Pure Chocolate Company, the award-winning Jamaican manufacturer of tree-to-bar chocolate, has opened an artisan studio at Island Village in Ocho Rios, St Ann. Husband-and-wife owners, Wouter Tjeertes and Rennae Johnson, explained that the new location functions as both a shop and a place where customers can learn how their chocolate is made.

“We have baptised our new location the Chocolate Studio, the first of its kind in Jamaica, because it is so much more than just a shop,” enthused Tjeertes. “Here you can see the whole process from cocoa bean to chocolate bar being done right in front of you. You can learn all about chocolate via tastings and from our amazing chocolatiers, and now even join us for a hands-on workshop.”

The new studio has had an immediate and positive impact on local and international tourists visiting the island at a time when Jamaica is working to diversify its tourism industry through the promotion of luxury, immersive experiences that explore Jamaican gastronomy, culture, music, industries, entertainment and other aspects of local society.

The Chocolate Studio has already been featured by the Matador Network, a global network and media brand that provides travel content from destinations around the world for “modern adventurers”.

“From the trends we have seen developing in Jamaica and internationally, tourists want to do more than just see a destination,” Johnson explained. “They want to understand it through meaningful contact by participating in authentic experiences.”

“So we really set out to create an atmosphere where you can taste, learn and immerse yourself in everything that is Jamaican chocolate,” she continued. “We do a ‘Discover Chocolate’ workshop for visitors, which is a one-and-a-half-hour deep dive into exploring the basic techniques of making chocolate, tempering chocolate, creating your own fudge and making a personalised chocolate bar. And the best part is you get to take home what you make.”

This innovation by Pure Chocolate is the latest stage of a five-year journey since the company’s inception in 2017 which has seen it go from operating from home and producing four different dark chocolate bars to now opening its own shop and offering 25 different products featuring dark, milk and white chocolate.

The expansion has also seen the establishment grow from a husband-and-wife operation to one with a complement of six staff members.

Over the past two years the couple have been rewarded for their work by earning one gold and two bronze product awards at the 13th Academy of Chocolate Awards in London.

“But what we are most proud of is being awarded the Marcus Garvey Award for Agriculture for ensuring that our farming partners are equipped with the knowledge needed to produce the best beans possible,” Tjeertes revealed. “Working closely with our local partners such as the cocoa farmers and the artistic talent who design our uniquely Jamaican product labels is part of our philosophy of establishing linkages that provide mutually beneficial opportunities for all those involved in our business across different local industries.”

It is this commitment to local development which has ensured that the new Chocolate Studio is not just aimed at tourists but has welcomed visitors from the surrounding communities and the cities of Kingston and Montego Bay.

“There is nothing better for us to have the local kids coming by, treat them with chocolate and hear the ‘wows’ when they peep through the windows and see the magic happen,” said Johnson. “A good end to the day is one where we have to wipe off tiny chocolate hand prints from the glass knowing we showed them true Jamaican sweetness.”

With Pure Chocolate’s wide range of products now available from retailers and stores across the island including well-known names such as Fontana, CPJ and Butcher Block the new studio in Ocho Rios gives the company an added promotional advantage.

“Receiving sales meetings and such is so much better when combined with a view of what we do and who we are,” Johnson explained. “The studio has given us the opportunity to invite prospective clients into our world to see what it takes to make products like our own.”

It is a marketing tool that comes in handy as the husband and wife have just finalised the testing stage of several new additions to their line of chocolates and are preparing to launch them before the winter season.

The goal is for this new line to make its mark both locally and internationally.

“Our focus on export has been supported by the International Trade Centre (ITC) via their Alliances for Action programme which has opened up many possibilities that will come to fruition in the coming months,” Tjeertes disclosed.

The confidence of the entrepreneurial couple in this new international direction is buoyed by what they see as a local cocoa industry that is growing, thanks to more producers like themselves driving a shift from just selling cocoa beans to creating chocolate and chocolate-related products. Increased knowledge of the health benefits of cocoa, as well as the growing numbers of sophisticated consumers for whom sustainability is important, has sparked renewed interest in high-quality cocoa.

“Jamaica has been credited for producing ‘fine flavour’ cocoa, an indicator for exceptional quality not unlike our coffee,” Tjeertes said. “I see no reason why the island’s chocolate could not reach the same appreciation as long as we continue to grow the market in a quality-focused manner.”

The new storefront of the Chocolate Studio is a window into this new world of Jamaican cocoa and in keeping with the couple’s philosophy of contributing to local development across different industries, the business contributes to manufacturing, agriculture and tourism engaging both local and international markets.

“A visit to the studio will be an eye-opener not just for chocolate lovers but anyone interested in new Jamaican experiences,” Johnson declared while issuing an invitation to participate in the workshop. “As we said, this class is hands-on, so be prepared to be covered in chocolate.”