New origins, growing relationships, and another step in our journey towards a more connected food system.
We’re very excited to share some news from the ChocoSol kitchen: our first shipment of cacao and coffee from Colombia is on its way!
As a bean-to-bar chocolate maker and coffee roaster, we believe that great food begins with meaningful relationships. The ingredients we work with carry stories of the people who grow them, the land where they flourish, and the care that goes into bringing them to our kitchen in Toronto.
This new shipment marks an exciting opportunity to explore Colombian cacao and coffee while continuing to build relationships rooted in quality, traceability, sustainability, and collaboration.
A New Sourcing Partnership with Belco
Our Colombian cacao and coffee are arriving through Belco, a sourcing company whose approach to the coffee and cacao industries is centred around quality, traceability, transparency, and sustainability.
Since 2014, Belco has been developing a sourcing model that moves beyond traditional purchasing relationships. Their work includes on-site engagement, producer training, and collaboration between producers and roasters to address the environmental, social, and economic challenges facing the industry.
We appreciate this focus on understanding where ingredients come from and supporting the people and communities who produce them. For ChocoSol, sourcing is not simply about finding excellent ingredients. It is about continuing to learn, strengthening relationships, and exploring how our food systems can become more sustainable and connected.
Discovering Cacao from Two Colombian Regions
Our first Colombian cacao shipment will include organic cacao from two distinct origins: Quindío and Antioquia.
Quindío: Finca Jerusalén, El Caimo
We’ll be receiving cacao from Finca Jerusalén in El Caimo, Quindío, an organic cacao-producing farm whose quality has been validated by Belco.
This shipment will include 30 bags of cacao, each weighing 50 kg. We look forward to discovering the character of this cacao and learning more about its origins as we begin working with it in our Toronto kitchen.
Antioquia: ASOCPRAUR, Urabá
The shipment will also include up to 130 bags of 50 kg of organic and Regenerative Organic Certified cacao from ASOCPRAUR in the Urabá region of Antioquia.
Belco will be including cacao from both regions to allow us to discover two Colombian origins while helping to reduce sourcing pressure on an alternative cacao growing association.
This is an important reminder that responsible sourcing involves more than the ingredients themselves. It also means paying attention to the capacity of producer organizations, the realities of supply, and how sourcing decisions can support more balanced relationships.
Coffee from Colombia: Two More Origins to Explore
Alongside our cacao, we’re welcoming Colombian coffee from two different growing regions and processing traditions. This expansion from our classic Oaxacan coffee is an exciting step for ChocoSol, and we are looking forward to exploring the flavour profiles of these coffee varieties.
Fincas La Orquídea & El Oso, South Cauca
Our first coffee lot comes from Fincas La Orquídea and El Oso in South Cauca, in the Inzá area.
- Process: Fully washed
- Certification: Currently in transition to organic certification
Finca Santa María, Aratoca
Our second coffee lot comes from Finca Santa María in Aratoca, Colombia.
- Variety: Tabi
- Process: Honey
- Certification: Organic certified
Did you know? Honey processing is a method in which some of the fruit surrounding the coffee seed is retained during drying. The processing approach, growing environment, and coffee variety all contribute to the qualities we’ll explore as we roast this coffee.
Quality, Traceability, and Care from Origin to Toronto
At ChocoSol, we care about the quality of our ingredients and the conditions in which they are Belco will also provide documentation to support traceability and quality assurance, including:
- Organic certificates valid for Canada.
- Residue analysis demonstrating the absence of pesticide contamination.
- Heavy metal analyses for cacao, including testing to confirm compliance with applicable regulations and cadmium requirements.
These documents are an important part of responsible sourcing. They help us understand and verify the ingredients we receive, while supporting the food safety and quality standards we uphold in our own production.
What Comes Next?
The estimated shipment date is towards the end of October, with the possibility of an earlier arrival if circumstances allow.
Once the cacao and coffee arrive, we’ll begin the process of getting to know these new ingredients. For us, that means paying attention to the flavours, understanding how each ingredient responds to our roasting and grinding processes, and considering how we can honour the qualities of the places where they were grown.
Every new origin offers an opportunity to learn.
We’re excited to bring Colombian cacao and coffee into the ChocoSol kitchen, to explore new flavours, and to continue growing our connections across the food system. From the farms and producer organizations in Colombia to our small-batch production in Toronto, this shipment is another step in our ongoing journey of making food with care for people, place, and the soil.
We can’t wait to share what comes next. ☀️