Today we started our day off with a visit to Sibö Chocolate, a gourmet chocolate producer. I have to say, it was one of the sweetest tours to date. It was less of a tour, however, and more of a tasting and history lesson. We were walked through the history of chocolate making and how it came to be the sweet treat we know today. Each of the separate chocolates we tasted had its own unique flavor and I really enjoyed the whole experience!
I thought the entire chocolate-making process was very interesting because when you look at history, both products started out as beverages. Chocolate was initially only consumed as a medicinal drink but was then developed to a solid state. The production sequence was surprisingly similar as they both had to be processed to dry nuts after being removed from larger fruits, then ground into a usable product. I really didn’t expect there to be so many similarities in the processes between these two different commodities.
Some of the largest risks come with the investment that the chocolate companies have to put into their employees. If one of the employees leaves, then they lose all of that money and effort spent trying to train said person. Some of the challenges also surround the area of marketing. When small businesses like Sibö Chocolate try to enter the global economy it can be very difficult to get people to buy from a brand they have never heard about before. This has led them to focus more on getting their name out there, to allow them to get a foot in the door of the global economy.
When looking at comparing Britt and Sibö, some similarities jump right out, especially in their products. They both focus on creating gourmet products from locally sourced plantations. However, Britt has a much larger influence in terms of global marketing because they basically have a monopoly in terms of hotels and touristy locations.
I think I would like to work with the chocolate industry, especially because I think I would be a phenomenal taste tester!