What could be better than being on a Caribbean island eating chocolate? Not much, really. Welcome to Grenada, a tropical paradise that's perfect for relaxing – and perfect for tasting some of the finest chocolate in the world. Just 12 degrees north of the equator, Grenada and its two sister islands, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, offer many ways to experience chocolate. From cacao farms and family-run factories to food tours with a cocoa twist, come with us as we explore the island and its history, showing you the best ways to taste, make and even wear cocoa and chocolate.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the sweet delights Grenada has to offer.
The largest island of the three, Grenada is known as 'the spice island' due to its abundance of spice plants, especially nutmeg. But what also grows here is cacao, the raw, unprocessed version of cocoa. In 1964, the founding of the Grenada Cocoa Association meant all cocoa exports had to go through the association to be sold abroad. Back then, cocoa exports went to only seven countries, including the UK, Belgium, Holland, the USA and Canada. By 1983, 22 countries accounted for 98% of Grenadian cocoa exports. Still, no chocolate was made on the island itself... until one man made a huge change.
After hundreds of years of exporting Grenadaian cocoa to traditional chocolate-making countries, David Laurence Friedman (known better as Mott Green), a New Yorker who had been living on the island, founded a ground-breaking business in 1999. Together with Doug Browne and Edmond Brown, Mott founded the island's first chocolate-making company: The Grenada Chocolate Company. Mott helped cocoa farmers increase their income by using their own cocoa beans to make chocolate, rather than selling it to the Grenada Cocoa Association for a fixed price.
Mott began what is known as the 'tree-to-bar movement' in Grenada. He fought for a license to start making chocolate. Eventually, he managed to open a factory in Saint Patrick and start producing the first chocolate made in Grenada with Grenadian cacao. Sadly, Mott died in 2013, but his company continued its production under the guidance of co-founder Edmond Brown. Today it oversees over 200 acres of organic cocoa farms, ensuring local farmers are fairly rewarded for their hard work.
With its distinctive, colourful packaging and various flavours (Salty-Licious, made with Caribbean sea salt, is pretty special) The Grenada Chocolate Company is a must-visit stop to support the local industry and stock up on goodies to take home. The factory outlet shop shows videos of the chocolate-making process and is open weekdays and Sundays. The factory doesn’t offer organised tours, but you can call ahead to enquire.
Mott Green started something big in Grenada and now other chocolate companies are creating exciting bars and offering experiences on their farms and in their factories. One of these is Tri Island Chocolate; run by Aaron Sylvester, this is the place to come to not only taste delicious Grenadian chocolate, but make your own.
Choosing from an array of ingredients, Aaron and his incredible team walk you through the entire process of creating a bar of chocolate from scratch, before helping you to make one of your own to take away. Spices from the island, banana chips and even colourful sprinkles are just a few of the ingredients on offer to personalise your bar. It costs around £40 ($46) to make a bar and you learn the history of the factory and Grenadian chocolate making while you do it. You'll leave Tri Island with a perfect (and delicious) memento of your trip.
As well as the tree-to-bar movement, Mott Green inspired an entire chocolate festival. Magdalena Fielden, who runs luxury hotel True Blue Bay Boutique Resort, planned the festival with Mott and it began in honour of him after he passed in 2013. It takes place in May every year, but don't worry, many of its events are available year-round, including Street Food Wednesday.
Street Food Wednesday at Dodgy Dock (the on-site restaurant of True Blue Bay hotel) brings people together over food, music and plenty of chocolate. Locally, this is often referred to as a 'lime' – liming is a Caribbean tradition where friends gather to share food, drink, conversation and laughter. Every Wednesday night, many of the island's chocolate factories set up stalls so you can purchase bars, or you can sample food infused with cocoa, like sticky ribs in chocolate sauce or a dessert from House of Chocolate's dessert stand.
Combining chocolate, history and exploration, the Spice Foodie Tours run year-round and are a must if you want to try authentic Grenadian chocolate. Visitors go on a whistle-stop tour of the island, taking in a working cocoa farm and one of the many chocolate factories on the island. You'll also stop to make your own cocoa tea and learn about Fruitti Moss, the company taking sea moss and combining it with local ingredients – including cocoa, of course.
A stop at Taste D Spice is worth it for the chocolate fountain alone. It's one of the smaller factories on the island, so you get plenty of Grenadian hospitality and learn first-hand how the team make their chocolate and teas. Pop in for a tour and you can sample and make your own bars, pick up some fantastic merch and browse the many varieties of chocolate.
Cocoa tea is something you may have heard of, but drinking it in Grenada is a particularly special experience thanks to the unique way it's made on the island. For instance, the team at Hosten's Natural Cocoa specialise in making cocoa tea 'balls' or 'bricks' (pictured), which are solid versions you can take away to make at home. You can taste it as part of the Spice Foodie Tour, and it's also available from shops all over the island. But what's so special about cocoa tea?
With a deep and lingering scent, pure dark chocolate combines with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and sometimes other spices, to create a drink that's one part hot chocolate, one part spiced tea. Grenadians drink cocoa tea at breakfast, as a treat, or any time of day, as it's so delicious. You can sweeten it with coconut milk and sugar, whereas adding dairy brings the taste closer to hot chocolate. Cocoa balls are cocoa beans dried, roasted, ground into a fine paste then mixed with spices and rolled into balls. You simply boil them in water to create the tea.
You’ll find cocoa bazaars popping up across the island, and these lively markets are a great way to discover the more creative ways Grenada uses chocolate. Vendors include local artisans, farmers and producers from around the region, who will often be selling local specialities you might not otherwise find during your trip – like chocolate pasta from Pasta & Vino, which tastes as good as it sounds
Meandering the stalls of a cocoa bazaar is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon out of the heat of that blazing Grenada sunshine. Here you'll find art made from empty cocoa pods or banana leaves, textiles and paintings with pigments made from cocoa nibs or even actual chocolate, plus countless local treasures from cocoa farms and factories.
One of the most beautiful places on the island, The Belmont Estate is rich in cocoa and history. The best way to experience this 17th-century plantation is by joining one of its classic tours. You'll be told stories, see behind the scenes and explore the cocoa fermentary and drying house. You might also meet some cute animals at the farm, including tortoises and goats.
The tour explores Grenada’s spices, fruits and vegetables as well as its cocoa. Walking through the estate you’ll see relics like the ruins of the old sugar mill and Belmont's historic bell and cannon. If you really like to get stuck in, you can even try your hand at harvesting cocoa pods, ready to make chocolate. You'll use a sickle and machete (with a full safety briefing, of course) to push or pull the ripe pods from the tree, into a hand-woven basket.
As part of your tour, you'll be shown many aspects of the process of taking cocoa from tree to bar. You have the opportunity to 'walk the cocoa', which is literally walking barefoot slowly over the beans once they are out in the drying trays. This old-school technique ensures the beans dry evenly, and is just one of the many traditional methods Belmont still uses to make its chocolate.
After the beans have been 'walked' they can also be 'danced'. This process is better known as ‘dancing the cocoa’ and isn't actually necessary anymore, as machines are now used to turn the beans at speed and shine them, which makes them more attractive to buy. But it's a fun thing to try – you can shimmy to the beat of a drum as the warm beans move beneath your soles.
No tour of a chocolate-making estate is complete without a taste test. Away from the heat, within the cool confines of the Belmont Estate chocolate factory, you can sample at least five different varieties, ranging in cocoa intensity. There are chefs on hand to talk you through the finer details and teach you the lingo. You'll identify spices, learn the special tasting techniques that professional chocolate makers use and, at the end, vote for your favourite bar of the ones you try.
Nestled within the bustling capital of Grenada, Saint Georges, House of Chocolate offers a relaxing space if you're looking for somewhere to drink cocoa tea and put your feet up. Part museum, part shop and part café/bakery, it's a great place to stock up on sweet treats from the various factories on the island. House of Chocolate also has a wealth of information on the history of cacao tucked inside its colourful interior – visitors can watch free chocolate-making demonstrations and learn about the traditional techniques used throughout history to make chocolate.
Chocolate isn’t just for eating while you're in Grenada – you’ll also find cocoa infused into many natural products used to aid relaxation. Cocoa butter, for example, is a pale-yellow, edible fat extracted from cocoa beans that’s famously fabulous for moisturising the skin. The Blue Haven Spa at True Blue Bay Resort offers massages and treatments that use cocoa butter, local spices and even pure chocolate to ease you into blissful tranquillity.
Across the island, products that use cocoa or chocolate can be bought to take home with you. OMI Grenada is a natural skincare brand that creates a whole range of products, including The OMI Chocolate Mousse which smells and feels incredible. OMI's founder, Sheba Augustine, also offers workshops and wellness days so you can make and try products and get some well-deserved inner peace.
If you're wondering where's best to stay during your time doing 'all things chocolate' in Grenada, True Blue Bay Boutique Resort is an excellent option. Run by Russ and Magdalena Fielden (who also own House of Chocolate), the hotel is relaxed and comfortable, with a dive shop, yoga studio, swim-up bar and spa on site. Every May, True Blue plays host to many of the annual Chocolate Festival events, meaning you're close to the action if that's when you visit. There are several types of rooms, villas and suites available, plus four pools.
Aptly named for a stay in a country that grows so much of it, the hotel's luxurious Cocoa Pod Suites span two stories and are decorated in a contemporary Caribbean-chic style. The ground floor has a living/dining area that comfortably accommodates up to four people, including a compact kitchen, a small bathroom and a balcony with seating that offers breathtaking views of the picturesque tropical gardens and lap pool.
Upstairs you'll find a king-sized bedroom and a large bathroom with a shower. A second balcony gives you views of the ocean. Cocoa Pod Suites are an ideal choice for couples seeking a bit of extra space or a smaller family. Nearby is the stunning Grand Anse Beach (pictured) and the hotel is also very close to Grenada's Maurice Bishop International Airport.
Carolyn was a guest of Pure Grenada. During her trip, she stayed at True Blue Bay Resort, where rooms start at $220 (around £170) per night. Carolyn took part in the Chocolate Festival, held each May.
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