Martin Mayer has had a close relation to chocolate since his childhood. His grandmother, Austria's first master confectioner, made hand-painted Easter bunnies and Santa Claus from chocolate relatively early on. This simple affinity, combined with Martin's curiosity for extraordinary tastes, finally led him to the subject of cocoa. The switch to bean-to-bar products surprised no one who knew Martin. After all, a true connoisseur must get to the bottom of things!
So in 2006 he researched suppliers for cocoa & chocolate making equipment, but it turned out to be a disappointment when he couldn't find them. Fortunately - and also rather coincidentally - he was invited, together with 7 other chocolatiers, to Cacao del'Oro, the meeting of Colombian cocoa farmers. There he learned everything he needed to know from his colleagues to finally start producing bean-to-bar chocolate creations at home.
"Better cocoa, for a better world" is the motto under which Martin works together with various partners to guarantee the best conditions for everyone in the supply chain. He focuses on direct trade with premium cocoa beans in order to provide clear transparency. This not only helps customers to have a clear insight, but above all supports the countries of origin of the cocoa, where farmers of all kinds often suffer from poor working conditions and often live far below the minimum wage. Fair trade ensures that these problems are eliminated bit by bit and that the lives of cocoa farmers and their families are significantly improved.
But chocolate is not the only thing that Martin deliberately sources sustainably. The filling of his chocolate bars & pralines is made from fresh fruit from orchards in the region. The purchase of old types of fruit without long transport routes and the avoidance of unnecessarily complex packaging ensures the preservation of the old types of fruit, sustainable shaping of the landscape and protection of the environment through less packaging waste.
Martin's goal is simple: he wants to educate the customer, communicate transparently what makes his products special and support those who form the foundation of his business - the producers of the raw materials.
©Silvia Zellinger
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