Best of The Best: Be Chocolat by Michel Clement, Brighton's Devilishly Good Chocolate Shop

Watch in awe as Be Chocolat's magnificent maître chocolatier, Michel Clement, handcrafts swirls of chocolate before your very eyes.

On one of the hottest July days on record, I’ve arranged to meet master chocolatier Michel Clement and his partner in life and business, Titus, at their Duke Street store. As I approach, I find them taking a coffee break at one of the Be Chocolat tables outside. Perhaps these aren’t the best conditions to discuss a food normally associated with chillier months, but for this affable duo, their work doesn't stop just because there's a heatwave. Instead, they adapt their offering to suit the season, which in this instance means that strawberry and chocolate milkshakes and ice cream are the order of the day.

Fast forward to October, and as the nights draw in, autumn brings a whole new collection of flavours and novelty designs. Pre-packed bags containing a pair of mini Halloween pumpkins are filled to the brim with rich chocolate drops. Bat-shaped chocolate lollies and a trio of little white chocolate ghouls are perfect for trick-or-treat night, though probably far too good to give away to any greedy children.

Then of course, there's the signature hot chocolate, whipped-up in-store and available to go. Hot chocolate drops are also sold in 250g bags ranging from 28% white hot chocolate drops to 32% milk and 60% dark chocolate drops, with helpful recipe instructions on each pack. Meanwhile, thick chocolate slabs, tempered on a marble worktop in full view, range from 33% milk chocolate from Ghana to 100% dairy-free dark chocolate. Though a word of warning. The latter is not for those with a sweet tooth.

Michel spent what he describes as “an anarchic childhood” in Africa and says that his Belgian heritage shaped his professional identity as a chocolatier. This deep attachment to chocolate culture and lifelong passion for African cocoa led to a career switch later in life. After a seasoned career as an architect, he decided to become a chocolatier, learning the craft by working alongside a renowned chocolatier in Barcelona. Before that, Michel says he knew nothing about chocolate making, but his creative background meant developing exciting new brand concepts came naturally.

Together with Titus, a successful chocolate business soon followed in Spain and rapidly grew to include over 80 shops worldwide, from Shanghai to Singapore. But with factory production, the pair soon realised they were missing the customers' reaction to seeing how their chocolates were made, so they sold the business and upped sticks to Bali where they planned on retiring, or so they thought.

But it wasn’t long before they became restless and the idea for a new way to sell chocolates was hatched. With a workshop-in-shop concept, they were free from the factory system of making the product behind closed doors. Looking back, Titus says: “People thought we were crazy to open a chocolate shop in the middle of Bali engulfed by tropical heat, but we looked at them and said, well, we can! We had no fridge, only air conditioning. It was an amazing challenge, but that's how the Be Chocolat brand first came about."

As the Bali store thrived and other shops quickly followed nearby, the Brighton store opened in 2017, shortly after their daughter moved to the city to study. Michel and Titus were instantly struck by the city's handmade, independent side, and when a former chocolate shop became available, they moved in. The brand is such a hit with Brighton and Hove locals and stylish London day-trippers that in May 2026, it provided the chocolates for the Adelaide Salon x Brighton Pavilion Art Gala, an immersive evening spotlighting contemporary art, performance, and music in a unique setting.

In contrast to other well-known chocolate brands such as Hotel Chocolate - now owned by the commercial beast, Unilever- and Cadbury’s, which use palm oil to make products that are so far removed from real chocolate, it's refreshing to know that this Brighton-based chocolate maker cares deeply about its environmental footprint. As part of its promise to protect endangered species including the Orangutan, pygmy elephant and Sumatran rhino, it is 100% palm oil-free. Dedicated Balinese women hand-craft the boxes from recycled Bali waste paper, and a percentage of sales from each box also helps support them.

“Our ethos has always been about quality and sustainability,” adds Titus, reaching for one of Be Chocolat's ready-made selection boxes to demonstrate the packaging. Each one ranges in size and weight from 325g (£45) to 2kg (£250) and contains an array of chocs including Yuzo with Limoncello, dark walnut praline, and caramelised orange dipped in dark chocolate.

Chocolate connoisseurs will also love the grown-up flavours of its cherry liqueurs and Marc de Champagne truffles. "If you buy chocolates from other brands, it's most likely made two months earlier, and therefore the alcohol will have evaporated," notes Michel. "The beauty of making chocolates on the day is that you get a lovely fresh shot of liqueur.”  

As we say our goodbyes, the curious chocolatier suddenly announces he has had an idea, to which Titus gently rolls her eyes. “He never stops thinking about chocolate - even in the middle of the night he’s thinking about new flavour combinations!” she laughs.