LIFE-CHANGING CHOCOLATE

Glenn Yeatman is the managing director of Solomon’s Gold, a local chocolate brand that supports a whole community.

As far as helping others go, eating chocolate has to be one of the easiest – and most delicious – ways of doing so. But that’s what choosing a block of Solomon’s Gold over other chocolate does.

Since 2006 the local chocolatiers have had a factory in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands. Today, they support over 60 cacao bean growers and their families.

“We do have a presence there. We've been there a long time,” Glenn Yeatman says. “We don't just put the factory at the wharf, load the cacao and ship it out. We get involved with the people in the plantations, we’ve built roads, heaps of stuff.”

Their focus on community is a point of pride for the artisan chocolate makers and makes a real difference in the quality of their bars, which they make with only organic ingredients.

“We could actually take you to the Solomon Islands and show you where the bean was grown,” he says. “That’s the difference between us and others. We know what the trees look like, we know the topography, everything. And that's the difference. It's not just a commodity, it's a story.”

This, he says, allows them to know the exact origin of their beans which allows them to get specific types from specific areas for their various types. As well as bean quality, Glenn says there’s also another upside.

“If you know what the origin has been, you know that you've treated the people well, and paid a good price.”

SOLOMONSGOLD.CO.NZ