A CHOCOLATE maker at Mission Beach has shown the world how it’s done, winning an 2017 International Cocoa Award in Paris last month.
Chris and Lynn Jahnke of Charley’s Chocolate Factory at Mission Beach scored top marks for their single origin Mt Edna chocolate at the 2017 International Cocoa Award in Paris in November.
Chocolates from around the world were shortlisted down to 50 entries in August and the 18 International Cocoa Award winners were announced at the Salon du Chocolate, Paris.
The Mt Edna chocolate is a single origin chocolate bar, with all coco beans coming off the Jahnke’s farm at Mission Beach.
Lynn and her husband Chris moved to Mission Beach in 2013, swapping a former career of two decades in the hand bag business.
They planted the first cocoa bean seeds five years ago.
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It was the fifth anniversary planting the cocoa bean seeds when they won the award.
“In 2014 we made the first 50 bars of our Mt Edna chocolate, now we make 18,000 bars a year,” Lynn Jahnke said.
The Jahnkes cannot keep up with demand and are looking to expand their operation.
They have an application currently with the State Government to create the Australian Chocolate Centre at Mission Beach.
If successful, the Australian Chocolate Centre will employ 65 people over five years.
Currently Charley’s Chocolate Factory takes on average 120 people a week on a tour of the property, showing how chocolate is made. This has diversified the tourism offering in the Mission Beach area.
Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter and Katter’s Australian Party state member for Hill, Shane Knuth congratulated the business.
“This is wonderful, fantastic news. To see a small local business start from scratch, build themselves up and to now take out this international award – all in four years – it is amazing,” Mr Knuth said.
“It is a wonderful showing of what people can achieve in our small North Qld coastal communities.
“This shows that our boutique industries, such as the Mt Uncle Distillery at Walkamin, the proposed Bingil Bay Distillery or Golden Drop mango wine in Mareeba – to name but a few; are flaring. We hope that they are going to flare into a conflagration of economic progress,” Mr Katter said.
“We are just so proud of Chris and Lynn and Mission Beach,” said Mr Katter.
Ms Jahnke said the award gave them exposure not only in Australia, but on the world stage.
The Cocoa of Excellence Programme is the entry point for the International Cocoa Awards.
It aims to increase awareness and promote education along the cocoa supply chain on the opportunity to produce high quality cocoa and preserve flavours resulting from genetic diversity, terroir and know-how of the farmers who prepare cocoa.
Cacao, cocoa and chocolate advisor for Guittard Chocolate, Ed Seguine, said never before had there been such an assemblage of superb cocoas as was expressed as chocolates in 2017 Edition of Cocoa of Excellence.
“The flavour evaluation has been both daunting as well as exhilarating. There is more outstanding flavour and diversity from more countries than ever before,” Mr Sequine said.
“We continue to believe that the Cocoa of Excellence as well as the International Cocoa Awards will shine the spotlight of flavours, craftmanship and diversity on these farmers and bring real, meaningful value to them for their beans.”
