Sweet Bougainville
Bougainville will host its second Chocolate Festival in September, bringing together cocoa farmers, chocolate makers and buyers from around the world to taste Bougainville’s best beans.
Ms Li Peng Monroe and Mr Peter Channells, of Australian chocolatier Jasper + Myrtle, will be returning based on the success of last year’s festival. Ms Monroe said she is really looking forward to catching up with Suir cocoa farmer Martin Donatus Linnix and the many people she met last year.
“Bougainville is well-known for high quality cocoa beans and last year’s festival did a great job involving local cocoa farmers”, Ms Monroe said
“A direct result of the festival was to meet Martin and get some of his gold medal winning cocoa beans. We now use his beans in an exclusive range of chocolate that bears the name of his fermentary – Nunu. We were so impressed with the quality of Bougainville cocoa that we will be using it in our entire range.”
“Apart from the cocoa beans we loved the beauty of Bougainville and the friendly people who generously shared their home and culture with us.”
Mr Linnix said last year’s Festival led directly to exporting his beans overseas for the first time.
“I thank the festival for opening the road for us to market our beans overseas.”
Bougainville’s Minister for Primary Industries, Hon Nicholas Darku, said the festival helps farmers realise the value of their land.
“Bougainville is blessed with rich agricultural land and a history of producing premium quality, organic cocoa and copra”, Minister Darku said.
“We must use the ground we have to make money – for people’s pockets and for funding Bougainville’s future.”
“We are now inviting Bougainville cocoa farmers to submit their beans for participation in the festival’s chocolate competition which will be judged using international standards.”
This is very exciting not just for the cocoa industry, but for Bougainville as a whole. “
The Bougainville Chocolate Festival will be held in Arawa, 6-7 September, and is supported by Australian and New Zealand governments. For more information contact the Department of Primary Industries or visit Facebook/bougainvillechocolatefestival or www.bougainvillechocolatefestival.com
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