Join our maker family
Why join?
A Bar Apart is a tool to drive consumer preference for high quality, ethical chocolate through ongoing education and promotion. It unites bean-to-bar craft chocolate makers to take on 'big chocolate' through ongoing large-scale PR campaigns, media activities and events.
Exclusively for chocolate makers who adhere to these four pillars:
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Our emblem is only used by craft chocolate makers who make chocolate from scratch, starting with roasting cacao beans. The process of transforming cacao beans into chocolate is complex and magical – A Bar Apart exists to celebrate and support this craft.
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Our chocolate makers are transparent about the source of their beans, beyond just the country where the cacao was grown. There are well-reported ethical and moral issues in the cacao supply chain, and we believe transparency is an essential step towards improving the chocolate industry.
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Our chocolate makers share their chocolate making process publicly, whether it be online or in a factory you can visit. When shopping for chocolate there can be some confusion about whether or not chocolate companies make the chocolate from scratch. A Bar Apart helps provide clarity by highlighting true bean-to-bar makers.
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The flavour of chocolate can be so much more than ‘chocolatey’. A Bar Apart supports makers that source a variety of specialty cacao beans in order to create chocolate with exceptional, diverse or complex flavours. Tasting this kind of chocolate can be a beautiful and revelatory experience.
What A Bar Apart achieves
Visibility in the market
Helps conscious consumers find the chocolate they want and increases sales for partners.
Distinction
Helps separate your brand from industrial chocolate and chocolatiers using couverture.
Trusting relationships
Communicates authenticity and transparency to help consumers choose with confidence.
Stewardship
Protects the craft and integrity of bean-to-bar chocolate making through the promotion of shared values.
Creating a world where cacao farmers, chocolate makers and other key players in the industry thrive, and where consumers appreciate the true value and importance of bean-to-bar craft chocolate.
Partner benefits
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Be part of ongoing major P.R. and marketing campaigns to promote your business.
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Join a community of chocolate makers who promote each other through using the A Bar Apart emblem.
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Reach a large new audience of chocolate connoisseurs and consumers who care about ethics and quality.
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Regular promotion on social media, blogs and in monthly newsletters.
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Advertise your business in our online directory for no extra cost.
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Access exclusive offers with chocolate and cacao suppliers and services.
Become a partner
Join today to use our emblem on your products, website, marketing materials, and in-store. You’ll also receive your own unique license number that consumers can verify.
Annual fee: $800 (NZD)
We commit to spending a minimum of 85% of our partner fees on P.R. and marketing.
A Bar Apart was created by Luke Owen Smith and 14 chocolate makers.
Luke has worked in food and beverage for over twenty years, initially in hospitality and retail, and now as a journalist, photographer and marketer. He’s an advocate for the craft chocolate industry and his former business – The Chocolate Bar – was New Zealand’s first bean-to-bar craft chocolate shop. Luke is co-founder of Chocstock festival in Wellington, and he’s also a regular judge for the International Chocolate Awards and Outstanding Food Producer Awards. He writes about chocolate and other artisan foods for a variety of NZ and international media outlets, and he generally dedicates himself to celebrating craft and quality, promoting deliciousness, and telling the stories of passionate producers.