Creative Capital: The Singapore chocolatier who only works with Asian farmers
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Artistic Capital letter: The Singapore chocolatier who only works with Asian farmers
Jerome Penafort, who launched his brand Mr Saucepan before this year, worked in real estate and finance earlier getting into chocolate.
Jerome Penafort (Photo: Mr Bucket Chocolaterie)
29 November 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 09 Jul 2022 02:09AM)
A few weeks ago, my wife brought home a chocolate that she wanted me to try. Let me caveat this past saying that I am non a chocolate person. My wife is, every bit is my daughter. The ii of them are unabashed chocoholics as well equally chocolate snobs, turning upwardly their noses at lesser quality (or mass market) products.
Then, for my wife to enquire me to try the beautiful little bon bon she placed in front of me was a tad odd. It besides meant the chocolate was something special. Then she explained it came from a 32-yr-old local chocolate maker who is doing ii very exciting things.
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Firstly, he merely works with Asian farmers. Secondly, he is doing some really exciting collaborations with well-known or cult local brands. Case in signal, the bon bon she had offered me had a caramel made with nighttime soy sauce from Kwong Woh Hing, our favourite local soy sauce maker.
The bon bon was delicious and I immediately knew I needed to know more nearly Jerome Penafort and Mr Bucket – the make he launched earlier this year. I was even more intrigued when I found out that he recently opened an open-concept chocolaterie in which we can spotter his artisans at work. And of course, purchase more treats.
You lot WORKED IN Existent ESTATE AND FINANCE BEFORE GETTING INTO CHOCOLATE. WHAT MOTIVATED You lot TO MAKE THE CAREER SWITCH?
About three years ago, my male parent invested in a chocolate manufacturing business in Malaysia. Back so, I was about five years into a existent manor investment office and was at a crossroads deciding whether to continue down that path, or explore something new.
My father asked if I wanted to join him to help aggrandize the business regionally. Coming from an investment groundwork, I saw this concern equally a bully platform with many possibilities. So I decided to join him.
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WERE YOU A CHOCOLATE LOVER, Fifty-fifty AS A Child?
Growing up, my favourite book was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. I read that book so many times and my daily staple was a cup of milo earlier going to schoolhouse. That was something I looked forrad to every morning.
To this twenty-four hours, that book all the same inspires me. At the finish of the story, Willy Wonka passed down his factory to Charlie Bucket. Mr Bucket is our interpretation of Charlie all grown up, and how the story continues.
That said, my dear for chocolate only really began when I was in Melbourne for studies and there were chocolate shops similar Koko Blackness and Mork, and bean to bar chocolate makers all around. Chocolate was big function of the local civilization in Australia.
YOU Accept DESCRIBED MR Bucket AS PUTTING THE SPOTLIGHT ON ASIAN CHOCOLATE. CAN YOU ELABORATE More than?
Most consumers are unaware that chocolate comes from a fruit called Cacao. The full general perception is that the all-time chocolate comes from Europe, when in fact, no cacao grows at that place.
Cacao trees grow 20 degrees northward and south of the equator, and there are many cacao farms establish effectually Asia. The chocolate produced from Asian cacao is only as or even more delicious than those from other parts of the globe. Asian cacao farmers have for the longest time been unnoticed and unappreciated. Chocolate brands were always the focus, not the farmers. This is something nosotros want to change. We should all know and appreciate where our food comes from.
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Through our sister visitor Benns Ethicoa, we work directly with farms from all around Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, India, Philippines and Vietnam. Nosotros wish to be the vessel that shares the stories of these farms and farmers.
Tin YOU Describe THE Different KINDS OF CHOCOLATE You lot Brand AND SELL?
We make all things delicious – a wide range of chocolate treats including bon bons, bars and drinking chocolate. Every treat is made using but sustainably-sourced bean-to-bar chocolate from farms around Asia, and freshly made daily at our open-concept chocolaterie. Our chocolates are thoughtfully curated to provide a flavour experience.
For the purists, nosotros have single estate chocolate bars and bon bons like a 64 per cent Dark Chocolate from Panchor, Malacca and 80 per cent Nighttime Chocolate from Anaimalai Hills, Bharat. For those looking for something exciting, we take flavours similar Double Soy Sauce Caramel, where we use both a low-cal and dark soy sauce, from Kwong Woh Hing, in a caramel, and Mala, which we made using a mala spice mix sourced from a local zi char eatery, HaoZhangJi, to create a bon bon that is savoury, aromatic with a lingering warm spice finish.
FOR US LAYPEOPLE, HOW Tin can Nosotros TELL THE Difference Betwixt DIFFERENT KINDS OF CHOCOLATE AND Different PERCENTAGES? WHAT SHOULD Nosotros LOOKING FOR AS WE TASTE?
In broad terms, at that place are two main categories of chocolate, commercial and artisanal or bean-to-bar chocolate. The chief differences are in the ingredients used and the intent of the chocolate.
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For commercial chocolate, which are commonly found in your local grocer, you will observe a long list of ingredients on the characterization – some of which are long names you might not recognize – and the intent is to go along the chocolate tasting the same over time. These brands aim to go on the taste consistent as that is what their consumers are used to.
Artisanal or bean-to-bar chocolate on the other hand usually contains no more than iii to 4 ingredients, and the intent is to highlight the flavour nuances resulting from the chocolate'southward origin or where it is grown. Just like wine and coffee, the environment cacao is grown in profoundly affects its flavour and ane of the goals of bean-to-bar chocolate making is to highlight that.
You'VE LAUNCHED WITH A NUMBER OF COLLABORATIONS Correct FROM THE Commencement. TELL ME About YOUR PHILOSOPHY TO COLLABORATIONS AND WHAT YOU HOPE TO Become OUT OF THEM?
We started on local collaborations earlier in the March and Apr period when the COVID-19 situation was starting to worsen. For the states, it was office survival and part desiring to piece of work with other like-minded local brands to create unexpected products that pique curiosities and create conversations.
Our philosophy is uncomplicated: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We believe that each collaboration should bring together the worlds of both brands in a complementary manner, to provide a unique experience to our client bases through thoughtful curation of the articulation product.
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An example would be our collaboration with Contumely Lion Distillery, where nosotros created a series of three gin-inspired chocolate bon bons. For each bon bon, we selected different chocolates to complement the flavour profile of each gin, and added specific ingredients to highlight certain characteristics of the gin.
For instance, for the White Pea bon bon, we used white chocolate as a vessel to bring out the floral and aromatic lavender notes of the Butterfly Pea gin and paired information technology with an earl grey milk chocolate ganache for an earthy note to provide balance.
WITH REGARDS TO MR Saucepan, DO Yous Become INVOLVED IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE Business? WHAT DO YOU FOCUS ON AND WHAT DON'T YOU DO?
Since we are quite a new and small squad, I am currently involved in all aspects of the business from the R&D and product to marketing our products and improving our consumer experience. Hopefully, as our team grows and gains more experience, some of these responsibilities will be taken over by other talented people in the team.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST CHOCOLATE THAT YOU HAVE EVER TASTED?
In terms of a pure chocolate bar, I would have to say it was when I visited a local chocolate maker in Vietnam nearly two years ago. It was a 68 per cent nighttime chocolate bar which was made using cacao beans from Lam Dong estate. The chocolate flavour was rich, yet as well had very distinct fruity notes reminiscent of stale currants.
If we are talking bon bons, I would have to say our Double Soy Caramel. The umami notes from the soy sauce make for a succulent twist on salted caramel, and pairs well with the beloved and malt notes of the 64 per cent night chocolate from Panchor, Malacca.
HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT DECIDING ON NEW FLAVOURS FOR BON BONS?
Our nigh interesting flavours have come up out of everyday conversations with the people around us. Balance, depth and familiarity are 3 things we look out in our creative process. An case of this would be the Earl Grey Bergamot bon bon, which is function of our Christmas collection.
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Bergamot oil is often used in the traditional Earl Gray tea alloy so we thought what better way to make it work than to pair the Bergamot fruit in the form of a fruit gel with an earl gray tea-infused milk chocolate ganache.
Accept ANY Flavor COMBINATIONS THAT You lot WERE Actually PASSIONATE About Just NOT Piece of work?
Not yet! Nosotros have, thankfully, been able to brand all the flavour combinations piece of work, equally we have done for seemingly unusual flavours like salted egg yolk and mala. We get through many rounds of R&D to ensure that our creations are balanced.
Practise YOU Run into YOUR Master Business organization As A B2C BUSINESS OR A B2B GIFT BUSINESS?
Showtime of all, nosotros are an omni-channel business organisation, with focus on both retail and eastward-commerce. It's even so early days but I see us as operation well in both the B2C and B2B business organization segments.
Nosotros've only been open up three weeks and we are already seeing good traction from both segments. Our goal is to build a stiff make which can provide a keen experience for our customers and change the face up of Asian chocolate, and if we do that well, I believe the correct opportunities will present itself.
DURING THE PANDEMIC THIS YEAR, ONLINE SALES SOARED, CALLING INTO THE QUESTION THE NEED FOR BRICK AND MORTAR STOREFRONTS. WHY WAS IT Of import FOR Y'all TO HAVE A BRICK AND MORTAR Store?
Information technology was during Excursion Breaker that we started our online sales for our bon bons. We received a positive response and were heartened past the feedback nosotros got. Equally we carried on with more collaborations and need increasing, we realised that nosotros needed a bigger product space.
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At the aforementioned fourth dimension, we wanted to have an avenue to reach out to our customers and share more than about what we exercise. There was so much we wanted to share most our craft and the stories of Asian farmers that we felt was not possible online with limited interaction with our customers.
Our chocolaterie is intentionally designed to be open-concept so that customers tin can run across our chocolatiers at work and gain an appreciation of our chocolate making procedure. And so far, having a brick and mortar shop has been very rewarding as we are able to take conversations with our customers and get immediate feedback from them.
ANY CHRISTMAS ITEMS THAT You lot HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR?
Nosotros have specially curated a fix of Christmas bon bons, with flavours similar Mulled Wine, Gingerbread, Earl Grey Bergamot and Blackness Forest.
We too have a DIY Drinking Chocolate Kit – great for an action together with friends or family – and Chocolate Liqueur – a rich and velvety blend of nighttime rum and 72 per cent dark chocolate from Sungai Ruan, Malaysia – that was created in collaboration with Compendium.
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We are excited about all our items. We really hope that with each product, our customers are able to taste the spirit and joy of Christmas, and are encouraged to share this joy with their friends, through our chocolates.
WHAT'S THE SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM VISIONS FOR MR BUCKET?
In the brusque to medium term, it would be to change the perception of chocolate from Asia, that it is only every bit good or even better than those constitute in other parts of the globe.
In the longer term, we hope to revitalize the cacao industry in Asia where farmers start focusing more on quality knowing there is demand from makers like ourselves and thereby creating opportunities for themselves to meliorate their livelihood.
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