Pralus

Pralus began as a pastry shop in Roanne, France, in 1948 and now makes its chocolate bean to bar in Roanne, with beans from South America, Africa and the Indian Ocean.

About Pralus

Based in
Roanne, France
Founded
1948
Known for
bean-to-bar chocolate and the Praluline

Auguste Pralus opened a pastry shop in Roanne in 1948. In 1955 he created the Praluline, a pink praline brioche that soon became the town's specialty.

François Pralus took over the family business in 1988. As an intern at Bernachon he had the idea of making his own chocolate from the beans, and today he does everything himself in Roanne rather than buying from specialized suppliers, working with beans from South America, Africa and the Indian Ocean. The family also planted 17 hectares of criollo cacao in Madagascar, whose first beans were harvested in 2012.

Pralus questions

What is French praline?

In French confectionery, a praline can be a sugar-coated almond or a cooked mixture of sugar and nuts that is often ground into a paste to fill pastries and candies. In the cookery of the American South, the word means a candy of sugared pecans. Praline runs through Pralus history: in 1955 Auguste Pralus created the Praluline, a pink praline brioche.

What does bean-to-bar mean at Pralus?

Bean-to-bar means one maker turns cacao beans into finished chocolate. François Pralus makes his own chocolate from the beans in Roanne rather than buying from specialized suppliers, and he says each bean has its own character depending on its origin, its terroir and the grower's skill. His range includes a 100% criollo bar from the family's plantation in Madagascar.

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