Lucid Chocolatier

Johnty Tatham came to chocolate by following his passions – first through art and design, then into the culinary world as a pastry chef, and eventually into craft chocolate making after working as a chocolatier in Matakana. The decision to delve into bean-to-bar was crystallised after a phone call with David Herrick of Foundry Chocolate, who described what life as a chocolate maker was really like. Johnty put down the phone, went home, and started writing his business plan. He launched Lucid Chocolatier in December 2020 at the age of 23, from his family's farm in rural Wairarapa.

Johnty is one of the most inventive chocolate makers in New Zealand, drawing inspiration from traditional French chocolate making techniques, Japanese flavour philosophy, and the rural Wairarapa landscape at his doorstep. After testing almost 30 different cacao origins, he made a deliberate decision to focus exclusively on Peruvian beans – and it's easy to see why. Peru is home to the greatest diversity of cacao in the world, and Johnty is endlessly fascinated by the extraordinary range of varieties you can find there, each with its own distinct character and flavour profile. He channels that obsession into a constantly evolving range of bars that surprises and delights in equal measure. That restless creativity hasn't gone unnoticed – Lucid took out the Supreme Award at the 2022 NZ Chocolate Awards and an incredible 14 medals at the 2025 Academy of Chocolate Awards. The name ‘Lucid’ comes from a French word meaning to give up and dedicate yourself to something – and in Johnty's case, that's exactly what he did.