Meet The Makers Mini Interview: Wild Mountain Chocolate
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There is definitely something kind of magical about chocolate making, especially at this time of year. And especially when you know it’s being created with true passion and truly high ethical standards. Helen and Glen moved into BC’s Rocky Mountains to follow not only a dream but a sense of responsibility. With Wild Mountain Chocolate, they create chocolate bars that inspire people with both their amazing flavour and their positive social impact. Helen has answered our Mini Interview questions so you can learn more about the Wild Mountain Chocolate project!
Wild Mountain Chocolate Mini Interview
Share your story with us in a 150 words or less.
We moved to the Columbia Valley from the Lower Mainland with a plan to go into business for ourselves. The challenge was finding a business aligned with our values and passion. A desire to help drive change motivated us to start Wild Mountain Chocolate. We watched a documentary on labour and farming practices in the West Africa cocoa industry and were literally shocked into action. How do you drive meaningful change in big corporations? Through their pockets. We thought, if we share pure, organic, ethically sourced chocolate, we could eventually drive a proportion of their business away, causing them to force change within their supply chains. An added bonus was discovering how plain and nondescript mass-produced chocolate can be. By careful selection of premium, organic beans we can offer a wide variety of flavours derived just from the cocoa bean itself. Its been a true journey of discovery for us.
Getting from an idea to a small business is a lot of work! When did it first sink in for you that ‘this is really happening’?
Once we hit upon our idea we moved very quickly, developing a business plan, sourcing and pricing equipment, finding a location etc. Once you start signing the dotted line on contracts it becomes very real.
Out of all your products, which is your personal favourite and why?
This is a tough decision as I love all our chocolate bars with a passion. They all are perfect for different moods, different events and different times of the day. For example, feeling a little tired, our Café Mocha will give you a “pick-me-up” in a hurry. Feeling like something exotic I would reach for our Madagascar or new Chai Latte bars. For just guilty pleasure I love our Mint and Orange bars. If you force me to make a choice though I would say our 72% Peru bar is my personal favourite. To me this is a great example of how varied the cacao flavour profile can be. The taste evolves in your mouth as it melts with a lovely raisin note at the end.
What motivates you on a day-to-day basis?
We just love sharing and educating people about the amazing cacao bean. The cacao bean really is an amazing food, from the antioxidants to the flavours, and we believe people deserve to know more about it and experience pure chocolate.
What’s your favourite thing about the town or city you live in?
There are so many things we love about Invermere. Being surrounded by mountains and nature is very calming and restorative as well as providing so many opportunities for recreation. Lake Windermere borders town, giving us opportunities for water and ice sports. The local ski hills are fantastic and there is plenty of space for just exploring. We are very close to several National Parks, Kootenay, Yoho, Glacier and Banff being the closest! In addition to recreation the community is vibrant and supportive. A great place to raise children or start a business.
What are your personal top three tips for feeling awesome?
1) Be present in your surroundings. The natural world is an amazing place. Stop and breath it in for a moment.
2) Start each day telling yourself what a great day today is going to be. It will be.
3) Get plenty of sleep.
Find Wild Mountain Chocolate: On Their Website | On Instagram | On Facebook
Photos: Tracy Connery