THE CRAFT CHOCOLATE MOVEMENT
A community of makers that prioritize collaboration over competition
In the tradition of making and eating bean-to-bar chocolate, we are all profoundly connected – the farmer that grows the cacao, the maker that crafts the chocolate and you, the discerning chocolate lover. We invite you to take part in this new era of craft chocolate: one that makes visible all of the hands that transform this fruit into chocolate.
Each Chequessett Chocolate bar celebrates the painstaking process of growing this ancient plant and hand harvesting it’s ephemeral fruit at the peak of ripeness; there are no shortcuts. Guided by tradition, cacao is fermented and dried to capture the flavor potential of each seed. Careful handling at the origin assures that this delicate crop can withstand the trip across oceans to Cape Cod where we transform it into delicious chocolate.
We do not stand alone in our work. Craft chocolate makers around the world are ushering in a new era of transparent trade, where cacao is sustainably produced and ethically sourced. Our community of makers promotes the visibility of everyone involved in the process of bean-to-bar chocolate. Buying and sharing craft chocolate supports the people that dedicate their lives to its creation. Let’s work together to build a future of sustainable, equitable, delicious chocolate.
CHOCOLATE AS A SLOW FOOD TEACHING TOOL
Connecting Ingredient to Terroir
CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIPS AT ORIGIN
Finding delicious cacao requires travelling around the world to different origins, meeting with farmers, and collaborating with other chocolate makers to build fair, transparent, sustainable supply chains. Through this work, we remain cognizant of the relationship between ingredients and terroir. Bringing awareness to this information reminds us that everything we consume has a story, and we wish to impart that mindfulness on all of our customers.
A COMMUNITY OF MAKERS
A community of like-minded creators committed to environmental sustainability and ethical practices, the world of craft chocolate relies on collaboration. Instead of working against other makers in our trade, we eagerly share knowledge. This ethos—the more we all know, the better—forms the bedrock of craft chocolate. In this growing network of chocolate-makers, we gather in conferences, visit each other's factories, and travel to origins together.
ASKING THE QUESTIONS & MAKING THE CONNECTIONS
Producing delicious craft chocolate is our vocation; illuminating the relationship between food and land is our mission. Chocolate illuminates the delicate process of growing and transforming a delicate ingredient into a decadent treat. We view chocolate as a tool to instill awareness of all food ways. Ruminating the backstory of the chocolate in your hands is a gateway to further ponderings: who caught the lobster on your plate? What farm grew your favorite blueberries? The craft chocolate movement has the exciting potential to elicit these questions.
EVERYONE BRINGS SOMETHING TO THE TABLE
Working together with other companies to source and refine chocolate making processes helps us all make better chocolate. Cacao beans from the same farm—roasted under different conditions—can yield very different chocolate. We delight in this difference and want to highlight various maker's approaches. We understand, nearly a decade after starting our venture, that building a sustainable bean-to-bar chocolate business is a communal effort. In the hopes of promoting other like-minded companies, we proudly support other craft chocolate companies and stock a wide array of chocolate bars from their lines.
Chocolate is endless as to what area of interest you can look at it from – genetics, physics, engineering, food science, anthropology, sociology, history, global supply chains, socioeconomic issues, farmer equity, social justice, marketing, law, importing/exporting, and on and on…. as soon as you’ve delved into chocolate from one angle, you can re-approach it from another and discover something" - Katherine Reed, Chequessett Chocolate Co-Founder
OUR CRAFT CHOCOLATE LIBRARY
VISIT OUR CAFE TO SHOP BEAN-TO-BAR CHOCOLATE BARS & CONFECTIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD INCLUDING DUBAI, UNITED KINGDOM, HUNGARY, SINGAPORE & BRAZIL