This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. How one chocolate maker got the whole audience to not only understand the issues facing his industry, but also what it taste likes.

At the Wellington Chocolate Factory Gabe is part of the new revolution in chocolate, exploring how artisan production methods, ethical trade, and local communities can reinforce each other in building a strong international business.

Fascinated by the natural flavour characteristics of cocoa beans, Gabe went on a voyage of discovery across South America and the Pacific. Meeting cocoa farmers in person, and charting the complex path from original plants to final chocolate, led Gabe to believe that a small business dealing fairly and directly with its suppliers can gain access to highest quality source ingredients as a competitive advantage.

With master chocolatier Rochelle Harrison, Gabe co-founded NZ’s first open-to-the-public, bean-to-bar chocolate factory in 2013. Gabe plans one day to wind-sail a shipment of cocoa beans directly into Wellington harbour, accompanied by the farmer who grew them.