| 5 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Buy NZ: Solomon’s Gold Chocolate T T Sue Russell Social aspect underpins vegan chocolate venture Glenn Yeatman at the Tauranga chocolate factory: “It’s not just a commodity it’s a passion for people and their future.” “We describe our chocolate as healthy because our cacao beans contain seven time more antioxidants than spinach....” How Glenn Yeatman came to get involved in manufacturing vegan chocolate in New Zealand is an intriguing mix of chance and opportunity. Glenn was a fourth-generation coffee farmer in Zimbabwe and, like many farmers at that time, escaped the brutal regime of Robert Mugabe, with his young family and very little else. Then in 2011, he answered a job advertisement for a Field Manager in the Solomon Islands for C-Corp, founded by Clive Carroll. Clive had been in The Solomon Islands for many years, developing relationships with cocoa bean growers and their families. “I went to the Solomons and within six weeks was promoted to General Manager. While walking through the plantations one day I was amazed by the beautiful growing conditions so I took some of the dried bean home and made the first bar of Solomon’s Gold chocolate,” sasy Glenn. “Some time later I put a proposal to Clive that I would build him a chocolate factory as long as it was in Tauranga, and he agreed.” The common-held view that chocolate is a sweet treat, to be eaten sparingly is also being turned on its head, as Glenn explains. “Our mission is to see our chocolate viewed as a healthy product. Each of our bars contain a minimum of ingredients – premium cacao, coconut sap sugar and a drop of natural oil to add flavour such as peppermint, orange, and raspberry. We describe our chocolate as healthy because our cacao beans contain seven time more antioxidants than spinach – tested at Massey University in 2014”. VEGAN ORGANIC GLUTEN-FREE 100% LOCAL & N.Z MADE CHOCOLATE AND CACAO PRODUCTS Contact Glenn to nd out how Solomons can add to your story gyeatman@c-corpnz.co.nz | 027 857 5101 The company that specialises in all things packaging. In business and operating in a region near you for the last 70 years Proud supporters and suppliers to Solomons Gold Chocolate EC Attwood Ltd 5/130 Newton Street Mount Maunganui Phone 07 572 0290 salesmt@attwoods.co.nz www.attwoods.co.nz Glenn believes that chocolate should be eaten for the cacao, not for the sugar – it’s that simple. “The Solomon’s Gold classic range chocolate bars are free from cane sugar, dairy, nuts and soy – all our chocolate is vegan certified, organic and kosher certified. “Also by producing chocolate pieces and cacao nibs we try to cater for all businesses. If there’s a special request we will custom make your chocolate”, says Glenn. Solomon’s Gold collaborates with local businesses such as Real Rad Food, Little Island Creamery and Forty Thieves nut butters. Glenn designed most of the factory equipment himself and is really vested in the value of what the business is doing – creating artisan healthy chocolate for customers to enjoy and supporting the quality of life back in the Solomons for the cacao growers. Through the chocolate bars and cacao products created at the Mt Maunganui factory, over 60 growers and their families in the Solomon Islands are supported. For Glenn, this social enterprise aspect to the business is very important. “We’ve been in the Solomon’s since 2006 and that connection with the people is what makes it special. “It’s not just a commodity it’s a passion for people and their future.” Solomon’s Gold Chocolates pays growers a premium for their cacao and in a true ‘bean to bar’ business model, the quality is preserved throughout from plantation, picking, transporting, manufacturing, and marketing. “The fact our chocolate is single origin means we can trace our cacao right back to our growers – that’s important because as a manufacturer you really should know the origin of your products.” Customers in New Zealand can go on-line through the website and order chocolate bars, chocolate pieces and cacao nibs. Solomon’s Gold chocolate is also exported to the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. Word is getting out about the health benefits of eating vegan chocolate. The business featured not so long ago on 7 Sharp. At the factory is a team of five, with a further three based in Australia. “We are highly mechanised, roasting 240kg of beans each day. “I think our biggest challenge is to get the message through to CEO’s of food producing businesses about the benefits using our chocolate will provide. “These days increasingly, customers want to know where food products are sourced, and the story attached to them – we would love to share this story with you.”
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