*You love chocolate and chocolate makes you fall in love all over again. Let’s recognize this labor of love -that is how some black-owned business are making chocolate. Here we will be recognizing the very best that have left their mark in the world of cacao.
The Best Black-Owned Chocolate Businesses
1. Viveré Chocolates in New Jersey
Robert Bowden’s creations are quite famous for their sea salt caramels and their toasted fennels that are dusted with 24 carat gold. This head chocolateir’s creations have been sought after for decades for their elegant treats and memorable chocolate gifts.
To visit their boardroom, you can visit them in New Jersey and meet Bowden personally. He has been active in the cacao industry for quite some time and is also an active member of the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund. This group, if you didn’t already know, is committed to preserving the sustainability of cacao-producing trees.
2. Harlem Chocolate Factory
This artisan chocolate shop is located at the very heart of the St. Nicholas Historic District – which is now also known as the Strivers’ Row. Here, you will be able to meet Jessica Spaulding, the head chocolatier. Her collections is especially known for truffles and bonbons that are known as Sunday Specials.
The Harlem Chocolate Factory was kick started all the way back in 2014 when Spaulding had participated in a business plan competition. Her win allowed her to incubate her own kitchen which is now an absolute success!
3. Philip Ashley Chocolates
Philip Ashley Rix is a designer chocolatier and he came to be known because of this wildly imaginative range of chocolates. He has now come to be known as one of the greats in the culinary world of luxury chocolates. This is because of his chocolate offerings that truly look like miniature works of modern art. You can begin by looking up his Taste of Memphis and Luxury Turtle collection.
4. Soul and Story
This enterprise was brought to like by women entrepreneurs from the African Diaspora and they work with women who want to change their communities. This social enterprise helps these women by introducing their products in the US such as the Askanya Chocolates of Haiti and the 57 Chocolates of Ghana and the Rural Communities of Trinidad and Tobago (ARCTT).
Other than these pioneering black-owned chocolate businesses, you can even check out ‘Hot Chocolat’, ‘Midunu Chocolates’ and ‘Take Your Chocolate Cravings Around the World’. You will fall in love with Chocolate all over again!
