Mellow Chocolate started 4 years ago. After a visit to a cocoa plantation in Panama, Jacob Kaya became deeply fascinated by cocoa production. With a 12 meter extension cord, an old Indian spice grinder and a Behmor coffee roaster, Jacob's chocolate adventure began. On one square meter he built the world's - perhaps - smallest chocolate factory. Mellow has come a long way since then, and is today a chocolate producer with deep roots in sustainability, quality and direct trade.
Production with proper conditions
Mellow Chocolate stands out in the industry by practicing direct trade and working closely with cocoa farms. Mellow works directly with the farmers and handles the entire process from the cocoa sack to the finished chocolate. This means that they not only ensure the best cocoa beans, but also support small producers and ensure good working conditions and fair prices.
CleverCoffee and Mellow share a passion for ingredients that are produced with care. Like our coffee, Mellow's cocoa comes from cooperatives and small family farms that grow cocoa in symbiosis with nature – wild cocoa that grows wild among other crops and plants, promoting biodiversity and benefiting the environment.
Mellow and CleverCoffee have a like-minded approach to the production of cocoa and coffee respectively, and most importantly the people behind it. As Jacob Kaya from Mellow puts it:
The philosophy behind both companies aligns incredibly well, both in terms of quality and consideration.
Meet Jacob from Mellow Chocolate
Chocolate with clear guidelines
Both Mellow Chocolate and CleverCoffee are strongly against any form of exploitation of children, both in the workplace and at home - even if it takes place in a family business. Any work in which a child participates must never interfere with their education, involve coercion or expose them to unsafe conditions. To ensure ethical practice, Mellow has developed clear guidelines for their suppliers to follow. You can read about Mellow's history and guidelines by following the link:
Another thing Mellow Chocolate and CleverCoffee have in common is fair payment to the farmers. At Mellow, they prioritize that the farmers receive fair compensation for their hard work. By working directly with farmers, Mellow helps ensure proper payment, which helps reduce poverty and provide fairer and more ethical conditions that support farmers' living conditions.
You can read more about what CleverCoffee does to ensure fair payment to our coffee farmers here:
A love child
Together, we have created our brand-new CORE Chocolate Powder - a cocoa powder that combines our shared passion for direct trade and great taste. Made from cocoa grown under shade trees in the Dominican Republic, CORE Chocolate Powder delivers high quality and intense flavor. The cocoa is organically grown under shade trees.
