Rabot Estate - A Cocoa Plantation Story
The Story So Far
Rabot Estate allows us to create a direct connection between our customers and the very origin of chocolate, cocoa. And we’re one of the very few in the world able to do this.
How we came to buy Rabot Estate
Growing our own cocoa is a dream come true for everyone at Hotel Chocolat and it all started with a book from a member of our Chocolate Tasting Club. Here's the story...
Michele Clare was tidying out her husband's office, when, under a dusty pile of books, she saw a 1920 copy of Cocoa & Chocolate, Their History from Plantation to Consumer. As a Tasting Club member, she immediately thought it would be of interest to Club Founder and Hotel Chocolat Chief Executive, Angus Thirlwell. She sent it off to him with the inscription, "I thought you might like to see this".
Angus Thirlwell recounts what happened next -
"I was just setting off on a trip to see my father, who lives in the West Indies, so slipped the book into my baggage. As a chocolate-obsessed person, I couldn't put it down once I'd started it. What I hadn't realised, and what I learned from the book, was how common it was for chocolatiers to make their own chocolate from the bean back in the 1920s and what an important cocoa-growing region the West Indies used to be.
Since then there have been huge changes - hardly any chocolatiers get involved in the bean any longer, buying all their chocolate ready made from specialist bean converters. And, unfortunately, cocoa growing has plummeted in the West Indies as bananas and tourism have taken its place. However, the beans from this part of the world are of high quality, primarily Trinitario.
I thought – why don't we grow our own cocoa and do the opposite of everyone else? And the prospect didn't just inspire and excite me - the whole company was behind it. After a long and thorough search, we found the ideal old estate in Saint Lucia. Co-founder Peter Harris and I raced over and, in the face of strong competition, signed contracts within a week to buy Rabot Estate, which had been in the same family since the 1930s. Contracts were finalised and Rabot Estate became ours in April 2006."|.
It’s a bold move to grow our own cocoa…
And it’s one that goes against the overall trend in the chocolate industry – to specialise more and more in a particular part of the chocolate making process. But Rabot Estate allows us to create a direct connection between our customers and the very the origin of chocolate, cocoa. We’re one of the very few in the world able to do this.
The Three Phase Plan for Rabot Estat
Through our three-phase plan, Rabot Estate is already well on the way to becoming a successful West Indian business in its own right. But as you’ll see, we have even more ambitious plans, including our Engaged Ethics Cocoa Programme, which is helping to kick-start a cocoa revival across Saint Lucia.
1. Re-establish Rabot Estate as a viable, thriving cocoa grower
This phase is already very well advanced. Estates Director, Phil Buckley, has recruited and trained a good local team and they have achieved significant success already – with cocoa yields rising with every harvest. The estate is now run on organic grounds and is working towards accreditation. With the help of world leading experts at Reading University, we’ve identified rare, Criollo-rich Trinitario cocoa that we’re propagating and planting out. Our very first harvest produced a Rabot Estate chocolate that won a bronze medal in the World Chocolate Awards. Having turned around the fortunes of the estate, we are now spreading the regeneration through to local cocoa growers. So far, 80 of our Island Grower partners have joined our Cocoa Programme – whereby they benefit from advice and technical assistance; the supply of high quality Trinitario seedlings; and, crucially, a guaranteed market for their entire crops at prices above those of the world market.
2. Creating the ‘real’ Hotel Chocolat – Open November 2010
Spending time at Rabot Estate is a very special experience indeed – the views, the cocoa trees, the atmosphere, the scents, even the breeze all have dramatic effects on people. Soon after we had started rejuvenating the plantation, we decided that this was the perfect place to build the real Hotel Chocolat. Our aim has been to create an intimate, exclusive place worthy of this stunning setting – where nature and wellbeing come together with style, luxury and, of course, chocolate. Guests will stay in one of only 10 Cocoa Pod Cottages, specially designed and built in our own inimitable style – where Hotel Chocolat’s contemporary edge meets a traditional West Indian twist. Take it easy, have a dip in the pool, hike around World Heritage Site scenery, or roll up your sleeves and see what cocoa growing is all about – you can do it all. Then relax at the Boucan bar and restaurant, which has the best seats in the house at sunset. Just can’t wait – click here for full details, prices and booking information.
3. Start making chocolate in Saint Lucia
Part three of our plan for Rabot Estate is to build a chocolate factory and start making chocolate using local ingredients and local labour. Making chocolate in Saint Lucia and exporting it to the UK is a reversal of the normal practice, which is to add all the value in Europe, giving only the value of the commodity to the cocoa growing economy. We will be training local people in chocolate making, using ingredients and creating a whole value chain around this new enterprise. We’ve already chosen our site and HRH Prince Charles kindly broke the ground during his latest visit to the island. So watch this space for more exciting developments.
What’s Happened So Far?
Sept 2005 Recruitment of Phil Buckley as Estates Director to be based in St Lucia and carry through The Plan
February 2006 Phil Buckley and his wife Judy take up residence in St Lucia and begin the final proceedings to facilitate the purchase of the estate.
April 2006 estate legally becomes ours
May 2006 Work begins on Phase 1: The restoration of the estate
May 2006 Cocoa beans from the first harvest are made into chocolate. They taste good… phew!
May 2006 Rabot Estate chocolate goes on sale in our stores and website in 72% dark and 62% milk formats
July 2006 First cocoa seedling nursery established
July 2006 Rats caught pass the 1,000 mark
August 2006 Marius Felix joins the Rabot Estate management team, as estate overseer
September 2006 Engaged Ethics Cocoa Programme launched to local farmers
October 2006 Rabot Estate 72% Dark Chocolate wins bronze award at the Academy of Chocolate Awards 2006
October 2006 First consignment of The Purist cocoa sticks arrive in UK.
February 2007 13,000 Rabot cocoa tree seedlings planted out
April 2007 The largest cocoa shipment in decades leaves St Lucia comprising a bumper Rabot Estate harvest but also the cocoa from fourty-two local farmers who were the first to join the Engaged Ethics scheme.
June 2007 Rats caught pass the 2,000 mark.
July 2007 Site identified for the chocolate factory within the grounds of Rabot Estate. Phase 2 of The Plan comes closer…
August 2007 Restoration of the c.1745 old estate house finally complete. Phil and Judy can move in now!
September 2007 St Lucian single origin cocoa chocolate goes on sale for the first time ever.
Cocoa Growing at Rabot Estate
