Big Interview
The holy grail of the chocolate world
Kennedy’s Confection catches up with Pedro Martins Araújo, Founder of Vinte Vinte, a new ethically- produced and sustainably- sourced chocolate, created in Porto’s Cultural District
C
an you give us some background on Vinte Vinte - when did the idea start and how did it build into this new product? I like to say that chocolate chose me. Cacao is complex with a depth of fl avour and possibility.
Culturally, it’s revered as something holy in Mexico and Guatemala where it’s enjoyed from a young age as a drink. When I discovered an ingredient with such a level of sophistication and link with mankind, once I tasted it, and found it was so complex aromatically, I knew I’d found my holy grail. I had a desire to learn all about cacao, the chocolate making process and everything in between. After a few years I became a certifi ed professional taster and began my journey with Vinte Vinte. I helped with the conceptualisation and construction of The Chocolate Story, a museum dedicated to the origins of cacao and the history of chocolate. After this, a fully operational chocolate factory was built and Vinte Vinte was created. Our chocolate is produced at WOW, The New Cultural District, Porto which opened in July 2020. The museum development falls under the
“I helped with the conceptualisation and
construction of The Chocolate Story, a museum dedicated to the origins of cacao and the
history of chocolate. After this, a fully operational chocolate factory was built and Vinte Vinte was created”
Fladgate Partnership, who traditionally specialise in the farming & production of port wine and distribution of wine and port. With the opening of The Cultural District, they discovered that the process to create chocolate is very similar to that of port, and it was a natural progression for Fladgate.
What does the name Vinte Vinte mean and why did you choose it? Cacao is grown in a specifi c area of the planet, across an area called the ‘Cacao belt’, which sits precisely twenty degrees north and twenty degrees south of the Equatorial line. Vinte Vinte means ’Twenty Twenty’ in English, and plays homage to this axis, as well as the notion that twenty twenty is often associated with perfection. As a happy coincidence, WOW, The Cultural District in Porto where Vinte Vinte is produced also opened in 2020.
What trends are you seeing in chocolate at the moment? Craft chocolate (Bean-to-bar) is certainly having a moment. There are more and more brands who are launching craft
6 Kennedy’s Confection August/September 2022
KennedysConfection.com
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