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Our decision in 2023 has been to turn our eyes and hearts to our Neighbours in the South Pacific.  To focus on the amazing Cacao that grows 6-8 hours away from us in New Zealand. It makes sense - the carbon footprint of Cacao on a ship with a short journey and the ability to go and meet with Growers is now more possible.

We need to talk with them about their processes, farm history and learn the STORY of their Beans.

Plus most important is that the Cacao beans we are buying from these growers is unreal !

  

The Solomon Islands beans come from the Cathliro group who work directly with over two-hundred farming families from villages in Central Guadalcanal and Isabel, primarily working with women (70% of farmers are women). The farmers are paid cash upon weighing of the wet beans in the village. As a result, the farmers have a consistent regular income. There is a mixture of Trinitario and Amelonado varieties as is typical in the Pacific. The Solomons have strict anti child labour practices and the cacao is tested in NZ for herbicide and pesticide residue

and results have consistently been nil.  So by our definition.. are organic and fairly traded.  

Working closely with Oonagh from The Cacao Ambassador who is on regular visits and updates

with Diana from Cathliro, the freshest beans and special request sacks are bought into New Zealand. 

These Cacao Beans have deep fruity, raisin, bold notes with just a hint of caramel to smooth it all out.

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 The Beans from Malekula Island, Vanuatu, are grown organically in two small farming communities.

The Atchin Community - has 64 small Farming families and 

the Larevat Community - has 50 small Farming families.

The wet beans are moved to a centralised Fermentation facility, where once fermented and sun dried,

are put in 60kg sacks and moved to the port for export.  We work with Keith at SPS Biota (NZ), who is talking and working with Farmers regularly to keep consistency a priority, as the world discovers

the amazing caramel, toffee flavours of these beans.

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The Beans from Papua New Guinea are grown and certified organic in Cocoalands on the Manabo Plantation, Abau District in Central province. We met Grower Kingston Kamuri at a chocolate show in 2021 and watched him taste the first Chocolate made from his beans, by Mike, saw his reaction and felt so humbled to have been part of that. In 2023 we were lucky to be able to travel and visit with Kingstan on his family land and meet the Team.

The fermenting and drying of the beans is done on site at Manabo..

Walking amongst the cacao trees, going to see wild cacao growing amongst forest and 'feeling' the spirit of cacao that surrounds Manabo was affirming to us that the cacao produced from this one farm is so special.  Then, later that year, we received our first 60kg sacks from Manabo (through The Cacao Ambassador).  

This Chocolate with its fruity, deep chocolatey notes with a nutty undertone is what dark chocolate is all about.

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The NZ milk powder we use for the dairy bars is organically certified.  

The raw cane sugar is from Paraguay and is certified organic and fairly traded.  

The Cacao butter used is organically grown and processed in Papua New Guinea.

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We hope to keep improving our connections with the Growers of this amazing food source 

and find Cacao from other Pacific countries to join the Raglan Chocolate family. 

Keep updated with us on the Raglan Chocolate Facebook and Instagram pages.