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GENEVA, Switzerland, (ITC News) – In the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, 900 meters above sea level, on land the family has farmed for over a century, Mount Pleasant Farm Chocolatiers is doing something revolutionary.
Averell and Hellen Akiror French are building Jamaica’s first bean-to-bar chocolate company from a farm with no roads, no machines, and a conviction that Jamaica grows exceptional cocoa. We spoke with Averell and Eleanor about the land, their labour of love, and the vision of making Jamaican chocolate a global flagship.
In a region synonymous with coffee, you chose cocoa and chocolate. Was that a challenge or an advantage?
Averell: We are also coffee farmers. My family has been farming both on Mount Pleasant for over 100 years. My father realised from as far back as the early 1960s that cocoa grown in this region carries some of the same qualities as Blue Mountain coffee: a bit more cream, and less acidity in the flavour notes. So doing chocolate was something we really wanted to do. And Hellen being a chocolatier, with her father also a chocolatier, certainly helped quite a bit. We embrace both.
What does the land give you that you couldn’t replicate anywhere else?
Averell: We are at about 3,000 feet above sea level, with natural springs and generous rainfall. In certain seasons it rains almost every day as noon approaches. We farm in a biodiverse way: star fruits, mangoes, guavas, avocados. We don’t plant intensively because we believe every plant gives and takes from the soil. When you have that variety, you have rich, healthy soil – and healthy soil gives you quality products.
You control the chain from farm to finished bar. What does that actually look like in practice?
Averell: Work on the farm is carried out with a machete. There are no roads near the farm and the ground is mostly slope, so machines aren’t really an option. That’s actually part of what makes it what it is: fresh air, less pollutants, a healthier environment all the way through. We do as much by hand as we can, right through to the packaging. We even make our own paper from cocoa shells. The pod that might otherwise go to waste is used to make granola. Everything from the cocoa plant is used.
Hellen: It is a passion. You have to love it. At the end of the day we have a product we are proud of: something you can give to your child knowing it’s beneficial to their health. That alone makes it worthwhile.
The farm reflects the community in more ways than one. Can you explain how?
Averell: The Mount Pleasant farm is a community in itself. We employ a cross-section of local people, and Hellen is the CEO of the company. The farm should reflect what the community is: men and women, different ages, people who believe in what we are doing. When we had a hurricane recently, and most of our trees were flattened, the network of other farmers we train with came and helped us. That relationship goes both ways.
Hellen: We want people to see value in farming. If you grow up watching your parents farm and they are living in poverty, it does not encourage you to do the same. But if you see your parents doing something of value – making a product, earning from it, being proud of it – that changes everything.
You were the first bean-to-bar company in Jamaica. What has that meant for the sector?
Averell: There are now five or six bean-to-bar companies in Jamaica. That’s wonderful. When we started, people told us dark chocolate wouldn’t work here. Jamaicans have a sweet tooth, they said. But the dark quickly outsold the milk. And having other companies on board validated our idea. People can now compare tastes and see the difference. Competition is a very good thing. It moves the whole industry forward.
Where do you see Mount Pleasant Farm in five years?
Hellen: We always aspire to be the best. Jamaica is well known for its coffee. We want to do the same for cocoa: to make Mount Pleasant a flagship product for Jamaica, and eventually one of the leading cocoa tourism destinations in the Caribbean. Our vision is a full farm-to-bar experience: from planting a seedling to tasting the finished chocolate, all in one place. The land is here. The story is here. We just need to keep building.
Through the EU and OACPS-funded ACP Business-Friendly Programme, ITC supports Mount Pleasant Farm Chocolatiers with capacity building across the full value chain — from good cocoa production practices and post-harvest handling to product development, brand positioning, market linkages, and investment promotion, including participation in trade fairs and connections to capital providers.
About the projects
The ACP Business-Friendly Programme is funded by the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and jointly implemented by ITC’s Alliances for Action, the World Bank and UNIDO. It seeks to improve the ability of agribusiness firms in ACP countries to compete, grow and prosper in domestic, regional, and international markets. Through the Alliances for Action approach, it promotes inclusive and sustainable agricultural value chains that value all stakeholders from farm to shelf.
