We've had some unusually hot days recently, and the forecast is not ruling out another heatwave. High temperatures have an impact on many areas of our daily life and it can affect our cacao when she’s on her way to you.
Cacaopura is 100% pure ceremonial cacao, with nothing added to stabilise or harden her. Pure cacao behaves like pure cacao. She is alive, natural and unprocessed, which also means she responds to heat. Cacao can begin to soften from around 27-30°C, so when a pouch sits in a warm van, a depot, a porch, or direct sunlight, she may melt in transit and re-set into a block as she cools. Her shape changes but her flavour, nutrition and integrity do not.
What we are doing about it
If a red or amber heat alert is in place, we will dispatch orders Monday to Thursday only, with a 1pm cut-off. This keeps your cacao moving through the network on weekdays and avoids parcels sitting in hot facilities over the weekend, when nothing is being delivered.
We have also added the option to select insulated packaging with gel packs at checkout for £2.99, for extra protection on the journey to you. In warmer weeks especially, it is a small step that helps her arrive in the best possible condition.
If, despite our best efforts, your cacao has arrived softened, or melted and reset into a solid block, we want to reassure you straight away: there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. The medicine remains exactly the same.
So please do not throw it away. If your cacao arrives softened, place the sealed pouch in the fridge until it firms up again, then simply chop or shave the block into pieces. Use around 20g to 30g (roughly one tablespoon) to make each cup, exactly as you would with the coins. It’s not the shape we intended for her, but the ritual and benefits stay the same.
How you can help her arrive at her best
A few small things make a real difference in hot weather:
Bring your package inside as soon as it is delivered, rather than leaving it on a doorstep in the sun. We can do everything in our power up to the point of dispatch, but once the parcel is with the courier we cannot control whether it is left in direct sunlight, so the moment it lands with you matters.
Opt in to delivery notifications at checkout. Knowing exactly when your cacao arrives means you can bring her in straight away.
