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We just returned from our annual Grenada trip - as usual a whirlwind of activity. We visited our farm to inspect the damage after Hurricane Beryl. The most obvious thing is the huge old mango tree that was on the foot of the bridge was blown down and one section of the railings was taken out. Time for Mr. Gilbert the structural engineer to visit and check no serious problems with the footings, and to replace the railings.
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We attended the opening day of the Grenada Chocolate Festival at Belmont Estate and heard that “the Chocolate Island” actually ran out of chocolate: a combination of a failed harvest after the drought early in 2024, followed by Beryl blowing through. The nearby island of Carriacou was badly damaged, while a lot of Grenada’s cocoa lost all its flowers and therefore potential for pods, the cocoa trees will bounce back. Sadly we are still not able to get hold of any chocolate from the island, although we are working on making some from the beans we rescued before the hurricane with Pump St Chocolate, recipe being finalised.
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At this critical moment we are very fortunate to have had a hand delivery from our dear friend Susana Cardenas of her award winning heritage chocolate*. Her cacao is grown in Upper Manabi Tierra Hermosa Estate. We also hit the jackpot and managed to host a last minute guided tasting with her at our new South London HQ. This Tierra Hermosa collection is very special and the flavours are exceptional: elegant, well balanced and full of complex fruit notes. Susana is working with a woman chocolate maker to produce these bars and the results speak for themselves, even though last year’s growing conditions were also tough in Ecuador, resulting in a tiny harvest of these rare & precious beans.
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Quote from Susana Cardenas
“We believe in heritage. We search for provenance. We connect with our origins. We take historic elements and project them into the future. We make slow chocolate, small and micro-batches from selected cacao trees. We are committed to preserving and protecting the environment. We work directly with local communities of cacao producers, craftsmen, artisans from the four regions of Ecuador. Our aim is to show you the beauty of cacao and create the ultimate chocolate experience for chocolate connoisseurs.”
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P.S Father’s Day June 15th - Don't forget!
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