Monto Chocolates
Company background:
Monto Mansour is a talented local pastry chef who is known for his distinctive flair with his theatrical infusion of ingredients. From the classic afternoon tea, to cakes and pastries; signature macaroons to delicate desserts Monto’s dishes are exquisite and highly recognised in the hospitality industry. Monto comes with a wealth of experience, having worked in places like The Greenhouse, Deane’s, Saphyre and Harrys.
Challenge:
Monto had set out to develop a range of his own branded luxury premium chocolate bon bons selection but required support with the chocolate labelling, calculations of milk and cocoa solids within recipe and upskilling in allergen management during production and the associated labelling skills specific to coatings and fillings.
Solution:
In order to overcome this issue, Monto Chocolates, made contact with North West Regional College (NWRC) Business Support Centre (BSC) who supported them through the InnovateUs programme which is funded by the Department for the Economy.
This provided 30 hours of 1:1 mentoring support from NWRC Culinary Technical Consultant, Rita O’Kane, who provided upskilling in chocolate legislation, calculations of milk and cocoa solids within the recipes, allergen labelling including the processing considerations of allergens and relative labelling requirements specific to coatings and fillings.
Impact:
On completion of the project, Monto has successfully developed a range of his own branded luxury premium chocolate bon bons and plans to move into business premises within the next year as business grows. He would also like to diversify into other products such as fudge.
Monto Mansour, Owner of Monto Chocolates, described the benefits of working with NWRC’s Business Support Centre via the InnovateUs programme:
“Foodovation have been an invaluable help, offering hands on support with a great depth of knowledge at every stage of my product development.”
