“The snowmen had an expression of constant surprise on their faces,” says filmmaker Leigh Johnson of her mischievous Belgian chocolate protagonists in today’s charming jaunt. “I thought it would be good to take them on a voyage of wonderment in the outside world, ending with a final getaway to the Caribbean.” The story unfolds at chocolatier Pierre Marcolini’s Brussels headquarters, the haute chocolaterie recognised as one of chocolate’s finest roasters and craftsman. Born to Italian parents, Marcolini has been making prized chocolates since 1995 and his bean-to-bar philosophy involves spending two months a year traversing tropical regions to meet with cocoa growers. “I create my own cocoa blends matched with other exotic flavors, including pink peppercorns from Morocco, pistachios from Iran and pepper from Szechuan,” says Marcolini, who has a sure-fire way of knowing when one is eating good chocolate: “When you want to take a second one—it’s the emotion chocolate evokes.”