The delicious and unique flavours of Solomon Islands chocolate were showcased at SolChoc, the Solomon Islands Cocoa and Chocolate Festival, a fun and festive event in Honiara from April 30 to May 6, 2018.
Brown Onahekeni, Strongim Bisnis Cocoa Business Advisor, said, “This is the first year a program of public events will be offered alongside the annual cocoa competition which is very exciting. Profits from the events will be channeled back into supporting local farmers and the cocoa sector, which is showing increasing economic promise with more than 22% of rural households involved in cocoa here and a rising global demand for chocolate”.
SolChoc featured an Interactive Chocolate Tasting, complete with a master chocolatier talk through the wonderful intricacies of judging the best chocolate.
The SolChoc Fair followed, celebrating all things chocolate for all the family. The fair had chocolate and chocolate-themed foods, speciality foods, cocoa-themed beauty products, a live cooking demonstration, kids entertainment and a cocoa industry technology showcase.CEMA’s Chief Produce Inspector, Patterson Siliota said the one-week SolChoc Festival showcased Solomon Islands cocoa to boutique and fine flavour chocolate-makers and cocoa and bulk buyers from the UK and the region.
To bring SolChoc to the public, Strongim Bisnis collaborated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the Commodities Export Marketing Authority (CEMA), the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), the Pacific and Horticultural Market Access Program (PHAMA), the Rural Development Program (RDP) and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) to bring SolChoc to Honiara.