our story
a bean to bar journey
how it all began
It was the Pandemic of 2020, not too long ago, when Ireland went into a lockdown and Lisa Kleiner went into a chocolate making frenzy. A qualified chef by trade, she has always been a bit of a mad scientist in the kitchen “laboratory” delving deep into flavours and textures that sing.
It’s not just taste that compels Lisa, she is also deeply passionate about health and nutrition, holding a Degree in Nutrition and a Masters Degree (MSc) in Sport and Exercise Nutrition from the University of Ulster.
Her fascinated learnings into the world of cacao and chocolate making lead her down a very insightful path. The more she researched this magical bean the more she learned about its amazing health benefits. This coupled with its insanely good taste inspired her to take a leap of faith to pivot her business to become a Bean to Bar (as well as teas and nibbles) Cacao Producer.
Anna came on board
Early into the idea phase Lisa’s niece, Anna O’Sullivan, got wind of what Lisa was up to and got herself involved. She too had a love for cacao that was growing, and she wanted a piece of the pie. With her background in design and wellness marketing the two made a great complimentary team. Lisa in the kitchen and Anna on the screen.
Food Safety
Lisa didn’t just stop at being a Chef, Nutritionist and Sports Nutritionist. She went onto to complete a 1st class Masters Degree (MSc) in Food Safety Management from TU Dublin and is a fully qualified Food Safety Trainer licensed with the Environmental Health Officers Association.
So when it came to finding a production facility she pulled out all the stops and renovated a state of the art kitchen in Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow, dedicated solely to Nibbed and its high quality ingredients.
product development
After many months in Nibbed HQ Lisa trialled and tested many recipes and combinations to discover the best product range for launch. Eventually, eight products were born!
ZERO FOOD WASTE
using all parts of the cacao bean
BEANS
The beans are roasted gently to extract as much flavour as possible and to provide a heat step to ensure they are safe to eat. They are then carefully cracked and double winnowed.
HUSKS
The cacao husks, or outer shell of the cacao bean, are full of amazing nutrients and fibre so we don’t let these go to waste. We use them to blend into make our amazing cacao husk tea brews.
NIBS
The nibs are used to make cacao nibble mixes for you to sprinkle over your porridge or yoghurt or add to a smoothie or simply to munch on
CERTIFIED ORGANIC
we are all about the best ingredients!
Each ingredient carefully selected and organic certified. All the fruits used in nibbed; house made orange and lime powders are dehydrated on-site and all the seeds and nuts activated and dehydrated to aid digestion and increase their amazing flavour. We use organic, food grade essential oils in some products to lift the experience and natural extracts that enhance the delicate cacao flavour.
All products are made without any preservatives or artificial flavours and they are all vegan, free from gluten and soya lecithin.