Come and visit our brand-new chocolate factory in Morlaix, 7 rue du Cosquer, rond-point de la Vierge Noire. A gallery is open to the public (free for children under 8 and €3 for adults). Here you’ll discover the history of chocolate, as well as testimonials from our teams and cocoa producers, with views of the production workshop. A place for curiosity and sharing!
For chocolate lovers of all ages, take part in our Lab where you can customize your own chocolate bars. Recommended for children aged 5 and over. Visit + lab 6.50 € for children under 8 and 10 € for adults, duration 1h00 minimum.
Don’t hesitate to visit us at the Morlaix roasting boutique, at 4 route du bas de la rivière, near the lock that opens onto the English Channel and the Atlantic. Charlotte and Valérie will welcome you and explain the subtleties of our coffees.
Our ship Grain de Sail I will be docked a few months a year in Saint-Malo, its home port, and occasionally in other ports. Visits of this unique boat will be possible from time to time, retracing the whole project and the stages of its construction.
The second cargo yacht in our fleet was christened on January 11, 2024, and began its crossings on March 15, 2024. Larger (52 m) and taller (44 and 48 m masts) than her “little” big brother, GDS II will be able to accommodate an additional crew member during certain transatlantic voyages. The criteria will be very specific, and an analysis of common needs will be carried out by Grain de Sail. To date, the GDS II cargo sailboat cannot be visited, and is not intended for passenger transport, only for freight.
Our cargo sailboat Grain de Sail I has been designed to accommodate a maximum of 4 sailors on board. Our cargo sailboat Grain de Sail II, on the other hand, can accommodate 9 crew members. Above all, these are cargo ships, and are “Marine Marchande” standard. We are therefore unable to take on extra passengers on our crossings.
In autumn, it’s better to face a strong low-pressure system in the North Atlantic than a cyclone in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. We advocate safety for our sailors!
When we fixed the design of the 1st Grain de Sail vessel in 2016, we had no idea that we would be selling more than 330 T of chocolate in 2021 … so we are obliged to import part of our raw materials in conventional mode to meet our supply needs. This is also why we launched the design of Grain de Sail II in September 2020, so that it can be operational in 2023-2024 and significantly increase our cocoa and green coffee import capacity (50 m long and 350 T of hold capacity). In 2021, 2022 and 2023, however, we will have transported over 50% of our cocoa mass requirements by sail!
For the very first transatlantic loop, we didn’t bring back any coffee, but on the 2nd loop (departure 16/04/2021 – arrival 14/07/2021) we brought back 36 tonnes of cocoa mass and around 800 kg of green coffee. For our 5th transatlantic loop, we left Dunkirk in November 2022.
In 2022, we transported around 330 tonnes of cocoa mass and 60 tonnes of coffee.
We made our 6th transatlantic voyage in April 2023 with Grain de Sail I.
2024 heralded the start of a new era: the commissioning of our second Grain de Sail II cargo ship. She made her first “simple” loop to New-York from March 15, 2024 to May 5, 2024, her holds full of various goods (health, cosmetics, dry food, parapharmacy, wines and spirits, leather goods, engines, industrial parts…). The very first “complete” loop from Saint-Malo to the United States, then on to Guadeloupe and back to Brittany began on June 15, 2024 and ended in Saint-Malo on August 16.
Follow the adventures of our sailors on our social networks(Instagram, Facebook, Youtube or Linkedin and Twitter and our TikTok).
Our cargo sailboat is obliged to pass through a port on the list of designated entry points for the import of organic products into France. The masses of organic cocoa will then be transported by conventional road to Morlaix, and our sailing ship will continue its journey by sea to Saint-Malo, its home port if it does not drop off the goods directly in Saint-Malo (depending on customs and administrative requirements).
We’re planning to set up a new chocolate factory in Dunkerque to better meet the growing demands of our customers. This will enable us to reduce conventional road transport times as much as possible to supply the various sales outlets we work with far from Brittany.
This low-carbon maritime project takes time, and we’re doing our bit to make sustainable development solutions accessible to as many people as possible. Thank you for following our adventures and contributing to them!
Find out more about our raw materials.
On the contrary! Between New York and the Caribbean, we transport humanitarian equipment in partnership with non-governmental organizations in the USA and the Caribbean. This recurring partnership enables us to bring around 20 pallets of medical and humanitarian equipment on each transatlantic loop (on Grain de Sail I). Grain de Sail II will be able to increase the transport and quantities of humanitarian and other goods between New York and the Caribbean.
Our crew is now complete, but in a few years’ time, we’ll need sailing enthusiasts to take the helm of our future yachts. A little patience… Please note, diplomas and “Merchant Navy” certificates are compulsory!
We currently have limited capacity at our premises. You can still send your CV and covering letter to rh@graindesail.com, specifying the dates of your internship/alternship/apprenticeship. We will do our utmost to respond to your request in line with our needs. We currently have no vacancies.
Our human resources department is always ready to hear from you. Send your CV and covering letter to rh@graindesail.com. We currently have no need for new talent to complete our teams.
We suggest that you send a message to our sales department detailing your requirements: What quantity? Which products? Lead time?
We do not offer our range of chocolate couvertures for sale to professional processors (patisseries, etc.). Grain de Sail is constantly developing. You can discuss your sales projects with our sales department using the available contact form.
Once our production capacity allows us to do so, we’ll be able to consider the development of a bulk product range.
Since 2022, Grain de Sail has been an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO). This internationally recognized accreditation solidifies our cargo sailboat transport operations, and enables us to meet the needs of companies wishing to decarbonize their exports on transatlantic and European trade routes. To find out more, please visit our transport services page or contact us directly at cargo@graindesail.com.
Our chocolates have a use-by date of 1 year. Chocolate is a sensitive product, requiring optimal storage conditions (neither humid nor at too high a temperature), as this alters the product by separating the cocoa butter from the other ingredients: Fat Blooming. Recrystallizing (from liquid to solid), cocoa butter leaves white marks.
Chocolate is perfectly edible, however, and its nutritional content remains unchanged. The taste, however, may be slightly altered.
Our customer service team is available to answer any questions you may have. Send a photograph of the problem, the batch number, the place and date of purchase of your product to service.clients@graindesail.com, or complete our contact form, and we will do our best to find a suitable solution.
Consumer information applications are based on the nutritional values of products to give them a rating (poor, mediocre, good, excellent). Chocolate is, by nature, a product rich in fats and sugars, its two main ingredients. In our chocolate couvertures, we strive to find the right cocoa/sugar balance, so as not to alter the quality of the raw material, which is selected only from organic production and as ethically as possible. The fact remains that chocolate, eaten sensibly, is above all a “pleasure” product.
Today, we are not yet self-sufficient in the supply of our raw materials. We hope to become so as soon as possible, but it will take time and money to develop our carbon-free shipping.
So we have to use so-called conventional transport, and our raw materials transported by sail are mixed with other raw materials transported in the conventional way, for the time being.
Every day, with every purchase they make at Grain de Sail, our customers contribute to making this sailing project possible. We’re counting on you to help us move forward!
We currently offer a 5% discount for baskets from €100 to €200. For baskets over €201, we offer a 10% discount.
Our ambition is to make good, organic products at affordable prices for as many people as possible. We achieve this thanks to the Grain de Sail teams who produce quality chocolates and coffees. But also thanks to our ecological and sustainable approach to low-carbon shipping, which enables us to import organic raw materials. Finally, the decision to also market our products in supermarkets reflects our desire to democratize access to our coffees and chocolates as much as possible. Sustainable development, at the heart of the company’s strategy, means that our products remain socially accessible.
Committed to a policy of waste reduction, we try to respond as effectively as possible to the issues of ecology, sustainable development and above all the preservation of flavors in our daily actions. Packaging is a real challenge for Grain de Sail, as it has to be as virtuous as possible while complying with food standards and protecting the product without altering its taste. We make a point of improving them year after year. We are aware that our packaging can be optimized, and alternatives are being studied for future development. Please consult our page dedicated to packaging.
OUR CHOCOLATE BARS
We don’t use aluminum in our chocolate bars. However, the chocolate is not in direct contact with the cardboard wrapping, as a cling film separates the two, preserving the sweetness and aroma of the chocolate. The cardboard envelope we use is recyclable. The label used to close our bar is made of polypropylene. It must be separated from the cardboard wrapping before you recycle it.
OUR MASS-MARKET COFFEE BAGS
Our old coffee bags were made of kraft paper, with the inside lined with metallized plastic film to preserve all the aromas. Labels informing about the product range and its composition were made of polypropylene.
SINCE 2023: we’re gaining in recyclability! We carried out a study on the evolution of our pouches. Our packaging is now single-material polyethylene, so it has a dedicated sorting channel and achieves a recyclability score of between 95 and 100% according to CITEO‘s TREE study. These bags use less material, are more flexible and meet CITEO sorting standards.
OUR COFFEE BAGS E-BOUTIQUE AND BOUTIQUE
The subtlety with coffee is that the product stales and loses its taste qualities, so we use a bag fitted with a degassing valve and resealable with a plastic closure. Our coffees, available at the Grain de Sail boutique in Morlaix and via our e-commerce site, are made of paper with a plastic closure and an aluminum interior. The product information labels are made of flax rag fiber.
See our packaging page.
Free delivery for purchases over €59 in a relay point - See our delivery terms and conditions
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by credit card or bank transfer (max. 72 hours to validate your transfer)
See our frequently asked questions
2024 Grain de Sail –
