Antipolo chocolatier Krone: ‘We want to build something extraordinary’
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Who knew that Antipolo now has cacao beans and a local chocolatier?
Meet Krone Chocolates, an Antipolo-based chocolate maker that grew out of a research thesis. Now, the brothers behind the start-up have made chocolate bars from cacao beans harvested from Antipolo and other parts of the country.
After making their backyard lot in Antipolo as their research laboratory through planting cacao beans, Krone chocolate has now put up their initial cacao farm plantation in Leyte.
The Taktak Times spoke with Gabriel Santos, Krone Chocolate general manager, about the beginnings of their promising enterprise and their plans moving forward.
The Taktak Times: How did the business start?
Gabriel Santos: We started our business after studying the cacao industry. My brother was doing his thesis and we learned that there is a potential for fine aroma cacao.
We bought cacao from different cooperatives way back in the 1st quarter of 2019. Supply of raw materials was a challenge as we had some experiences where we sampled good cacao but when we bought bigger quantities after the evaluation, they sent us rejects that tasted awful.
We decided that we should just plant and process our own so we could have better quality control. We have some extra space in our house and planted some trees to simulate how we would do farming. After attending online seminars, we started our plantation in Leyte.
We started selling tableya back in 2019. We primarily targeted restaurants. Some of our acquaintances also bought from us. A few months the COVID lockdown, we started selling the tableya to households and through social media. And it had quite a following.
By nature, we like to compete and build. We want to establish something extraordinary.
Could you tell us more about the background of the founders and the team behind the startup?
We both come from a background of industrial sales. By nature, we like to compete and build. We want to establish something extraordinary. There are companies that make single-origin craft chocolate but not a lot, especially here in the Philippines. We tasted locally made craft chocolate during some of the local trade fairs. We noticed some differences and we thought we could produce a better product if we did it ourselves. Most of the cacao beans are coming from Mindanao, particularly in the Davao region. We do use beans from the same region but we highlight tableya, and chocolate bars using cacao from different places like Aurora, Antipolo, and Leyte. The supply is not sustainable yet so chocolate products using materials from these places are more of a novelty.
Could you explain the meaning and thought process behind your phrase “We are a company promoting cacao as a wellness product for everyone”?
Cacao is processed and made into tableya. The tableya is then cooked and made into hot chocolate or sikwate as we call it in our provinces. This treat was enjoyed by a lot of families before and is part of our culture and tradition. This is not the same as chocolate drinks produced by multinational companies, mostly in powder form from deconstructed components of the cacao with added fat and a lot of sugar. They also burn-roast the beans to make the taste uniform, and then utilize flavors and preservatives.
Real chocolate made from cacao also has a lot of benefits. Compared to mainstream or compound chocolate that multinationals produce, real chocolate has a stronger aroma and flavor. Real chocolate has unique tasting notes depending on the cacao’s genetics, soil and climate as well as post-harvesting practices. The consumption of real chocolate aids in weight loss, promotes better heart health, and brain function, is high in antioxidants, and is a positive mood enhancer.
How do you think your product is different from other cacao brands now in the market? What is its unique selling proposition?
1. We focus on flavor and stick to minimal ingredients when we craft our chocolates.
2. We utilize cacao varieties and cultivars that are more aromatic for our planting materials.
3. We don’t rush our post-harvest practices.
4. We don’t use additives and preservatives. This ruins the taste and health benefits that the product has.
What are your plans both midterm and long-term for the business?
1. We’re currently increasing the number of seedlings we have so that when the rainy season comes, we can transplant them. We should plant around at the very least 600 trees.
2. One of our goals in the next few months is to also complete our post-harvest facility in Leyte, where we can buy cacao from other municipalities.
3. For longer-term plans, we plan to establish an outlet and tavern that serves chocolate and a few local dishes. We would also like to conduct chocolate tasting and farm tours.
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Bim has been a journalist for television, radio, print, and online for many years covering business and news beats. He believes in the power of a good story.
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