IMPOSSIBLE!!! Your shopping bag is empty, are you feeling okay?!
Project Chocolat
What is Project Chocolat?
Building on a decade of success, we have transformed our famous Tree to Bar experience across a six-acre site at Rabot Estate in Saint Lucia. Project Chocolat connects ethical cacao-growing with chocolate-lovers in a uniquely immersive agri-tourism experience.
Here, you’ll find out how cacao grows. Plunge into the rainforest for a tour of the cacao groves, and learn how to graft a tree before hand-crafting your very own chocolate bar. You will discover cacao cuisine, served street-food style, cocktails and more – all enjoyed looking out over a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Finish by treating yourself (or your loved ones) to cacao alcohols, cacao beauty products and - of course - more chocolate!
You’ll never think about chocolate in the same way again.
Here, you’ll find out how cacao grows. Plunge into the rainforest for a tour of the cacao groves, and learn how to graft a tree before hand-crafting your very own chocolate bar. You will discover cacao cuisine, served street-food style, cocktails and more – all enjoyed looking out over a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Finish by treating yourself (or your loved ones) to cacao alcohols, cacao beauty products and - of course - more chocolate!
You’ll never think about chocolate in the same way again.
Tour
It all starts with a bean. Our expert guides draw on their expertise as both cacao grower and chocolatier, marrying the hedonism of luxury chocolate with sustainable cacao farming. The tour takes guests through the seedling nursery and rainforest canopy, where they learn about every step of a cacao bean’s journey from seedling to chocolate, finish by crafting their own handmade bar of chocolate to take home.
Sustainability
Project Chocolat is a centre of excellence for sustainable farming, working with our local grower partners to encourage sustainable development in Saint Lucia. A certified organic cacao farm, everything that is done is underpinned by respect for nature. The cacao is from heritage trees; we know our genotypes and have helped the most robust and environmentally efficient to flourish. But rather than a harmful monocrop, cacao demands biodiversity to thrive; you’ll see coconut, mango, citrus, and other trees as you walk through the rainforest. This in turn encourages fauna from butterflies and other insects to hovering, jewel-like hummingbirds.
Shop
An entire platform at Project Chocolat is dedicated to gifting. This begins with Hotel Chocolat’s unmissable award-winning handmade micro-batch chocolate in 50%, 65% or 72%, made with rare, ethical fine-flavour Island Grower cacao. Guests can pick their favourite cacao-infused alcohol or beauty products, clothing and bags.
Eat
At the epicentre of Project Chocolat is the cacao. This begins with our unmissable award-winning single-origin chocolate, made with rare, fine-flavour cacao. But you can also explore new taste experiences with the same famed cacao cuisine as our Rabot Restaurant, served at the Market: inspired by our combined West Indian and British heritage, here the bean is used as a subtle, savoury spice – served street-food style.
Where is Project Chocolat?
Set among the rainforest of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on Saint Lucia’s oldest working cacao farm, Rabot Estate, the six-acre Project Chocolat connects cacao-growing with chocolate-lovers in a uniquely immersive experience. You’ll never think about chocolate in the same way again.
About Project Chocolat
Our own agricultural team and the Island Growers we partner with are here on-site, where we draw on our expertise as both cacao grower and chocolatier, marrying the hedonism of luxury chocolate with sustainable cacao farming – by way of our adventurous spirit.
Guided by our expert team, you’ll indulge in a multi-sensory experience in an unparalleled location of natural beauty. Ask us everything you’ve ever wanted to know about chocolate while you’re here – curiosity is encouraged!
Walking through the rainforest, you’ll see every step of the cacao bean’s journey from seedling to chocolate, including tasting cacao pulp cut fresh from the pod.
From there, you’ll move on to our food and gifting covered-marketplace where inside-out architecture leaves you open to the elements, and explore the full potential of the cacao bean. Taste it in our award-winning, micro-batch chocolate, made fresh on-site by our chocolatiers; as the savoury heart of our cacao cuisine (served street-food style) and infused into our inimitable cacao alcohol. Take home a little more of what you love best, along with other cacao-inspired gifts. But before you go, be sure to discover our newest venture, Rabot Estate Coffee. What grows together, goes together, after all.