How Much Do You Know About Jamaican Chocolatiers?!

Jamaica has a handful of Chocolatiers that either support local Cocoa farmers or have their own Cocoa farm. They manufacture rich, high quality Chocolate Bars from the Cocoa Bean right here in Jamaica, more familiarly known as ‘Bean to Bar’ or ‘Farm to Bar’.

Our local Chocolatiers and where you can find their Chocolate Bars!

• Mount Pleasant Farm Chocolatiers
• Likkle More Chocolate
• One One Cacao
• Chocollor Chocolate
• Pure Chocolate Company

> Mount Pleasant Farm Chocolatiers

Founder: Local cocoa farmer, Averell French

They produce various products from Cocoa:

• Cocoa Powder
• Cocoa Nibs (Good antioxidants that can be blended with herbal tea, blended with smoothies/shakes and added to cereal with a sprinkle)
• Chocolate Bars
• Chocolate Spread
• Chocolate Wine
• Chocolate Tea

Fun Fact:

Adam & Eve Day Spa uses Chocolate from Mount Pleasant Farm Chocolatiers for Chocolate Face Masks.

***Where you can find Mount Pleasant Farm Chocolatiers’ Chocolate Bars?***

Loshusan Supermarket, Barbican; Fontana Pharmacy, Barbican; The Jamaica Pegasus Store, New Kingston

Costs: ~$430-$450JMD +tx per bar; ~$900JMD+tx for miniature variety pack; 
$350JMD per bar (Wholesale/Factory price)

Instagram: @mount_pleasant_farm_chocolates

> Likkle More Chocolate

• Founder: Nadine Burie (Table Talk Jamaica Observer Food Awards Dessert Chef of the Year – 2018 & 2019)

• Production of Chocolate Bars still in the creative process

***The brand is under continuous expansion or changes, so the percentages and flavours stated are what Suga Lifestyle has observed over the past few years and in speaking with Nadine Burie last December, 2018. There may be more or less variety to date***

• 62% and 70% Dark Chocolate Bars

• Produces Decorated Chocolate Bars with a unique variety of flavours!

– White Chocolate and Green tea matcha
-  Dark Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut Caramelized
– Ginger
– White
-  Dark

***Where can you find Likkle More Chocolate Bars?***

Cafe Blue, Sovereign Plaza, Liguanea (when available)

Instagram: @likklemore.chocolate

> One One Cacao

• Founder: Nick Davis
• BBC Caribbean’s correspondent
• Currently working on Production of Coffee in addition to his Chocolate Bars
• Factory in St. Mary overlooks the sea
• Started making Chocolate after he got a mystery illness, where he could no longer eat foods with preservatives
• He never thought he could give up Cadbury Dairy Milk, but when he decided to make his own Chocolate, he told Suga it was the best he has ever had. The need for sweet preservatives or artificial flavours was replaced by an appreciation for rich, strong, Dark Chocolate.

• Persons who make the switch to Dark Chocolate from Milk Chocolate with artificial flavours may find it bitter, but once you keep having it, you will love and appreciate the richness of Dark Chocolate like myself and Nick.

Fun Fact:
Without getting access to Likkle More Chocolate, the majority of Suga tasters voted One One Cacao as the richest Dark Chocolate in Jamaica, May 25, 2019.

• Nick Davis wants Jamaican Chocolate to go global and be recognised as much as Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, because we have some of the world’s finest Cocoa.
• Nick helps local Cocoa farmers by paying them a decent price.
• His Chocolate is 70% Cocoa
• Cane juice is used to sweeten the rest

***Where can you find One One Cacao Chocolate Bars?***

The Butcher Block, Manor Park; Cannonball, Manor Park; Craft Cottage, Village Plaza

Cost: ~$900 – $1000JMD +tx per bar

Instagram: @oneonecacao

> Chocollor Chocolate

• Family business owned by Carl and Donna Sharpe from Trelawny
• Donna and Carl moved to Kingston and now have their business in Kingston
• Carl Sharpe is a certified Chocolatier from the Cocoa Research Centre in Trinidad and Ecole Chocolat
• Carl used to be a mechanical engineer and then he had a vision to create something authentically Jamaican

• Chocollor produces Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate Bars
• White Chocolate Bars are to be produced in the near future
• 6 and 12 – packs available with a variety of miniature Milk, White and Dark chocolates
• They use Cane juice to sweeten; no preservatives

Fun Facts:

Suga Taster, Tennyson Arnold still has a preference for Chocolate with artificial flavours. So, Chocollor Chocolate’s Milk Chocolate was his favourite at Suga Lifestyle’s Chocolate Tasting. Also, their White Chocolate was well received and their Dark Chocolate was richest for Suga Taster, Randy Burgess.

***Where can you find Chocollor Chocolate Bars?***

Location: 9 Leinster Road, Kingston
Ph: 876-321-5619
Instagram: @chocollorchocolate

Costs: $290JMD per Milk Chocolate bar; $375JMD per Dark Chocolate Bar; $790JMD for miniature variety 6-pack (Milk, Dark, White); $817.18JMD for miniature variety 12-pack (Milk, Dark, White); $667.94 for 12-pack Milk Chocolates; $959.66 for 12-pack Dark Chocolates; $796.90 for 12-pack Milk & Dark Chocolates

> Pure Chocolate Company

• Founders: Former Executive and Assistant Pastry Chefs at Half Moon, Wouter and Rennae Tjeerte respectively, who met working at Half Moon and found love. Wouter is from Holland and Rennae is from St. Catherine.
• Some time after Half Moon, Wouter worked at Jade Mountain Luxury Resort in St. Lucia, where they make their own Chocolate from scratch. Wouter had no choice but to learn how to make Chocolate. Rennae was quite enthusiastic about this and learned how to make Chocolate too.
• Eventually Rennae longed to return home to Jamaica. Wouter told her once she could source a good quality Cocoa bean, they would return and they did!

• They also produce Slow Roasted Cocoa Nibs
• Support local farmers

• The Cocoa is transported from Portland to their factory in Spanish Town, where they ferment and dry the Cocoa bean.

• They produce a variety of Dark Chocolates Farm to Bar:  68% slow roasted nibs, 75% Pure Chocolate, 84% Pure Chocolate and 70% Jerk Seasoning

• They have unique molding too!

• Pure Chocolate Company supports local Artist, Taj Francis, graduate of Edna Manley for their bold packaging

Check out what Suga Taster, Kimberly Nesbeth had to say about the local Chocolate that tasted the best to her on May 25, 2019 at Suga Lifestyle’s Chocolate Tasting! 

Did you know Jamaican Chocolate made it to Amsterdam, Netherlands?!

***Where can you find Pure Chocolate Company’s Chocolate Bars?***

Things Jamaican stores (Devon House; 14 Camp Road, Kingston; NMIA); Half Moon Shopping Village; Goldeneye Resort, St. Mary; Smokeez, Rosehall, Montego Bay; Antigua Airport

Costs: ~$950-$1000JMD +tx per bar; $800JMD per bar (Trade show price)
$650JMD per bar (Wholesale price with a minimum of 24 bars)

Instagram: @purechocolatecompany

One last Fun Fact:

One of the Chocolate companies in Grenada uses a machine that they got from the Highgate Chocolate Factory in Richmond, St. Mary, Jamaica that closed in 2006.

My Suga Tasters, who you will hear more about soon, had a blast at Suga Lifestyle’s Chocolate Tasting. I hope you enjoyed reading about our Jamaican Chocolatiers and their stories. Please go out and try our local Chocolates soon. You will not regret it!

Buy Local, Buy Jamaican 🇯🇲

By: Gabrielle Burgess

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