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Who we are
Bici Chocolate is a micro-workshop and educational experience near San José, Costa Rica. We use bicycle-powered machines for key stages of the chocolate-making process, making each visit participatory, fun, and environmentally conscious. Our focus is simple: cacao, culture, and connection.
Andrew
Ulate
Andrés Ulate grew up surrounded by farms, bicycles, and a thirst for knowledge. His family tended cacao plots in Sarapiquí (Heredia). With training in agroecology from INA and a self-taught spirit, he wanted to master the cacao process. He began by hand-grinding and roasting on a small scale, refining fermentation, drying, and roasting techniques. He made cacao paste for friends and family while perfecting his recipes.
A lifelong cyclist, he drew inspiration from bicycle-powered machines and applied them to chocolate: first the bicycle-powered mill, then the bicycle-powered roaster, and other adaptations using repurposed parts. More than a trick, it's a philosophy: using human energy, reducing electricity consumption, and reconnecting people with what they eat.
Since 2015, she had been selling small quantities and participating in fairs from a workshop in Heredia. She soon realized that the real value lay in inviting the public into the process. This is how Bici Chocolate was born as an experience: visits where each person pedals, grinds, tempers, and molds their own chocolate bar while learning about its history, cultivation, and flavor. Today, the project thrives on a farm in the mountains of Heredia, just minutes from San José.
Today
Andrés shares his knowledge through workshops on bicycle-powered machines and processes, promoting open-source technologies and creative reuse. He prioritizes cacao from small farms and agroforestry systems, maintaining direct and transparent relationships. On each visit, Andrés is host, guide, and homegrown engineer. His favorite moment: watching someone pedal their first bar and leave with new aromas and knowledge. Bici Chocolate unites the countryside, craftsmanship, and community in an authentic and human experience.