From Ecuador to the UK
I’m Carlos Ayala, a third-generation Italian Ecuadorian chocolate maker, living in the UK since 2018.
My mother’s family comes from the Amazon. Since I was a child, I remember my grandmother bringing raw cacao beans. From an early age, I became familiar with cacao, its intense taste, and fantastic aroma.
With the eagerness to share the kitchen with my mum, and with loving support from my twin sister, I took my first steps into chocolate-making. I made truffles which I sold to my neighbours when I was just 12!
After working over 10 years on sustainable development I decided to learn more about the intricate process of chocolate production. I love to continuously innovate and experiment, always striving to appreciate new and exciting chocolate notes and flavours that capture the essence of Ecuadorian land.
With Vicolo Sei, I want to promote the importance of eating premium single origin chocolate and celebrating its luxurious and healthy characteristics.
I offer pop-up sensory chocolate tasting experiences for those eager to recognize flavour profiles and notes and the process about dark chocolate is made from cropping, harvest, post- harvest, and chocolate finishing.
My goal is achieving this premise through sustainable methods of sourcing and transparency along the supply chain, as we ethically sources cacao directly from local producers in Ecuador.
