Former designer turns chocolate business into sweet success

 

Eve Kalondu grew up sweet toothed, fuelled by her mother who always brought home delicious delights. Out of these candy gifts, a passion was nurtured. Today, Eve is a chocolatier and the founder of Sweet Fairy Kenya.

For seven years, Eve has melted, flavoured and packaged premium chocolates in her kitchen at home, and built a multi-million business in the process.

The 27-year-old had worked at an advertising agency as a creative for nine years until last year when she quit and opted to grow her brand with her husband. She was confident that the company she had started at 20 was now a solid safety net.

‘‘We buy premium chocolate from importers, then we add flavours and colours before packaging them for sale,’’ she says. She also customises chocolates based on customers’ specific preferences.

Sweet Fairy Kenya seized the rising popularity of handmade products among Kenyans to gain a foothold in the market.

‘‘Kenyans didn’t appreciate the craft industry until recently. Others were hesitant to buy handmade products. Yet for many years, people in the western world have built business empires out of their crafts.’’

From furniture to wine, beauty accessories, perfumes and clothes, in the luxury world, handcrafted wares are the priciest. The attitude has been different in Kenya – which hurt Eve’s business prospects at first.

‘‘Seven years ago, people would recoil when they discovered that I had processed the chocolates at home. Sometimes there were no repeat customers even though the quality was unquestionable.’’

However, this changing fast.

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‘‘Kenyans have discovered the essence of chocolate. They are increasingly learning about the different flavours. Initially, nearly all my clients were Asians. Today, I have more African clients than Asians.’’

What are Kenyans’ chocolate consumption habits like? Chocolate, she explains, is like wine. ‘‘You must have tried out different chocolates to be able to discern the flavours.’’ A chocolate connoisseur, she adds, is able to tell where the cacao beans were grown.

‘‘In Africa, cocoa is grown in Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda and Tanzania. In South America, Chile is known for its plantations of cacao. Unfortunately, we don’t grow the crop here in Kenya, which is partly why chocolate eating isn’t part of our culture,’’ she adds.

Traditionally, chocolate is labelled based on where the cocoa was processed and its various flavour profiles. Eve notes that most of what is available in the local market is ‘‘cocoa mass’’ because ‘‘genuine chocolate is more expensive’’. How then can one tell the difference between authentic chocolate and imitations? The answer lies in the properties.

‘‘Most chocolate brands are too sweet, which shouldn’t be the case. They are also gummy and waxy. Genuine chocolate has the right balance of sweetness when it melts in the mouth. It’s velvety and silky as well.’’

On demographics, Eve says women constitute the largest percentage of her clientele, and people aged between 25 and 45.

‘‘Besides individual clients, we get orders from corporates and gift companies. These are our mainstay. Operating online has netted us customers from Tanzania and Uganda to whom we occasionally dispatch orders.’’

Away from business, Eve is a mother of a one-year-old son. The family has two dog pets. Reading crime thrillers and gardening are her pastimes.

‘‘Ours is a very musical household. I grow a variety of flowers and herbs such as mint, thyme and lavender which we use for flavouring our chocolates.’’

Her entrepreneurship journey has come with a basketful of lessons. But what has it taught her about herself and other people?

‘‘That I’m an aggressive and tenacious person. In business, you must defend your brand. I’ve also learnt that people have divergent perspectives and preferences. They won’t always agree with you. Therefore, you must take criticisms in stride to survive in business.’’

As Sweet Fairy Kenya grows, so is Eve’s influence in the chocolate market. Corporates, customers and other chocolate businesses ‘‘are now treating us like a brand’’. With this recognition has come potential investors.

‘‘We are looking to expand in the near future. We’re selling a 30 percent stake at Sh5 million.’’

Part of the expansion, she adds, is to acquire a bigger kitchen space to increase the production capacity, and to hire more hands. ‘‘Sometimes the orders are so many that my husband and I get overstretched. I focus on the technical and production aspects of the brand while my husband deals with the business front, getting orders and keeping in touch with clients. As a creative, I am stubborn, but my husband is calm and brings the sagacity required to operate.’’    BY DAILY NATION