“Do the right thing, and the right thing will come back to you.”
I’m reminded of these words of wisdom as I start this post, because Nibmor Chocolate (short for “nibble more”) is a delicious example of a business that has found success through ethics.
Certified ethical chocolate. And certified delicious by my Kendall College students and me; check out my #onthenotebook hashtag on Instagram.
Nibmor Chocolate is fair trade certified, so farmers are paid a fair wage for the cacao that they grow, and there’s no child slave labor in the supply chain as with most large commercial brands. Nibmor Chocolate is Rainforest Alliance certified, so the environment is not harmed. Nibmor Chocolate is certified organic and GMO-free, so chocolate eaters are not fed pesticides or genetically modified industrial food substitutes.
I made delicious vegan drinking chocolate with Nibmor drinking chocolate and water. Nibmor founder Heather Terry recommends coconut milk too.
And, Nibmor Chocolate is delicious. Let’s face it: flavor is king. Ethics and accessibility don’t necessarily guarantee success. Deliciousness guarantees smiles.
Refreshing Nibmor mint chocolate bar. Someone with whom I shared this bar said it tasted like Girl Scout cookies without the questionable ingredients, and I agree!I particularly enjoyed the surprisingly mild Nibmor 80% with sea salt and nibs.Yes, I put Nibmor eating chocolate into Nibmor drinking chocolate, and yes it was wonderful.
Onward and upward!
Your friend in chocolate,
Valerie
With Nibmor founder Heather Terry (right) at the 2015 Sweets and Snacks Expo.
Some of my former “Big Law” colleagues tell me they’re jealous that since I left the practice of law years ago, now instead of going to Bar Association conferences, I go to conventions called the Sweets and Snacks Expo and the Fancy Food Show!
Brought home the delicious vegan chocolate spread by Emmy’s Organics from the Sweets and Snacks Expo…… and now need to get more at the Fancy Food Show!
Chocolate makers, confectioners, and chefs exhibit their latest offerings at these delicious conferences, and store buyers, media, and others show up to see and sample what’s new. There are also educational sessions, awards, and parties, as thousands of people from the industry come together.
I’m headed to the summer Fancy Food Show in New York this week, and am thrilled to report on this spring’s Sweets and Snacks Expo here. SSE was again held in sweet home Chicago, and it was filled with wonderful old friends, exciting new friends, and a particular encounter with Big Chocolate that perhaps shouldn’t have surprised me but did. Keep scrolling for:
Chocolatey Reunions,
Sweet New Friends, and
Oh Dear.
View from McCormick Place in Chicago, site of the Sweets and Snacks Expo.
Chocolatey Reunions
Wine and chocolate tasting at Lindt, with wines developed specifically for the brand.With dear friend Chef Ann of Lindt.A fun iteration of functional chocolate: Scho-Ko-Lade energy chocolate contains an added caffeine boost.My racy photo: with dear friend Chef Michael of Chuao Chocolatier in the best SSE booth ever, to promote his tasty new breakfast-in-bed (or breakfast for dinner) themed chocolate flavors, made with with fair trade Venezuelan cacao as always.
New Chocolate Friends
Beautiful hand-painted Sulpice Chocolat.Congratulations to Chef Anne of Sulpice Chocolat on achieving fair trade certification!Classic, delicious, sustainable Swiss chocolate from Milkboy Chocolate, with the white chocolate bourbon vanilla as a particular standout.Smooth, flavorful, and fair trade Nibmor, short for “nibble more.” Nutresa private label of Colombia.
Oh Dear
Have you heard about the Chocolate Freedom Walk that I’m creating, to raise public awareness of child slave labor on West African cocoa farms and to promote fair trade alternatives? I talked about it with three members of the Hershey’s corporate relations team at the Sweets and Snacks Expo, and their response surprised me.
Sweets and snacks should not involve child slave labor.
You see, I wanted to give Hershey’s and other large commercial chocolate brands the opportunity to share a press release or other communication about steps they are taking toward sustainability and developing ethical chocolate supply chain sources, as it’s well known in the chocolate world that 60% of the world’s chocolate is made from cocoa beans from West African farms, where child slave labor occurs.
Instead, the corporate affairs people replied defensively. The team consisted of a man and two women. The man became animated and aggressive, and asked how the artisan fair trade chocolate brands would like it if he protested them. The two women shut down and froze, saying not a single word; not “leaning in.”
Oh dear.
Back to the excellent fair trade white chocolate by Milkboy Chocolate.
Meanwhile, I’m optimistic about the bigger picture, because everyone wants to know where our food comes from, and we love delicious and healthful chocolate.
And I’ll keep you posted on the Chocolate Freedom Walk!
Chocolate is love, and here’s to the creativity and love that go into America’s favorite flavor: chocolate.
With Nibmor founder Heather Terry. Uplift through chocolate!
Chocolate Uplift 