"Let nothing define us. Let nothing hold us. Let freedom be our own substance" - Simone de Beauvoir.

We celebrate International Women's Day by telling the stories of seven incredible women in cacao and chocolate from Ecuador, Spain, the United Kingdom and Venezuela. They are chocolate pioneers in their countries, entrepreneurs, leaders, growers, activists; their stories are full of inspiration to remember throughout the year.

Chantal Coady, OBE: A British Chocolate Icon

The Chocolate Detective, London

"I was born in Teheran, and probably my first actual memory of eating chocolate is in Ethiopia eating Italian Easter eggs, which were elaborate confections with lots of frills and always with a little toy inside. This was my idea of fantastic chocolate, so when I got back to England and was given a miserable chocolate egg with a few buttons inside, I felt cheated. The first time I saw cacao growing in its natural habitat was in Kerala in India," recalls her.

Her first job in the chocolate world was at Harrods in the chocolate and confectionary department while she was a fashion and textiles student at the University of Arts, London. In those days, the London chocolate scene was invaded by industrial chocolate, there she found a niche in speciality chocolate, and while still very young, she founded Rococo Chocolates in 1983.

In this way, she fused her two passions: art with chocolate and became the pioneer of artisanal chocolate in the United Kingdom. Rococo Chocolates became an institution of craft chocolate in England for which Chantal received an OBE, merit for her contribution to the world of chocolate. She has received incredible support from her husband, James Booth, and others, such as Sara Jayne Staines, chairman of the Academy of Chocolate of London.

What has been the biggest challenge that you have encountered?

"The challenge I had to overcome was similar to most entrepreneurs: starting up without lots of capital behind me, dealing with banks and then, finally getting an "investor", which ended up in a horrendous debacle, hence my leaving Rococo and starting up on my own from scratch", she explains.

Chantal launched her new venture, The Chocolate Detective, and her goal is to discovering the most ethical and delectable chocolate. I met this wonderful lady years ago in London. I have many fond memories of her. She made a special edition chocolate bar with our chocolate to raise funds for farmers who suffered during the earthquake in Ecuador in 2016. We shared delicious dinners and deep cacao conversations in London. Our latest Cárdenas Chocolate collection is available in her online store.

She considers that her greatest achievement is having a good relationship with her husband, her children, her family, her community. And she is proud to invest in the Grenada Chocolate Company in the Caribbean.

She trusts that in 2021 many people will rebuild their lives. After Easter, she will create a fund to raise money for the cacao farmers of Grenada. And when the pandemic ends, she would like to travel again, "I’d love to visit Ecuador', she says.

Victoria de la Torre: The pioneer of gourmet chocolate in Spain

Club del Chocolate, Valencia, Spain

Like all Spanish children, Victoria grew up having a snack of bread and chocolate. Then she would adopt the tradition of drinking "hot chocolate" on Sundays. That is her first memory of chocolate.

During her travels through Europe, she discovered chocolates that she had not tasted before. In 2010 she founded her own business: El Club del Chocolate, the first store in Spain dedicated to speciality chocolate.

And yes, she was a woman ahead of her time because while other chocolate businesses had retail shops on the streets, she decided to do it online. She is the only women in her company, a micro-business where she works with her husband and son. Therefore, her personal life and chocolate life go together.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced in this industry?

“We want Spanish people to appreciate quality chocolate. And that is what we do at the “Club del Chocolate” and the "Bean to Bar" Association: to raise awareness about speciality chocolate, to organise tastings; we read a lot, we train ourselves," says Victoria.

Her most outstanding achievement is maintaining her business in a country where there is still a lack of knowledge about quality chocolate.

She misses attending chocolate fairs, discovering new chocolates and their makers. That's how we met at the latest edition of “Salon du Chocolat” in Paris (2019). Ever since we started the relationship between Cárdenas Chocolate and the “Club del Chocolate:

She longs to travel to cacao-growing countries. She trusts that with the vaccine, life returns to its usual rhythm and that she can enjoy day to day little things because that is what life is made of.

Alicia Norero: The innovative leader

Latiali, Guayaquil, Ecuador

When she studied in Switzerland, she discovered the fascinating world of chocolate. Upon her return to Ecuador, her cacao passion begun because of her husband Vicente’s influence, who has been in the world of cacao and chocolate all his life.

I met Alicia Norero at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris in 2015, when she received the Excellence Cocoa Award. In 2014, she founded "Latiali" with her husband and began her dream of creating a chocolate factory, a fine flavour aroma and a post-harvest cacao centre.

She is the CEO of her company; she leads a dozen men and some women who control quality and fermentation.

As a result of the pandemic, her daughter accompanies her to the office; she continues her studies virtually while listening to her mother negotiating cacao’s prices or tasting innovations in sugar-free chocolate.

"We created this company from scratch, which today has positive growth," says Alicia.

In 2021 her dream is to open a distribution centre in the US. And when the pandemic is over, she wants to travel to Asia, attend trade shows again and visit her loved ones who do not live in Ecuador. Happiness is "being able to have my family close by and working on what I'm passionate about," she says.

Kerry Witt: The master chocolatier

Chocolate By Miss Witt, New Forest, UK

"I was four years old, and I used my grandmother's pot that was perfect for melting chocolate," so vividly remembers chocolatier Kerry Witt, founder of Chocolate By Miss Witt. At the age of 19, she discovered real chocolate's aroma when she worked at the Michelin Star restaurant, “Le Poussin”, in England.

Her talents took her to London, where she worked at the iconic “Bluebird” restaurant in Kings Road and prepared exquisite desserts. Then, she collaborated with a natural jams brand until, in 2012, she founded Chocolate By Miss Witt. Since 2015 she has won countless awards at the Academy of Chocolate in London, Great Taste Awards, always using women's local products, full of flavour and transparent stories.

One of her most significant challenges is explaining to the British public that speciality chocolate is unique because it comes from single-estate cacao plantations, from selected cacao trees, and is made in small batches. Kerry has been using speciality chocolate for years, and now a large part of her truffles are crafted with our latest “Harvest of Hope” by Cárdenas Chocolate.

She feels fortunate to have a one hundred per cent supportive partner who loves chocolate as much as she does. She misses teaching and organising chocolate workshops for children. When the pandemic is over, she wishes travelling again, visiting her hazelnut suppliers in Lazio, Italy, and cacao plantations in Manabí, Ecuador.

Maria Audulia Muñoz: The cacao harvester who dreams of finishing high school

Manabí, Ecuador.

María Audulia speaks little. She is Marcelo's daughter, one of the growers on our cacao plantation in Chone, Ecuador.

She returned to the countryside after the pandemic started. She lived with her mother in Guayaquil and took care of her grandmother until she decided to leave Ecuador's largest city and return to her homeland.

María Audulia has been harvesting the cacao that we use for our chocolate since last year without us knowing it. When the high cacao season begins, her father takes her to harvest cacao with him. At 22 years old, she knows how to use the machete with skill and prides herself on being the only woman working on the plantation. "I get up early, I feed the animals, I help my brothers, and when my dad needs extra help, I go with him to the fields and earn some money for myself," she says. Her dream is to go back to school and graduate from high school.

She knows how to prepare hot chocolate with dry, roasted, and rolled cacao to grate it with milk, a tradition they have in Upper Manabí. I ask her if she wants to learn how to make bonbons with the farm's cacao - yes - she responds timidly.

Galia Orme: The Natural entrepreneur

Choc Chick, Brighton, UK

Galia is an entrepreneur by nature. She was born in Argentina and settled in the UK decades ago. Her earliest memory with chocolate was moulding chocolates with her mother while waiting for her grandfather to return from the chocolate factory he worked in. Years later, her father would accompany her to visit plantations in Ecuador in her search for cacao of origin.

In 2009 she founded Chock Chick, her raw and natural chocolate brand to prepare at home inspired on the memory of making chocolates with her mother when she was a little girl.

We met in London in 2011. I saw this incredible lady promoting her chocolates at a trade show. Years later, I witnessed her commitment to sourcing not only fine flavour Arriba organic cacao but also connecting with local people in Ecuador.

“My company has always been female-focused. Our employees have mainly been women, and my aim has always been to create a work environment where women are valued,” she explains.

What has been your biggest challenge?

“It's been raising investment and being taken seriously by investors. I was seen as running more of a "lifestyle business" than a long-term profitable brand; however, that attitude seems to be changing,” she says.

And what is your most outstanding achievement?

“Creating a direct relationship with cocoa producers from Ecuador, with who I have been working for ten years.”

Galia became a single mother in 2011 and enjoyed the freedom of combining the role of mother with the challenge of her career.

Her dream is to grow and bring her business back to profitability. She misses her travels through South America in search of cacao. For her, happiness is returning to those lush cacao plantations, beautiful and magical.

Helen López: The chocolate journalist and activist

Helen Chocolate, Madrid, Spain

Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Helen's life connects with chocolate after organising a Madrid charity chocolate event. Thus, her life revolved around chocolate with a schedule filled with chocolate tastings, advising clients in her communication and marketing agency, and director of the “Madrid Chocolate Show”.

I had the pleasure of meeting Helen in Chocoa, at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris 2019, and the last time I saw her, we strolled around the Spanish capital together before the pandemic began. She proudly showed me the beautiful Palacio de Cibeles, where the most relevant chocolate event takes place.

As a result of the pandemic, it was suspended, but Helen did not stop her work. She has devoted all her energies to educating and connecting the Spanish-speaking public about cacao and craft chocolate through interviews on her YouTube channel: Helen Chocolate.

“The biggest challenge is to make the chocolate business profitable in a very saturated market dominated by powerful multinationals”, she says.

She considers her greatest achievement to become the director of the Madrid Chocolate Show on her own merits. She longs to celebrate this event in 2021. And her dream after the pandemic is to be able to travel as much as before or more; "I love travelling is like living different lives, and it makes me feel less like "a housewife," she laughs.