It may be difficult, near impossible some say, to source with confidence Criollo beans from the renowned areas where cocoa beans grow in Venezuela. Those who do secure the beans without having lived in the wilds of Venezuela shouldn’t be too convinced that they have succeeded.
There are only a few creditable people who can reach those areas, very isolated areas in many cases. It’s a complicated world and that’s why we are present in both countries, the U.K. and Venezuela. All our beans are exported directly from Venezuela to the U.K.
Porcelana, Guasare, Novillero and a few others still exist today but only in small volumes. With their high resistance to cross hybridisation and their analysed 90%+ Criollo originality these varieties are very rare and sought after by many. In fact their true level of availability of these Extra Finos is measured in kilograms.
For example Venezuelan Porcelana grows only in small pockets with few trees. The annual availability of the genuine bean is measured in the hundreds of kgs. - our recent estimate for 2023 is no more than 2000kgs total - not a lot. For other rare criollos we’re speaking about two or three sacks, extremely limited. The Trinitarios, such as Ocumare, are available in higher numbers however selecting the best reduces the annual number significantly.
Chuao Village produces only circa. twenty tons per annum and even this figure can be on the high side for genuine Chuao beans.
The last few years have not been easy on our cocoa farmers but there’s change on the horizon. During that period a few farmers, untouched by the complexities, continued to produce their rare varieties. Not as before but they exist. We search for those areas and their unique varieties. There’s a lot of exploration but we find them growing in their natural shade covered organic environment. These Criollos are precious to us and the world of cocoa. Not only do we make the beans available to the market we also grow these “finds” at our nursery for transplanting. We know what we have and we’re on the road to protection and preservation, at least.
It takes a lot of site knowledge to know where they are found and that takes a lot of time. The beans appear to be widely available on the international market but in reality they’re not that common. That’s a problem.
It’s important because brand or product image damage can have significant consequences not only for the end user but also for the country of origin. The acknowledged historical reputation, desirability and small scale production of Venezuelan Criollo therefore demands clear process and high levels of market confidence.
Key to the solution was taking complete responsibility from the farm in Venezuela to the recognised specialist storer / distributor in the U.K. and that meant no intermediaries, no reliance on others.
We access all known Venezuelan varieties and other rarities yet to reach the international market.
