Ao Cacao

Ao Cacao was founded in 2021 by Thomas Netana Wright, a pastry chef and chocolatier who trained in London under celebrated chocolatier William Curley, and honed his craft in three-Michelin-star kitchens. Thomas brought that mastery home to Aotearoa with a clear purpose: to champion Pacific cacao origins and the indigenous farmers who grow them. With whakapapa to Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whatua and Te Whakatohea, the name "Ao" – meaning world, cloud, and light in Te Reo Māori – speaks to both his roots and his vision.

Every Ao Cacao bar is made from bean to bar in Aotearoa, with cacao sourced directly from Pacific growers through transparent, fair, and respectful partnerships. Thomas's fine dining background shows in his instinct for exceptional ingredients – from Pāmu deer milk and Northland-grown bananas to Te Tai Tokerau cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil – each one chosen to complement the natural character of the cacao. The resulting chocolate is both distinctly New Zealand and genuinely world-class.