By Patricio Lara, The Savvy Palate
4 minute read | Updated 12:35 PM EST, Fri February 23, 2024
Grenada, known as the "Island of Spice," is located in the Eastern Caribbean, nestled in between Barbados, the Grenadines and Trinidad. Spice island did not disappoint! I visited the Diamond Chocolate Factory (Jouvay Chocolate), located in Victoria, to witness the chocolate craftsmanship of Grenada. They opened doors in March of 2014 and have been satisfying chocolate lovers ever since.
It was in fact a sensory experience. Every breath teases the palate with the heavy scent of cacao. The air is thick with the rich aroma of roasted cacao beans. With every step, the ground beneath your feet lets out a reassuring crunch of stones as if on a rugged hiking trail; however, it was the sounds of cacao beans, scattered like pebbles. It was an interesting crackle almost setting a rhythmic cadence along the cacao-laden terrain.
Beans being sun-dried in wooden trays
I had the opportunity to chat with Jake Burdick, Jouvay Factory Partner, and discuss what makes the Diamond Factory a staple here in Grenada. We spoke about the key partnerships that gave way to Jouvay, where did the name come from, and what’s in store for the future of the Diamond Factory.
How did the Diamond Factory get its start, what was the relationship between your family and Grenada?
"My Parents used to make chocolate in the states, not from bean to bar. They would buy chocolate from Europe and make bon bons out of it to sell.
My dad first came to Grenada he was stunned by the beauty of the beans and the quality of the chocolate. His idea was to have a factory here that would send up the chocolate and use it straight from the source. As opposed to going to Europe and getting it there.
He partnered with the Grenada Cocoa Association here on the island as a 30% partner, and they represent the farmers who own 70% of the Jouvay factory."
The word Jouvay is Grenadian patois, which comes from the French “jour ouvert,” or "dawning of a new day." How was the factory name chosen, who was behind that idea?
“The Carnival celebration starts in Tufton Hall which is just above the diamond factory. They’ll slick up with oil there, get dressed and march down past the factory. So that was the link between where the factory is located and the traditional Grenadian celebration. As far as who pinpointed the name, it was a group idea to name it that. But it was a mix of the idea of dawning of a new day and the physical celebration, which happens right here by the factory.”
On this guided tour through the factory, I was privy to the intricate chocolate-making process. From the meticulous sorting and roasting of cacao beans to the refining of chocolate liquor and even seeing some hand rolled cocoa balls. Every step in the chocolate-making process is an art form to achieve the Jouvay Product.
Behind the scenes, the factory hums with activity as the sun rises and teams meticulously lay out the day's production plans. Two distinct teams carry out the plan; one focused on the intricate production processes, ensuring each batch meets standards; the other, the front-end ambassadors, welcoming guests, tending to customers, and guiding visitors through the factory tours.
Nestled among the weathered stone structures, remnants of a bygone era, were plots of fresh herbs and spices. In the distance hanging cacao pods which to my surprise were more fruit looking-almost like a hard shell mango.
Planted seeds in Jouvay Garden
Fruit of the cacao tree
Seeds inside a cacao pod
Grenada stands with sustainability. The island nation has embraced eco-friendly practices to protect its environment by establishing 7 sustainability and resilience programs in recent years according to Active Caribbean Travel. In 2018 the government put a hard ban on styrofoam and single use plastics.
When discussing Jouvay’s effort on sustainability with Jake, he stated,
“This is one of the things my dad would've loved to see go a little further before he stepped away. This is one of my goals here, to get the factory running on solar power. Through our nonprofit next door to the factory we started building solar walls in a few of the drying centers. When the weather is not right for drying, they can use stored solar power indoors.
Using cacao shells for composting is a project we are currently doing and have done in the past. All of the shells, when done, we bring back and we’re composting and selling back as fertilizer for farmers to use as organic fertilizer for their fields.
And lastly, we find producing at origin is an environmentally friendly way to make chocolate. Not only does it provide jobs for the local community, but it connects local farmers to the finished product. It skips the trip of shipping the beans to production, which cuts out one step in our carbon footprint.”
