OUR STORY
THE STORY BEHIND OUR CAPTAIN
Captain’s Chocolate Company was born from an entrepreneurial spirit that reaches beyond making a profit to a passion for truly helping others improve their lives. We make 100% whole bean, all organic chocolate. The healthiest properties of the cacao bean can be found in our products.
Our beans are sourced directly from the indigenous tribes in the Talamanca region of Costa Rica. This is a mutually beneficial situation for both the local cacao farmers and our company. Captain's receives top-quality, organic cacao beans and the local farmers are able to earn more than double the income they would have received otherwise. This standard of paying more than fair trade price means their communities can thrive instead of subsisting. Best of all, our customers reap the benefits of having 100% whole bean chocolate. Join us in helping others improve their lives one delicious bite at a time.
Captain's Chocolate Company prides itself on being 100% handcrafted. We begin the bean to bar cycle by first purchasing the organic cacao beans from indigenous Costa Rican farmers. We then ferment, dry, roast, hew, and winnow the beans, which produces cacao nibs. The nibs are then stone ground in small batches, usually for about 30 hours. Organic cane sugar is added during the grinding. The chocolate is then aged for about 4 to 6 weeks. When ready, it is tempered, molded and packaged.
Nothing is stripped away from the cacao beans. Anything added to the chocolate recipe, such as organic sugar or organic flavoring oils, are selected with utmost care to always compliment the natural elements of the cacao beans.
We hope you love every bite
In the previous years, the local tribes had endured a fungus on their cacao trees that destroyed many orchards. At the same time, the local bean buyer slashed the price to well below market price. Getting their crop to market meant going down dangerous mountain roads in less-than-ideal conditions. In order to solve these challenges, Captain Mark purchased 10,000 seedlings for the tribes, distributing them to anyone who wanted to farm cacao. Once the trees started producing, Captain Mark started buying those beans, and currently pays the farmers well above fair trade prices (almost double!) To solve the issue of getting the beans to market, Captain Mark purchased a truck and started a pickup route, so that the farmers don’t have to worry about delivery. Now, even the smallest farmer can sell beans to Captain’s Chocolate.
During this time, Mark’s sister Sarah heard about the chocolate project and joined the team. Sarah started work on the current chocolate production facility and retail store in the heart of the Wisconsin countryside. Using the nibs from Costa Rica Sarah creates the chocolate and handles the retail and wholesale selling side of Captain’s. Between the production facility in Costa Rica and the one in Wisconsin, our chocolate is created entirely by Captain’s Chocolate. This is truly single source, bean to bar, and farm to table chocolate.