Event News
Oumé I
n late May, at an intimate gathering hosted by venture studio Mustard, former Chelsea footballer SalomonKalou and Creative Director Karina Ferreira unveiled Oumé, a brand that, in Ferreira’s words, is “a way to bring people home and then carry that feeling forward.” Mustard known for building ventures that lead with strong stories has been instrumental in shaping Oumé’s narrative, from early brand development to the curation of this prelaunch moment. “Before I played for Chelsea, I was walking Kalou told the room. “Helping my parents on the farm. Back then, we didn’t even know what cacao was really for.”
Named after his birthplace in the Ivory Coast, Oumé is a brand grounded in memory and meaning. The town itself, located about 300 km from Abidjan, is nestled in the heart of one of the world’s richest cocoa-growing regions. The Ivory
18 Kennedy’s Confection June 2025
Coast produces nearly 40% of the world’s cocoa supply, yet its farmers—like Kalou’s parents once up in the hands of global confectionery giants.
The taste of home, reimagined
Salomon Kalou and Karina Ferreira in conversation with Mustard Founder Ndubuisi Kejeh (ND)
Unveiled at a private London prelaunch, Oumé is a new brand focused on chocolate, and grounded in the childhood memories of Salomon Kalou and his wife, Karina Ferreira. Kiran Grewal reports.
That image—of a man standing calmly beside a tree—became the heartbeat of the brand’s identity. “When I saw this picture from Paul Kodjo… it resonated so much to us,” Ferreira said. “It spoke a lot to me when it comes to feelings. It spoke to me in a sense of connection, sense of belonging… so powerful, so deep, emotionally speaking.”
The global chocolate market was
worth US$132.65 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach nearly US$197 billion by 2032—yet most cocoa farmers in West Africa still earn less than $1.50 a day, according to Research and Markets. Market volatility, climate change, and the opaque nature of commodity trading have left farmers vulnerable despite their central role in the supply chain. Though initiatives like Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance have introduced minimum price guarantees and sustainability programmes,
they’re still
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