About us


The special thing about CHOCQLATE chocolates

Natural and unrefined ingredients are "foodstuffs" for a balanced, healthy and enjoyable diet. That was and is our vision since the beginning of our "Virgin Cacao" projects and company.

With “Virgin Cacao”, CHOCQLATE opened a new chapter in the world of organic cocoa products and organic chocolates since 2012: As far as we know, we are the only chocolate company to integrate completely natural cocoa beans - harvested directly from the tree and freshly dried, barely fermented and without roasting - in fine cocoa vegan chocolates, vegan chocolate bars and vegan snacks.

The "Q“In CHOCQLATE is our innermost value and promise to our customers. The "Q“Stands for the special quality of cocoa. This "Q“Is the core of our mandala logo. It shows the supervision of a sliced cocoa pod with its 5 fruit chambers. The cocoa god of the Maya and Aztecs is integrated in the 5 fruit chambers.

 “It was the feathered god of the wind - Quetzalcóatl - who brought the cocoa bean to earth. The indigenous peoples of Central and South America regarded cocoa as a sacred plant. It was used by the Maya and Aztecs as an offering to gods and kings. The ruler of the Aztecs is said to have consumed a drink containing cocoa every day. In addition, the cocoa beans were the official currency of the Maya. You can find more in the interesting source: Cultural history of cocoa

Our chocolate story

In 2013 we went online with our do-it-yourself chocolate sets. The innovation: Everyone can become a chocolatier at home and produce their own chocolate creations. Then followed in 2014 the CHOCQBAR cocoa bars and in 2015 the cocoa beans as a snack. In 2014 we obtained organic certification in order to enter the German and Austrian organic trade, as well as in Switzerland. Of course, our ingredients also came from ecologically controlled cultivation beforehand. In 2016 we then realized our big dream: to produce natural premium chocolate with “Virgin Cacao”. The claim "vegan chocolate" - without emulating the trend at the time - was a matter of course, because dark chocolate or dark chocolate with over 60% cocoa content usually does not contain any milk powder! With the focus on natural, high-percentage dark chocolates, we still keep our chocolate machines completely free of milk and lactose to this day. With this we can offer CHOCQLATE organic chocolates as completely pure and lactose-free or as vegan chocolate with a clear conscience.


About the organic chocolate production

From the start of organic chocolate production in October 2016, our “Virgin Cacao” organic chocolates found their way into organic retailers. For this purpose, Olaf Stehwien built up the chocolaterie with all his energy. Together with experienced chocolatiers, we put our natural cocoa beans in the conche, along with unrefined coconut blossom sugar, the finest fine cocoa and cocoa butter. The result: Aromatic, mild and creamy chocolates at the same time - despite the original bean!

We are proud to have established an IFS (International Featured Standard Foods) organic chocolate range with 13 types that is certified according to the highest food safety standards - absolutely sustainable and fair:

with solar energy. There is a photovoltaic system on the roof of the production facility for self-sufficiency. This energy supply is supported by a block-type thermal power station. The electricity generated here also flows into production, the resulting heat is used to melt chocolate masses. With some products we support the construction of solar panels on the roofs of social institutions in Germany. Each OHYA organic chocolate (our best-selling pure vegan chocolate with coconut blossom sugar) enables 1 cm² solar panels to be attached

without plastic. The packaging film around the chocolates and bars is made of cellulose and the outer packaging is made of paper. We do not use adhesives. This means that the entire packaging is compostable (home compost in approx. 9 weeks) and recyclable. With fair purchasing.  We source all ingredients from South America and all of this at fair trade terms. We obtain the “Virgin Cacao” beans through direct trade from a foundation project in Peru. With this we support 42 farming families by paying them well above the terms of fair trade. At the same time, through our volume, we enable more cost-effective logistics and shipping to Europe for the cocoa beans that the plantation itself exports to Europe.

with fair purchasing. We source all ingredients from South America and all of this at fair trade terms. We obtain the “Virgin Cacao” beans through direct trade from a foundation project in Peru. With this we support 42 farming families by paying them well above the terms of fair trade. At the same time, our volume enables more cost-effective logistics and shipping to Europe for the cocoa beans that the plantation itself exports to Europe


CHOCQLATE and our concern

This and much more is our concern. We improve our way of working, our dealings with people and our products a little more every day - in the countries of origin but also in the middle of Germany. We go into detail for this and never stop asking questions and improving. Also stands for that Q = quest

What we have currently optimized:

Labels for our new cocoa snacks made from 95% cane sugar fibers and 5% hemp and linen.

In the search for salt with as few toxins as possible - for our CHOCQLATE Fleur de Sel - we found the KHOISAN salt. Sea water seeps for miles through rocks into an underground lake. It is completely cleaned in this way. Since the salt pans are located in the interior of the mountain, there is no air pollution to the salt even during drying and mining. According to analyzes, it is 100% free from harmful substances.  


The development of organic chocolates 

In 2020 we were able to increase our volume by 50% every year without any significant marketing activities. The owner and founder Julia Brodbeck now holds 100% of the company and has decided to grow in small steps in favor of independence and quality. 

We grow through the organic recommendation of those who enjoy our chocolate and cocoa products. You, our customers, are the basis for us that we as a small, still handicraft-oriented company can continuously develop. We would also like to thank the chocolate and organic retailers for placing their trust in a small company like us. In addition to many owner-run organic retail stores, we have also listed nationwide such as Allnatura and regional chain stores such as Vollkorner, Denns and Basic.

The CHOCQLATE team is always personally available to you.

Your
Antonie Bögl (Photo above) - Distribution
Christoph Kuhn - online and process management, networking B2B
Andrea Malycha - ordering and logistics
Julia Brodbeck (photo below) - CEO and founder