Exclusive interview with Yu Chia Min of chocolate cafe, Cocoa Colony

Make the mistake of mentioning chocolates anywhere and we’re certain within seconds a crowd of eager-eyed people will form a circle around you, wondering where you’re hiding the glorious treat.

So our sheer love for chocolates is quite possibly why local chocolate café chain, Cocoa Colony has been growing from strength to strength after opening their first outlet last December. Now with six stores dotted around the island, the brand is set on taking over the chocolate scene in Singapore.

In addition, that love for chocolate not only satisfies us emotionally, our health gets to benefit too. Cocoa essentially boasts of a whole host of health benefits such as relieving depression, strengthening the cardiovascular system and being an antioxidant. So before you start thinking twice about drinking that cup of hot chocolate, read on as Yu Chia Min, Business Development Director of Cocoa Colony shares more about some of their healthier options and how different they are from other chocolate cafes.

Marie France Asia: Why did Cocoa Colony decided to open in Singapore?

Yu Chia Min: We feel that there is currently no such chocolate café that’s for the masses and not too overtly high-brow or too gourmet for the general public. Given Singaporeans love of food and our exposure to various cuisines and concepts, we felt that an F&B concept would work and desserts have gained popularity in recent years so the timing was right to launch Cocoa Colony in Singapore.

MFA: How different is Cocoa Colony from the other chocolate cafes in Singapore?

C.M.: Our high quality products are accessible and affordable to all demographics. We try to offer something for everyone with our beverage and snack options. Our plan is to also have many outlets around Singapore readily available for the public.

MFA: What are some of the must-try and popular items on Cocoa Colony’s menu?

C.M.: Must try popular items are the Cocoa Bola’s dipped in dark or white ‘Amazonian Gold’ liquid, our gluten-free chocolate gelato and signature peanut butter ice cream, our chocolate beverages – Cocoa76, Cocoa100 and for savouries, our Egg Truffle sandwich.

MFA: How would you define the preference for chocolate amongst Singaporeans?

C.M.: Everyone loves chocolate! It’s almost like a universal language! Increasingly, people are becoming aware of the health benefits of chocolate and have been buying chocolate products with higher chocolate content, with less sugar or sugar-free.

MFA: Do the health benefits depend on the type of cocoa used?

C.M.: Yes, definitely. Unsweetened cocoa powder will be the healthiest. Determining the health benefits of chocolate boils down to the percentage of cocoa. The higher the percentage, the more beneficial it is for health.The percentage of cocoa is derived from the cacao bean. Cocoa consists of the cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and the chocolate liquor which is produced from dried ground beans and sometimes called cocoa mass. By the way, cacao refers to the name of the chocolate tree, its pods and the beans inside, whereas cocoa refers to the by-products of the cacao bean – the cocoa powder and cocoa butter.

MFA: What are some of the healthier chocolate options available from Cocoa Colony?

C.M.: Healthier options are our chocolate drinks namely Cocoa38, Cocoa76 and Cocoa100. Number denotes the percentage of pure chocolate vs milk in each serving. Our gluten-free chocolate gelato is also a healthier choice for chocoholics.

Tarandip Kaur