Theo Chocolate

There's something very right about a business that improves the lives of its suppliers while making products that taste so good. Even as a spark in Jeff Fairhall's mind, Theo was always about fair trade and organic ingredients.

Marketer Pam Hinkley and chocolatier Autumn Martin (right)*

Fairhall was one of the founders of The Essential Baking Company and had a yen to start a chocolate company. He found Joe Whinney in Boston, a man with ties to organic cacao growers. Jeff sold his portion of the baking company and saw his chocolate vision come true before he passed away in the summer of 2007.

Whinney shaped Theo from his deep relationships with farmers and the idea of being a chocolate maker versus making the end products from someone else's chocolate. He was the first importer of organic cocoa beans into North America in 1994. Theo is the only roaster of organic cocoa beans and the first roaster of Fair Trade certified cocoa beans in the U.S. Joe's mission has always been to help the farmers and it is what fuels Theo's every move.

In February 2005, the staff consisted of Joe, Debra Music (now the vice president of marketing and sales), engineer Aaron Holzer and a production manager. The next hire was chocolatier Autumn Martin. After graduating from culinary school, she worked at Canlis as a pastry chef. "While at Canlis, I discovered the depth of chocolate. I didn't even know it came from fruit. One of our purveyors brought in samples from all over the world. I realized that working with chocolate as a creative outlet could cover everything I cared about—social and environmental responsibility, flavor artistry and art."

She left Canlis with a loose plan of traveling and studying, but heard about Theo, interviewed and got the job. "Joe saw a similarity in belief systems, passion and drive," she said. "He knew I'd have to go to school and get training, but he took a chance on me."

Pam Hinkley, Chief Grand Ambassador (yes, really her title), laughs at the "chance" Joe took. "At the Fancy Food Show in New York last summer, Autumn took the gold medal for most outstanding chocolate. It was a huge honor. Joe definitely made the right decision!"

Pam came to Theo in December 2005, prior to the actual start of chocolate production in March 2006. Interestingly, Pam started the Redhook store and tours in the very building Theo now occupies. After leaving Redhook, she was in the process of starting her own company when a mutual friend of hers and Joe's introduced them. Pam was the perfect ambassador for Theo. "I'd already spent 15 years in the building," she laughs. "Plus I had the experience of starting up a store and tours." Education is a huge part of her job. "We can only continue to help the farmers if we sell more product and educate more people," she explains. "We're really just beginning the process of helping."

Their tours educate consumers about where beans come from and how slave and child labor is often used in the production of cacao (not from Theo suppliers). "We want to change how people look at commodities—cocoa beans, flour, sugar—and help them realize that the way things get changed is when we vote with our dollars," says Pam. Theo's chocolate-making process is expensive, but customers are willing to pay more, even if it means eating less, to ensure that people and land aren't damaged in the process. "It's about making choices," says Pam. "We were lucky to start this company in Seattle. The food community is sophisticated and supportive. People prioritize what they buy."

Theo is now working with local electric companies (Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy, Tacoma Power) to encourage people to purchase electricity from renewable sources (Green Up!). A chocolate bar and two-for-one factory tour admission go out to everyone who signs up. Theo's factory is powered by electricity created by wind.

Like other products, cocoa beans reflect their terroir. Theo offers two lines of chocolate bars—origin designated and 3400 Phinney. Both are organic and fair trade certified. "People really taste the difference when they do a side-by-side tasting," says Pam. Origin-designated bars are made from cocoa beans and sugar, without  vanilla. "You should be able to taste the flavor of the nib—that's as true as it can get," explains Autumn. When first used, cacao was a savory ingredient. Europeans turned it into something sweet (we should probably thank them). 3400 Phinney are milk or dark chocolate with innovative flavors like coconut curry and fig/fennel/almond. Everything is made on site, even down to Autumn's own curry blend.

Beans are seeds from the fruit of cacao trees. Farmers eat the fruit and toss the seeds. Now the seeds are sent all over the world. Beans are tart before fermentation and cleansed at the factory  through use of air and vibration. Outer shells are removed before roasting. "We sell the shells for mulch," says Pam. After being broken into pieces, beans are called nibs. Each batch of beans is different and roasters watch carefully to determine when roasting is complete. Coarse nibs are ground into a syrup and sugar or organic milk power is added and it becomes coarse again. Rollers break it down and it goes into the conche where it is circulated with oxygen and acidity is released. It is then tempered and moved, 20 pounds at a time, from the tempering unit into molds and cooled. Theo sold to 1,800 locations last year and hopes to double in another year."

The Fremont factory is a great destination. Along with daily tours, there are monthly chocolate and wine pairings, truffle Fridays and seasonal confections. "Nationally we're known for our bars," says Autumn. "In Seattle, it's about the confection family." On Fridays, they also offer pain au chocolate—a French baguette from Tall Grass Bakery in Ballard with melted chocolate inside. Wedding and corporate gifts can be ordered and chocolate classes are offered.

It's good to know that by feeding your craving for high-end chocolate, you're actually helping farmers lead a better life, curbing the use of inappropriate labor and helping land to be used in more organic ways. In our own small way, we can help Theo continue to make a difference.

Connie Adams/May 2008

  * Pam Hinkley now works with Tom Douglas and Autumn Martin has her own company, Hot Cakes