Barry RodgersPublished on Mar 22, 20236 homegrown, artisanal chocolate brands that hit the sweet spot From championing local produce to establishing fair trade practices, for these producers, manufacturing a chocolate bar is a principal processFrom championing local produce to establishing fair trade practices, for these producers, manufacturing a chocolate bar is a principal processMost people answer pretty quickly when you ask them why they buy their favourite chocolate. Usually, they’ll tell you it tastes the best, though they haven’t tasted every chocolate ever made. But craft chocolate is rarely ever on their minds. They often picture candy bars with chocolate coating or a bar of sugar-laden milk chocolate from a nearby convenience store. Yet, when they finally encounter craft chocolate, what makes them decide to commit in the moments before they make that choice?There have been many studies on the colours, smells, and even the intensity of lighting that entice people to buy more food or persuade them to make an impulse purchase. But as far as craft chocolate goes, a consumer’s split-second decision isn’t enough to sustain a whole industry. Most consumers won’t even encounter craft chocolate unless they want it. That’s where India’s bean-to-bar chocolate makers come in. The 20-odd big and small players today (estimated to reach 250 producers by 2026) are carving a niche for themselves by committing to quality produce and a meticulous production process that hinges on fair trade practices. In fact, the value of the Indian bean-to-bar market is estimated to be about ₹26.6 crore currently at retail value. The segment is expected to grow 60 per cent year-on-year for the next five years to touch ₹200 crore by 2026 on the back of rising consumer demand, according to primary and secondary research conducted by Cocoatrait, which describes itself as the country’s first bean-to-bar chocolate concept advocate. To indulge your chocolate cravings, we’ve rounded up homegrown brands that offer more than just a bar of chocolate—they offer authenticity and a cultural connection. Bon-fictionThe brand was founded to show the world that chocolate made with Indian cacao beans is worthy of being among the finest. Blending art and science to create chocolate with natural ingredients only, Bon-fiction, a ‘tree-to-bar’ (indicating that the chocolate maker owns a piece of land where cacao is cultivated, fermented, and dried) enterprise based out of Rajamahendravaram in Andhra Pradesh, works with farmers in the Godavari region. The fermentation and drying of the cacao are done meticulously at the estate to get the finest cacao beans. Two of the brand’s flavours—Out in the Dark and Mango Menace—were awarded by the United Kingdom’s Academy of Chocolate, in July 2022. Image: Instagram.com/bonfictionSubko CacaoFrom serving specialty coffee to operating a full-fledged chocolate factory in Mumbai, the good folks at Subko recently launched chocolate bars under the new Subko Cacao brand, offering consumers a ‘pod to bar’ experience. By working closely with Gunibylu Farms, a mixed crop plantation on the banks of the Hemavathi river in Karnataka’s Chikmagalur region, they have been able to set up a small, experimental cacao fermentation and drying facility at the estate, allowing them to explore a rather wild experiment that includes the fermentation of a small batch of cacao. The result is limited-edition chocolate bars with a high cacao content (a minimum of 70 per cent). Image: Instagram.com/subkocacao AnuttamaThis homegrown chocolate brand, based in Puttur, Karnataka, makes a range of chocolates featuring single-origin cacao and authentic Indian flavours. The label produces its own cacao, grown on its farms, focusing on completely natural chocolate, sans alkali, or emulsifiers. The brand’s spicy tang flavour was awarded a bronze medal last year at the International Chocolate Awards, a series of independently organised events held annually to recognise and celebrate the best in fine chocolate from around the world, with an 85-point aggregate, making it one of the best offerings in the flavoured dark chocolate category. Image: Instagram.com/anuttamachocolatesPascati ChocolatesIndia’s first USDA Organic (which means it does not use any health-harming components) and Fairtrade (they pay a premium for the cocoa beans they source from the grassroots) chocolate maker sources its cacao from Kerala. The brand operates on the bean-to-bar concept and works to achieve complex flavours. Image: Pascati.comSokletThe brand’s plantations are located in the scenic Anamalai Hills foothills. Nestled close to the Indira Gandhi wildlife sanctuary, also known as the top slip, their cacao is grown as an intercrop along with coconut, nutmeg, pepper, and banana, creating a melange of interdependent fauna—the cornerstone of permaculture—adding to the flavour nuances of their cacao beans. Founded by Tamil Nadu residents Karthikeyan Palanisamy and Harish Manoj Kumar, Soklet takes pride in selling every one of the 10,000 chocolate bars it produces monthly. In 2022, the company saw a turnover of ₹ 4 crores. Not bad for an artisanal chocolate brand launched from a garage. Image: Instagram.com/soklet.inChitra’m ChocolatesArun Viswanathan of Coimbatore has created a winning product. The brand demonstrates the versatility of Indian produce by infusing flavours such as lassi, moringa, and pepper. Chitra'm gets its cocoa from three farmers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. During the grinding process, natural flavours are introduced. No artificial stabilisers, preservatives, flavourings, or vegetable oils are used, and the chocolates are made in small batches, weighing between 1kg and 10kg. Image: Instagram.com/chitramchocolatesAlso Read: The rise and rise of homegrown chocolate brands in IndiaAlso Read: Camel milk is now finding use in cheese and chocolates in IndiaAlso Read: Does every chef need to be a social media star? Read Next Read the Next Article
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