Hang on a minute. Gladiators were traditionally plant-based fighters, vegan, and did not eat meat. What? Yes! Most meat eating bodybuilders are unaware of the diet of one of the most famous fighting groups - the Gladiators.
In our own twisted way, we found a comparison between chocolatiers and gladiators. Gladiators ate plant based and all natural ingredients, the best for their ‘craft’. High quality ingredients are imperative for professional chocolatiers, this produces the best ‘win’ and most delicious chocolate.
A Battle Royale – Roman-Style
Lured by the promise of fame and riches, enslaved captives, ex-soldiers and even knights and emperors chose to become gladiators in return for high rewards. Let’s be honest, the rewards would have to be pretty high to entice us into an arena to face down a lion or bear. All too often, however, a bout with a deer or an ostrich was just a precursor to the main event; a warm-up up before the big show, if you will.
The real entertainment came when two gladiators entered the arena, poised to battle one another amidst the baying crowds. Sometimes armed with a sword and shield, a bow and arrow or a super-useful net (we know which we’d prefer), combatants fought to prove their prowess and leave victorious. Despite strict regulations to govern these bouts, it wasn’t uncommon for gladiators to fight to the death, leaving just one man to emerge from the battle.
The reward? Well, surviving the duel was the first and foremost benefit but men could regain their freedom if they proved themselves in the arena too. For the most successful gladiators, riches and fame could follow but it was the recognition as a heroic and courageous warrior that was the biggest allure.
Gladiators used to carbo-load with barley, their diet consisted solely of plant based foods, contradictory to the modern day meat laden bodybuilder diet. Barley is an ancient grain full of its own plant protein and fibre. Enough barley provided all the energy and nutrition for a gladiator to take on their most formidable opponent, lion or deer.
What’s that you say? How on earth is an urban chocolatier anything like a Roman gladiator? Fair enough, we don’t encounter raging beasts in our chocolate studio and developing new recipes to tantalise your tastebuds isn’t always a near-death experience, but don’t be fooled – the art of chocolate making carries some similarities to the life of a Roman warrior.
Life As an Artisan Chocolatier
Motivated by the desire to craft the most delectable and luxurious chocolate, an artisan chocolatier pushes boundaries to reach new heights. From innovative flavour combinations to ethically-sourced ingredients, coming up with new epicurean delights is a chocolatier’s battle royale – and we never back down from a challenge.
Like the gladiators of old, we pay close attention to the quality of our ingredients to deliver the finest tastes with health-boosting properties. After all, if gladiators could maintain their muscular physique on a carb-focused, plant-based diet, they must have been doing something right!
Today’s independent chocolatiers in the UK often begin their training as an apprentice to other chocolate makers or as pastry and confectionery chefs. In the same way that gladiators learned their trade at ludi, or ‘gladiator school’, a chocolatier learns the skills they’ll need to develop mouth-watering treats in a fairly formal environment before following their passion as an innovator and creator.
Every artisan chocolatier has their own story and reason for setting up home in a chocolate studio (although, quite often, it’s simply because we love chocolate, can you blame us?). For us, it was the desire to experience different cultures and times through the exquisite taste of chocolate.
Combining Culture and Chocolate
Food is such an integral part of any culture. You can deduce a variety of information about a time or place simply by the foods that were consumed in that era. What, when and how food is eaten gives an insight into how people lived their lives and, by emulating this, we can experience another time and place.
Take the Roman gladiator. We’ve given you a glimpse of what life was like for these celebrated warriors, but what about a taste of a historic world, brimming with courage and heroism?
Our Eat It Like Gladiators bar takes you right back to the 1st century BC and allows you to immerse yourself in a world we can only usually read about. Sometimes known as hordearii, or ‘barley men’, we’ve combined a gladiator’s favourite grain with our 60% dark-milk chocolate blend to create a sumptuously divine chocolate that takes you right back to the arenas of Rome (minus the lions, obviously).
What’s more – we’re committed to crafting healthy chocolate that’s bursting with health-boosting properties – perfect for warriors who want to stay in peak condition! Low in sugar, free from additives and made using only unrefined ingredients, you can enjoy chocolate and culture as never before with Eat It Like.
With just five ingredients, our Gladiator bar stays true to the age-old philosophy that less is more. After all, why pack preservatives and artificial flavours into your food when you can enhance the experience by enjoying top-quality natural ingredients? Featuring popped barley, ethically sourced cacao beans, grass-fed milk powder, cane sugar and pure cacao butter, you can be confident that your taste of Roman history comes with no nasty additives.
Find a Chocolatier Near Me
Discovering talented artisan chocolatiers in the UK is rather like unearthing a burgeoning gladiator – one who is ready to take on new feats, embrace new challenges and is driven to succeed. Whether you’re searching for a chocolate fix in Manchester, you need a talented chocolatier London or you’re eager to get your hands on sensational chocolate in Devon, we’ve got you covered.
In fact, our worldwide delivery options mean you can enjoy delectable, vegan-friendly, healthy chocolate from anywhere in the world. From Rome to Rio or Calgary to Caracas, we’ll ensure you can enjoy artisan chocolate crafted with love and passion by a talented chocolatier.
Want to learn more? Explore our collection and choose which culture to taste first as we take you on a journey of Greek Gods, Geniuses, Astronauts and Healers. Alternatively, drop us a line and tell us what cultures you’d like to taste next and inspire us to create the next chapter of our story.