The meeting was billed to start at 9 am but after my arrival by 8:54 am as the host I had to wait 9 minutes for Ada to arrive, subsequently, Ugo came followed by Zino and lastly, Bode, making it 5 local guides (Ogechi, Ada, Ugo, Zino and Bode)
We had the privilege of having the company’s CEO Uzo take us on the tour and taste meet up but that was after she treated us to coffee breakfast. She took us to the Cloakroom where we changed to Loom Craft aprons with matching white caps and white croc footwear. Ready to go, the first port of call was the store where the semi-processed raw materials like cocoa powder are stored. Then we moved to the factory where the Roasting, Sorting, Winnowing, Cracking, Blending, Refining, and hardening take place. As the company name goes Loom Craft the CEO Uzo displayed deep knowledge of an experienced chocolatier. She gave us the opportunity to prepare our own brand providing refined cocoa fluid that she called “cement” because that forms the base for other ingredients that give diverse types and brands of Chocolates. Having mixed our individual chocolate modes we handed them over to Mary the Chocolatier on duty to fridge for us.
Check out the photo album.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/oVYH6TBEdDW5ZPye9
We went back to the Cloakroom to change our garments in preparation for the tasting session but not until Uzo took us to the warehouse outside where the bagged fermented raw cocoa seeds are kept after receiving them from suppliers mainly from Ondo, Osun and sometimes Abia state all in the southern parts of Nigeria. During the Chocolate tasting session Uzo took us on the fundamentals of the Chocolate tasting process emphasizing the dimensions of the tasing namely Aroma (how does it smell considering the spices, fruity, vegetal, floral etc.), Taste (sweet, bitter, sour, salty, umami?) what does it taste like) and Mouthfeel (checking the smoothness, hard, soft, fine, creamy, coarse, cool, warm, pungent, and melting) She gave us a “Chocolate Tasting Note Sheet” to document our experience and a Chocolate Sensory Wheel to guide our description. We tasted 10 brands of Chocolate.
- Mango Chilly
- Vanilla White
- Dark Choco (70 Percent) my favourite
- Sweet Vanilla
- Dark Orange (flavour from orange peels and orange tree bark)
- Coconut sesame Crush
- Strawberry Lemon Grass
- Diary Milk
- Peanut Brittle
- Spiced Black Coffee
- Cashew Nut Blend (bonus)
The experience was more than mind-blowing never knew Chocolatiers existed in Nigeria with brands that can stand the test of time and territory. Small and Medium Enterprises like The Faith and Claire Company are worth encouraging. The beauty of this company is that no artificial preservatives or artificial flavour is used in their production. They source their input ingredients from other SME companies thereby promoting interdependence and promoting healthy ecosystem that allows efficient division of labour in the production chain.
Reactions from the Local guides
- Ogechi: He is the host and was enthusiastic to see this meet-up happen, having initiated it. Was there on time and was ready for a wonderful experience. My expectations were met. I was happy with the attendance initially when I arrived it was like this is going to be a flop, But Ada’s presence was a game changer. As a Foodie I quest for good food and never missed any opportunity to taste one. As a matter of fact, I am more active in the Food section on Connect than in any other category. For me, it was like honing my horn.
- Ada: Call her a Connoisseur on Cocoa concerns that will not be a misnomer. Her punctuality was good, active participation kept the tour guide on her an edge, asking questions that confirmed the fact that she understood what this whole process was all about. In fact, it was at her demand that we got the 11th bar for tasting. Interestingly she just began growing cocoa which she made us understand was sourced from Uzo and is now yielding cocoa pods just after 2 years. Ada was the star active Local Guide in this meet-up. Her encouragement was legendry supportive, dependable, go-getter etc.
- Ugo, can I call him a taciturn? may be. He seldom talks but allows his eyes, tongue, mouth, and facial expression to do the talking. Despite “intimidation” from Ada and Zino who were experienced in this Chocolate thing he was apt to decipher the ingredients composition of some of these brands we tasted. An amiable guy whom I can say was a fun meeting.
- Zino: uhm! sophisticated? yes, a Guiding Star previously described by Google as a Lawyer by Day and Foodie by Night, she has a deep connection with food quality and displayed that wit to identify the content of each chocolate bar brought for tasting. I peeped into her “Chocolate Tasting Note Sheet” I was like! there she comes again. She was reputed for her in-depth description of food taste and nutrients which she brought to the fore. Haba? Zino your notes are like lesson notes. “You bi Ticha before? oh oh you bi lawyer”. Even at that must you give a legal brief on tour and taste meet up? An interesting lady to meet. Our Guiding Star, keep shining but remember our proposed virtual meet-up on Review.
- Bode; Came after we visited the factory and felt a bit sad. Uncle, why is your countenance like this? having seen him folding his arms with a sour face while the tasting session was on. I feel bad not starting from the beginning he responded. Uzo the CEO and tour guide had to adjust the session sending him to the factory to undergo the process of making his own Chocolate bar before joining us. He felt very excited about the meet-up and expressed his readiness for the next meet-up. Ah ah! finish one before you ask for another.
- @Zino
- @adaokoli
- @Sagir
- @EmekaUlor
- @SholaIB
y que rico se ve el chocolate saludos 
thanks for sharing 
through your vivid descriptions of each participant. Ada’s knowledge of cocoa cultivation, Zino’s lawyerly way of describing flavors, and the whole group’s engagement made the day fantastic 
