Small Business Saturday falls on November 28 this year, the day after Black Friday. It is a day to spend your money at the places that are run by real people, close to where they live. We are a small family-owned business, so this day matters to us, and we wanted to say why buying directly from a small cacao brand can make a difference.
Who we are
We are Jose and Samoa. Cacao Adventures is a family business, and our cacao comes from Peru, where Jose works with the farming families who grow it. Our relationship with these families goes back about a decade. Today we bring that cacao to your cup as ceremonial cacao, nibs, beans and chocolate bars.
A short supply chain
Most cacao passes through many hands before it reaches a shelf. Ours does not. We work directly with farming families, so we know where the cacao was grown, who grew it, and how it was handled. In the High Amazon, cacao is grown by indigenous Awajún communities far from any urban center, and Jose travels there twice a year to support post-harvest practices and make sure quality and safety are where they should be. You can read more about this in how we source wild cacao and the story behind our three Peruvian origins.
Why it matters to the people who grow it
A short supply chain means fewer middlemen between the grower and you. It means the families can talk with us directly about quality and about what they need. It is the reason we can tell you the region, the altitude and the variety of every cacao we sell. Cacao is sustainably grown and ethically sourced, and we think the only way to promise that is to stay close to the people who do the growing. For a longer view of this, read the journey of cacao from Amazonian farms to the rest of the world.
Why it matters to you
- You can ask us anything. If you have a question about where your cacao comes from or how it was tested, a real person answers.
- You can see the results. We publish our heavy metal lab results.
- You can see the story. We tell you the origin of each cacao, because we believe it changes how it tastes.
How to shop small this weekend
Shopping small does not have to mean spending more. It can mean choosing one thing from a place you trust. If you are looking for gift ideas, our ceremonial cacao gift guide has options for every kind of cacao lover. If you want to try the three origins we work with, take a look at the Origin Explorer, or browse the ceremonial cacao collection. Our Black Friday overview explains what is on sale.
You can also visit us. Our store is at 5674 El Camino Real, Ste H, in Carlsbad, California. Our where to find us page has the details.
Whatever you choose, thank you for supporting small businesses this weekend, ours and others.
Jose & Samoa
Keep reading: our mission and our story · why single-origin cacao matters
