Fans of local artisanal chocolate brands will have heard of Plentitude Chocolate, a relatively young brand who began winning international awards (five in total so far) just a year after its creation. “We work with small cacao farms all over [the Philippines],” said Founding Chocolate Maker Tyrone Chua.

The brand works with local farmers, each single origin chocolate bar bearing the name of the farm and province the beans originated from, as well as tasting notes.

“[Whenever] when we get a new harvest, we adjust for the roast of that batch because it might not be exactly the same as the last harvest… Maybe it was older, hotter, wetter, dryer, and all those all effects of flavor.”

Chua used to work as a data analytics assistant manager for a high end resort in Singapore. On the verge of burnout, he began looking into becoming an entrepreneur. “When I think about business, it’s always food because I love food,” he said, adding that his father used to run a food manufacturing business, so it carried a bit of nostalgia for him as well.

It was his wife, Daryl Chan, who encouraged him to venture into chocolate. She also inspired the name Plentitude, from Chua’s idea of “an attitude that there’s plenty of resources to go around.”

They started with a lot of makeshift equipment, working in a “bomb shelter,” the local name for a utility room fortified in case of emergencies. “Honestly, the batch we made was pretty bad, considering the beans we started with were pretty good.”

His first partner farm was Rehoboth Estate in Calinan, Davao, whose owners later introduced him to the founders of Lemuel Chocolate, a Singaporean artisanal chocolate brand, with whom Chua trained under.

In 2019, after almost five years in Singapore, the couple decided it was time to go home.

“I went back to the Philippines, started buying proper equipment and… trying to find what Plenitude taste would be,” Chua said.

The couple moved into a condo. Chua converted the maid’s quarters into a lab.

“Every day I would roast one kilo of beans, and try to change something.”

This went on for months, until again, his wife encouraged him to step out of his comfort zone.

“My wife [said], it’s been six months, you didn’t even sell one bar,” he said. “But I was still hesitant. I didn’t know if people will find what I like good.”

His first customer was his wife’s client. After the client’s positive feedback, Chua decided to set up a website so he could sell chocolate for real. Little did he know how excellent his timing would be.

“When I launched the website, it was the first day of lockdown,” he said.

As the days stretched into months, online businesses became a lifeline for people stuck in their homes to feel a bit of normalcy. Plentitude was there to help fulfill their cravings.

The brand’s other products showcase Chua’s knack for choosing ingredients before they make it big.

“There was a time where we couldn’t buy beans anymore, so we started branching out to nut butters because… the grinders we use, although it’s not efficient, we can use it to grind nut butters, so now we have peanut chocolate butter and pistachio white chocolate butter. That was before the whole knafeh thing exploded.”

When Dubai chocolate became a global hit, since Plentitude already had a pistachio chocolate product, it was easy enough to follow the trend. Their House Made pistachio kataifi kanafi kanafeh is now a regular part of their roster.

Some flavors are inspired by memory. The Ube Latte Chocolate Bar with rice crispy came to be because Chua missed ube halo-halo in Singapore. “That was [in] 2020. Now ube is super in demand.”

They also produce seasonal items, and are relaunching their banana milk chocolate with peanut butter.

The brand had also put their spin on the traditional. The Stone Ground Pure Drinking Chocolate—their version of tablea—is so finely ground, it melts like a chocolate bar.

They also offer chocolate drinking powder and cacao tea, the latter made from crushed cacao nibs and husks.

Plentitude currently has five single origin beans, namely two from South Cotabato, and one each from Davao, Albay, and Mountain Province. They’re looking to work with a farmer from Batangas as well.

“Some of the farmers [have become] friends. They wake up really early, then they start chatting, good morning, it’s rainy today, or, we have X amount of beans.”

Chua’s meticulousness for craft and quality have not gone unnoticed. “For now, we’re still doing popups and online sales,” he said, adding that they’re going to be in the upcoming Maarte Fair.

“We now supply to a couple of Michelin restaurants. Metis already put us on the menu. We just got a few orders from [another Michelin starred restaurant]. We’re happy because it’s a sign that we’re really doing something good.”

For Chua, Plentitude isn’t just a business, but a product of passion and hard work.

“It’s a craft. We’re trying to make [what] I think chocolate is supposed to be like, and my wife really eats it every day,” he said “It’s something that we thought had to exist.” (Photos courtesy of Tyrone Chua)