Askinosie Chocolate facts for kids
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| Industry | Bean to Bar Chocolate |
|---|---|
| Founded | May 2007 |
| Founder | Shawn Askinosie |
| Products | Single Origin Chocolate |
Askinosie Chocolate is a special company that makes chocolate in small batches. They are based in Springfield, Missouri, in the United States. They are known for making "bean-to-bar" chocolate, which means they control every step of the chocolate-making process, right from the cocoa beans!
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How Askinosie Chocolate Started
Shawn Askinosie is the person who started Askinosie Chocolate. Before he became a chocolate maker, he had a different career for nearly 20 years. In 2007, he decided to follow his passion for chocolate. That year, he sold his very first chocolate bar, and that's how Askinosie Chocolate began!
How the Company Works
Askinosie Chocolate believes in being fair and building strong relationships. They use a method called direct trade. This means they buy cocoa beans directly from the farmers. This helps them build lasting friendships with the cocoa farmers and their communities.
The company also believes in sharing its success. They practice profit sharing, which means they share a part of their earnings with the cocoa farmers. They also pay farmers more than the usual fair trade price. Being open about their money matters, called open accounting, has been a key part of their business since the beginning. This way of working helps everyone involved feel like they are part of the team.
Delicious Chocolate Products
Askinosie Chocolate bars are made from cocoa beans that can be fully traced back to where they came from. These special beans come from four main places:
- San Jose Del Tambo, Ecuador
- Zamora, Ecuador
- Davao, Philippines
- Mababu, Tanzania
While they are famous for their dark chocolate bars, they also make other tasty treats. These include dark milk chocolate, white chocolate (made from scratch), natural cocoa powder, roasted cocoa nibs, and chocolate hazelnut spread. They also have a special line called "CollaBARation." These bars mix their dark chocolate with products from other artisan food makers.
Helping Kids with Nutrition
Shawn Askinosie learned about a problem at Malagos Elementary School in Davao, Philippines, during one of his trips to find cocoa beans. Many students there were not getting enough to eat. To help, Askinosie Chocolate started a special program to provide healthy meals.
They did this by selling Tableya, a traditional Filipino hot chocolate drink. Tableya is made from roasted cocoa beans that are pressed into tablets. The parents and teachers at Malagos Elementary made the Tableya. They sent it to Springfield, Missouri, in the same shipping containers that brought the cocoa beans.
All the money from selling Tableya goes to feed the students at Malagos. Each package of Tableya sold provides 232 meals for the children. These meals are bought from a group called Convoy of Hope and prepared by the school's parent-teacher association. This program helps make sure the students have enough to eat so they can learn and grow.
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