add a greeting card and add a personal message. We will hand-write your message especially for you.

How nice of you to give products from The Chocolate Girls as a gift! The lucky recipient of your gift will not receive an invoice.

We strive to offer the best chocolate and service. If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with our products or services, please let us know. We would like to do our best to make it right.

You can reach us via e-mail at post@dechocolademeisjes.nl or by phone at 06-19 36 37 46. We take your complaint seriously and will do our utmost to respond within 48 hours.
Please describe your complaint as specifically as possible and do not forget to include your order number so that we can provide you with the best possible service.

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. Would you like to unsubscribe from our newsletter? Then you can unsubscribe via the link 'unsubscribe from this newsletter' at the bottom of the newsletter.
If this fails, you can also send an e-mail to post@dechocolademeisjes.nl. We will then make sure you are deregistered.

You can follow us us on the following social media platforms, Linked-In, Facebook and Instagram.
Link-In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/de-chocolademeisjes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dechocolademeisjes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/de_chocolademeisjes/

We are located at the following address, a visit is possible by appointment only.

The Chocolate Girls
Section-C
Daalakkersweg 8-20-(4)
5641JA Eindhoven

post@dechocolademeisjes.nl

06 19 36 37 46

All dark chocolates in our range are suitable for a vegan diet, meaning they contain no animal ingredients. We also offer vegan milk chocolates, which are made with plant-based milk. Discover these chocolates in our online shop.

Yes, chocolate is naturally gluten-free and therefore fits into a gluten-free diet. However, ingredients may be added that contain gluten. When this is the case, it is always mentioned on the product page under the heading "Ingredients".
In addition, allergens are also described for each product, including whether traces of gluten may be present. Discover all our sustainable chocolates in our online shop.

Generally, sugar is added to chocolate. As a rule of thumb, the higher the percentage of cocoa, the less sugar is added to the chocolate.
As an example, a bar of dark chocolate with 85% cocoa contains 85% cocoa and 15% sugar.

With milk chocolate, the sugar content is generally higher and the ratio of milk to sugar may differ. This ratio is not always listed on the ingredient list.

For your convenience, you can filter in our shop by the desired cocoa percentage. In addition, we have some chocolate products in our range that contain no sugar at all. Discover these 100% chocolates.

We work with different chocolate makers, so the packaging materials used may vary. Below is an overview of the most common packaging materials and how to sort them.

Cardboard
The packaging of the chocolate is usually made of paper or cardboard and can be thrown away with the waste paper.

Plastic wrap
The chocolate is protected by a plastic wrapper. This may be disposed of with plastic waste.

Some chocolate makers use biodegradable plastic (compostable plastic). This type of plastic cannot be disposed of in the kitchen and garden waste or PMD waste. It must therefore be disposed of with the residual waste.

If you have any questions about sorting our packaging or other sustainability issues, please feel free to contact us at post@dechocolademeisjes.nl or by phone on 06 - 19 36 37 46. We will be happy to help you!

Sustainability has been one of the core principles of The Chocolate Girls from the very beginning. In addition, fair trade and high quality of our chocolates are central to the composition of our collection. Moreover, long-term and close relationships with our partners are essential to us. The Chocolate Girls place great importance on environmental protection, climate protection and ethical trade. Because this is such an important aspect for us, we have a special page dedicated to it, on which you can discover all about our sustainable business.

Our chocolate is not fair trade certified. The chocolate makers we work with buy their cocoa beans directly from the cocoa farmer or cocoa cooperatives. This principle is called direct-trade, it is a trade and there is no certification system involved here. This way, the farmer earns a fair price because no middlemen are needed.
Want to know more about direct-trade and what exactly it entails? Then read our blog on Direct Trade.

A sustainable chocolate package demands to be shipped as sustainably as possible. That is why we work with Tour de Ville bicycle couriers. With e-trikes, cargo bikes, bicycle trailers and waterproof backpacks, they sustainably transport various goods throughout Eindhoven, Tilburg, Helmond and the surrounding area.

Don't live in this area? Then Tour de Ville will see if your parcel can be delivered by their collaboration partner Fietskoeriers.nl. This is a collaboration of bicycle couriers in 30 cities within the Netherlands. Together, they provide a parcel network with cargo bikes and vans running on green gas.

If you do not live in the area where Tour de Ville or bicycle courier operates, your parcel will be sent via DHL. This is because they have a nationwide network. This ideally complements the network of Tour de Ville and fietskoerier.nl.

We also send letterbox packages as much as possible. This way, we send only chocolate and no air. This way, your parcel is sent as sustainably as possible.

You have the right to cancel your order up to 14 days after receipt without giving a reason. After cancellation, you have another 14 days to return the product. The costs of return shipment are for your own account.

Once we have received the products back in good order, we will refund the full purchase price, including shipping costs, to your bank account within a maximum of 14 days.

If you wish to exercise your right of withdrawal, please notify us by e-mail at:
service@dechocolademeisjes.nl
o.v.v. right of withdrawal.

To process your revocation, we ask you to print the attached form, fill it in and add it to the return shipment of the products.

You can send the product(s) to:
The Chocolate Girls
Daalakkersweg 8-20(4)
5641JA Eindhoven

Form_withdrawal_The Chocolate Girls.pdf

No, it is not possible to exchange an item directly. However, you can use the right of withdrawal and return the products within 14 calendar days after delivery. You can then place a new order for the desired article.

Please note that return shipping costs are at your own expense. Once we have received the products back in good order, we will refund the full purchase price, including any shipping costs, to your bank account within 14 days.

Nice that you want to surprise your colleagues with a chocolate tasting from The Chocolate Girls! Our corporate events are tailor-made. View all workshops on the workshop page and fill in the contact form for efficient coordination. Indicate your preferred date and workshop type. We will contact you to discuss your requirements.

It is possible to receive an invoice of your order. Enter the company details when completing your order. Send an e-mail to post@dechocolademeisjes.nl and state in the e-mail that you would like to receive an invoice for the order you placed. We will send the invoice to the e-mail address you provide.