Is Craft Chocolate just for adults?

I still remember one of our very first markets after starting Ritual back in 2010.

A mum came over with her young son, excited to let him try chocolate. I handed him a little sample of one of our dark bars.

He popped it into his mouth.

His eyes went wide.

...and then he burst into tears 😂.

At the time, it completely confirmed what I thought I already knew.

Kids just weren't into dark chocolate. And honestly, that was okay.

Back then, we were obsessed with exploring single-origin cacao, bold flavors, and helping adults discover that chocolate could taste as nuanced as wine or coffee.

For years, that's exactly what Ritual became.

We talked about Fermentation. Roasting. Origin. Craftsmanship.

And while I still love every bit of that...I've realized something has changed. 

Sixteen years later, I'm now the mum of three little chocolate lovers.  

A four-year-old and two-year-old twins.

Like every parent, I spend a surprising amount of time thinking about what they'll actually eat.

Ironically...One of the easiest things to feed them is our chocolate.

They genuinely love it.

My daughter's first word was "chocolate." (Yes...I’m a ridiculously proud mum. 😂)

Even funnier, if I give them a sweeter 

supermarket milk chocolate, they usually hand it back.

Apparently, they've become tiny chocolate snobs.

It's made me realize something.

For all the wonderful things the craft chocolate movement has achieved, we've mostly created experiences for adults.

Chocolate tastings.

Factory tours.

Flavor notes.

Origin stories.

All things I still believe are incredibly important. It starts with the parents, right?

But somewhere along the way, I started wondering...

How do we invite children into that world too?

Not through lectures.

Through curiosity, stories and creativity.

So this summer we're trying something small.

We're launching our Little Chocolate Explorers experience.

We'll read stories, hold cacao pods, beans, nibs and shells. Sip hot chocolate.

And every child will design their own chocolate wrapper to take home.

At the same time, we've been working on a fun summer bar too.

Our new Limited Edition S'mores bar.

As part of it, I drew this little bear roasting marshmallows over a campfire.

Drawing has become a new creative outlet for me this year, and it felt like the perfect way to bring a little extra wonder to one of our more playful bars.

I have no idea where this journey will lead.

Either way...I love getting kids to enjoy craft chocolate and I’m hoping to do that more.