by Curlan Campbell, NOW Grenada
- The Grenada Chocolate Company, Grenada’s first ever chocolate factory
- Co-founder Mott Green died in 2013
- Several bars have won awards at The London Academy of Chocolate
The Grenada Chocolate Company continues to make major strides in the organic chocolate production industry 5 years since the untimely passing of co-founder Mott Green.
Green, born David Friedman, died on 1 June 2013 at the age of 47 after being electrocuted while attempting to repair a piece of equipment at Belmont Estate.
Since his passing, co-founder and production manager Edmond Brown, said efforts have been made to ensure that his legacy lives on through the Grenada Chocolate Company by ensuring that they continue to produce organic dark chocolate, a signature chocolate the company is internationally best known for. “The quality of the chocolate remains the same, we have improved on securing more farmers, so we can harvest more cocoa beans, so we can keep the process going. After the passing of Mott Green we had a total of 13 farmers, but at the moment we now have 33 farmers.”
Another major achievement for company is the organic bonbon shop closer to the main factory. “We decided that we should bring the bonbon shop closer, so it is easier to get from the tour of the factory to the shop where we sell all our products. The investment is approximate US$20,000 which was loaned to us by Mott Green’s mother who is interested in ensuring that the company continues to grow.”
The bonbon shop sells a wide variety of chocolate flavours. Reminiscing on the legacy left behind by Green, company administrator Margarita McDonald said Mott’s constant encouragement drove her to move up within the ranks of the company to her current position.
“I started off here in 2007 as a chocolate wrapper, but Mott thought I could do more, so he made me a chocolate moulder where I worked for a couple years. Then he started to encourage me to further develop my skills and knowledge of the company’s operation after which I started giving guided tours and then after he passed, I stepped up to my current position as administrator.”
Farm Manager Wiliam September also reflected on the relationship he had with Green. “I really miss this man a lot, working without him is a big loss for us, his shoes is hard to fill even though we are running the company based on the standards set by Mott Green.”
Farm Labourer Nyron King said Green encouraged him to join the company after experiencing limited success in his other business ventures. “It is a good thing Mott did for Grenada and the surrounding community because [if it] hadn’t been for him I would not have been a part of this company. I am an all-rounder, I use to make sandals and also work several other jobs including construction which were not quite lucrative, until I joined the company.”
According to the Grenada Chocolate Fest website the Grenada Chocolate Company, “was Grenada’s first ever chocolate factory after hundreds of years of growing fine flavoured cocoa for export to traditional chocolate making countries like Europe and North America. The Grenada Chocolate Company was the first of several chocolate makers that now exist on the island and grow organic fine flavoured cocoa to make small batch ethical tree to bar chocolate.”
Several of Grenada Chocolate Company bars have won awards at The London Academy of Chocolate.
- Nib-A-Licious bar – Silver Medal in 2013, Best Flavoured Dark Chocolate Bar
- 82% bar – Silver Medal in 2011, Bean to Bar: Best Dark Bar
- 71% bar – Silver Medal in 2008, Best Dark Organic Bar
The company employs over 22 people from the community of Hermitage. Presently efforts are being made to secure a US distributor to sell its organic chocolate, which can also be purchased online.
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