The Innovation of Chocolate: Interview with entrepreneur Julia Zotter
Confectioner and entrepreneur Julia Zotter runs the probably best-known chocolate business in Austria. L'Officiel Austria spoke with her about the craft, values and passion of her vocation as a chocolatier.
Zotter is a family business rich in tradition. Tell us more about the philosophy!
Julia Zotter: "In our chocolate factory in Riegersburg, we produce our chocolate bean-to-bar ourselves. From the cocoa bean to the finished bar, all production steps are carried out in-house. Roasting, grinding, rolling and conching are done in small batches and individually matched to the cocoa. Around 220 people are employed in Riegersburg, producing fresh chocolate every day and taking care of everything that needs to be done. We buy cocoa beans directly from cocoa growers in South and Latin America, but also in Africa and the Caribbean. Variety is important to us. Only organically grown ingredients go into our chocolate and all ingredients from the South are also fair trade certified. Otherwise, chocolate can taste quite bitter if it does not come from fair trade. Our motto is insourcing instead of outsourcing. We not only make the chocolate bean-to-bar ourselves, but also produce all the nougats, marzipan and jellies for the fillings ourselves. This gives us maximum influence on quality and we are also one of the few manufacturers who can guarantee that what's in the chocolate is really what's on it, with physical traceability of the ingredients."
What does new innovative chocolate mean to you?
Julia Zotter: "We focus on innovations. It is important for us to offer a wide and varied range - from classic varieties like marzipan and almond and berry marzipan to crazy creations like cola & popcorn or hemp praline. In total, we produce around 500 different types of chocolate. In addition, customers can create their own customised chocolates from a wide range of ingredients, shapes and fillings at the Mi-Xing bar. We are passionate about experimenting and use our bean-to-bar factory to invent new and innovative chocolates. Variety instead of monoculture - we do it like nature and also focus on variety and surprises in our assortment. We always want to offer new taste experiences. It is also about overcoming the limits we set ourselves."
What is the idea behind the creative designs of the packaging?
Julia Zotter: "Since the beginning, our friend and artist Andreas H. Gratze has created his own artistic design for each chocolate, which makes each bar unique and a first-class gift. He often goes into great detail with his drawings and artistically sets the scene for individual ingredients. This makes our products true collector's items for many customers."
Dark chocolate makes you happy and healthy. What new varieties can we look forward to?
Julia Zotter: "We are currently experimenting with a vegan caramel chocolate. This is a project that we have been pursuing for a long time and unfortunately have not yet made it to a product range listing. But the new series of experiments is promising - and a vegan caramel filling would really be a sensation. We are already very excited!"
