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Letter from Robert Steinberg
Robert Steinberg was a great inspiration to us and formed part of the investment group that started Xoco in 2007. He functioned as our President and General Ambassador, and above all, gourmet bean specialist. In September 2008 Robert died after a long struggle with leukemia.
His passion was good food, and, above all, gourmet chocolate. Ten years earlier, Robert had co-founded Scharffenberger chocolate maker, the now leading gourmet chocolate company in the USA. During his time with Scharffenberger, Robert was engaged in bean-sourcing and blending in order to achieve the best possible flavor and aroma profiles for the chocolate bars. Robert brought these ten years of experience to Xoco and with it a vision of becoming the world´s leading high quality fine beans provider.
The letter below depicts his vision which continues to guide us. Robert was a wonderful human being and we miss him and hope we can carry on his work in a manner that honors him and his ambitions.
Frank Homann
Director Xoco
Dear Sir,
The world of chocolate is changing. Cocoa growers now have the opportunity to play a leading role in the industry by providing cocoa beans of high quality at prices to the grower that reflect this quality. Xoco is a company whose mission is to foster this role by developing the market for gourmet cocoa beans. We begin by identifying fine cocoa trees, reproducing them, and selling the young trees. Then we conduct the post-harvest treatment, sales and marketing of beans.
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Although I began my professional life as a medical doctor, I have had a long-standing interest in gourmet food and cooking. Ten years ago I co-founded Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, a gourmet chocolate manufacturer. Recently acquired by Hershey, Scharffen Berger today leads the US market. At Scharffen Berger I focused on identifying beans with the best flavor characteristics and blending them to create the chocolate that gave us recognition among gourmet consumers and chefs.
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Bean quality is the most important element in making fine chocolate. Both manufacturers and consumers are just beginning to understand this; even today the demand for fine cocoa beans outpaces production, and the demand is only likely to experience significant growth. It is key that the beans come from trees with certain characteristics (roughly those identified with Criollo and Trinitario varieties) and that they are then fermented and dried to the exact point at which they release the taste and aroma characteristics consistent with the making of the highest quality chocolate.
Xoco plans to play a leading role in driving a quality movement among cocoa producers. We will offer trees for sale that have desirable genetic characteristics. And we will insure that this desirability is maintained by offering post-harvest treatment and direct sales of the beans. This will benefit everyone: Consumers will get better chocolate and will learn how to appreciate gourmet tastes and flavors, as well as the role played by growers in creating these flavors. Gourmet chocolate makers will be able to continue and expand the high quality business that sets them apart from traditional chocolate producers. And cocoa bean producers will earn significant and stable price premiums that will lift them out of the unpredictable and uncontrollable cycles experienced by commodity growers.
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This is the start of an exciting industry. Fine cocoa shows similarities to the gourmet coffee industry at the time it began to undergo its remarkable growth. The prospect for selling fine cocoa beans at very good prices holds great promise.
My hope is that after reading this you will consider working with us. We offer fine trees for sale coupled with a long-term partnership that will aid you by providing the best post-harvest treatment of your beans and sales access to gourmet chocolate makers.
Best regards,
Robert Steinberg
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