Thai craft chocolate entrepreneur cooks up recipe for global success
This hand-crafted chocolate is prepared with few ingredients other than natural cocoa. These delicacies have fast become a treat overseas thanks to support from the Department of International Trade Promotion.
Hear the words “craft chocolate” and most people automatically think of Belgium or perhaps Switzerland. However, a local entrepreneur is slowly adding Thailand to the world map by tapping chocolate’s potential as a superfood.
"One More is a unique, rich and real Thai craft chocolate, as it is a superfood made from cocoa grown locally in Nakhon Si Thammarat province,” says Jirayunut Ajariyakajorn, owner of the brand.
One More Thai craft chocolate is handmade rather than industrially manufactured, Jirayanut explains. The cocoa beans used in the products are delicately fermented, dried, roasted, ground, stored and then blended as the main ingredient in the craft chocolate recipes. Most importantly, she says, the cocoa fat in the chocolate is real whole fat that has not been extracted, and no artificial fats are added. This is what gives One More craft chocolate its uniquely Thai flavour and taste.
Last year, that unique selling point caught the eye – and tastebuds – of overseas buyers.
“After the company was selected by the Commerce Ministry to showcase at [national trade fair] THAIFEX, we were contacted by Japanese and Korean companies to distribute our chocolate in their niche healthy-eating markets,” says Jirayunut.
The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) also helped support the project in various ways.
“A small business like ours was given the opportunities to develop and grow. DITP provided us with professional advice and coaches to help the company improve, giving us access to local and brand identities,” she says.
The company learned how to build a brand to market itself to the public and elevate its products to the international market. “DITP has made a huge impact for entrepreneurs,” Jirayunut concludes.
