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📌 Editor's Note (2025 Update):
This article was originally published in 2013 following my journey to Ghana to experience the chocolate trail firsthand. In 2025, we've updated it to reflect our full experience and share how these moments continue to shape Dello Mano’s handmade philosophy today.
In 2013, not long after founding Dello Mano, I packed my bags and travelled alone to Ghana — the heart of the cocoa-growing world.
It;s not so common for small food business owners to step so deep into the supply chain. But for me, understanding chocolate couldn’t be just theoretical. If we were going to build Dello Mano on handmade quality and genuine respect for ingredients, I had to see, touch, and truly know the origins of one of our most important elements: cocoa.
Seeing cacao pods growing so delicately from the tree trunks in Ghana gave me a new appreciation for the care and patience behind every chocolate bean
Our supplier provided the most amazing opportunity to see all of this first hand. I was able to stand among the cocoa trees myself, to walk the fields, to meet the people who nurtured these precious beans from soil to harvest.
What unfolded was a life-changing journey — one that not only deepened my understanding of chocolate, but also embedded in Dello Mano an unwavering commitment to craftsmanship and care.
In the humid warmth of the Ghanaian countryside, I visited cocoa farms that had been tended by families for generations.
Here, cocoa wasn’t just a crop. It was life — a heritage handed down, a livelihood earned with patience, skill, and love.
During my journey to Ghana in 2013, I had the privilege of meeting this husband and wife team of cocoa farmers — the true artisans behind the chocolate we cherish.
Walking through the fields, I touched the cocoa pods hanging heavy from the trees. I stood beside farmers who explained the delicate timing required for harvesting. I saw firsthand how challenging it can be to grow cocoa sustainably, how the farmers balanced the needs of the soil, the trees, and their families’ futures.
Some days, I sat with the farmers in their homes, sharing tea and stories about their lives and work.
I visited local schools, meeting the children of cocoa farmers — bright, smiling faces who showed me that the future of chocolate depended not just on global markets, but on the health and hope of these communities.
We brought small gifts for the children, sharing moments of pure joy that remain some of my most cherished memories from the trip.
Beyond the fields, I followed the cocoa’s path through the next critical steps:
Watching beans carefully fermented and dried
Visiting local quality labs where beans were sampled, sliced, and tested for standards
Observing the inspection stations where only the best cocoa made it through
In the town centers, I saw huge burlap sacks of cocoa beans being weighed, sealed, and marked for shipment.
I stood at the edge of the bustling docks, watching those heavy sacks being loaded by hand onto container ships — the very beginning of their journey to chocolate makers around the world.
There was a raw, beautiful energy to it all — a sense of tradition, pride, and deep connection to the earth.
While in Ghana, I also visited the vibrant Central Market — a sensory explosion of color, scent, and sound.
While in Ghana, I also visited the vibrant Central Market — a sensory explosion of color, scent, and sound.
The market was alive with heaps of spices, fresh fruits, vegetables, and spices.
Traders knew their goods by feel, by scent, by instinct — a deep, intuitive knowledge passed down through generations.
Walking through the stalls, I was struck by the pride and care in every transaction. It reinforced what I already believed:
True quality starts long before a product is packaged. It begins at the source — with hands, with hearts, with heritage.
Beyond the cocoa trail, my time in Ghana offered another powerful lesson: the central role that food plays in the life of the community.
As I explored deeper into the market life, I discovered something remarkable — the entire market system was run by women.
While the men focused on growing and gathering, it was the women who handled every aspect of trade and business. Each type of produce, from spices to lentils, had its own woman chief, and the entire senior management of the market was led by women.
At Accra’s Central Market, women manage the produce stalls, lead trade, and carry the daily rhythm of the market — a powerful reminder of the strength behind Ghana’s food culture.
As a woman building a small business myself, I found that deeply inspiring. Watching these women expertly manage their stalls and lead their market communities was a vivid reminder of the strength, intuition, and resilience that so often drive the true heart of food culture.
In Accra’s bustling food markets, I saw firsthand how food was far more than sustenance — it was culture, tradition, identity, and daily celebration. Families gathered to share vibrant produce, spices, grains, and handmade goods. Every market stall told a story of local knowledge, of ingredients passed down through generations.
It reminded me that at its heart, food everywhere is connection — a bridge between people, between land and tradition. That same spirit of respect for ingredients and heritage is something we strive to honour every day at Dello Mano.
Looking back now, standing among those cocoa farmers in 2013 shaped Dello Mano’s philosophy in a way no workshop or conference ever could.
It’s one thing to say you value handmade quality.
It’s another thing entirely to have seen — and felt — the care required at every step of the journey.
Today, every Dello Mano brownie, every cake, every chocolate gift we create carries that deep respect for origin, ingredient, and the invisible artisans behind each bite.
We continue to work with premium chocolate made from Ghanaian beans, celebrating the spirit of craftsmanship that started long before we pour batter into pans or hand-wrap a box.
The chocolate trail didn’t end in Ghana.
Later, as a family, we travelled to Belgium to visit one of the key processing plants where those same Ghanaian beans were transformed into the fine chocolate we use at Dello Mano.
(But that’s a story for another day — and one I look forward to sharing soon.)
Why did Dello Mano visit Ghana?
In 2013, our founder travelled to Ghana to experience the cocoa trail firsthand — from cocoa farms to quality labs — and to deepen our commitment to handmade, ethically sourced chocolate.
How does cocoa sourcing impact Dello Mano products?
By understanding the full journey of cocoa, we ensure that every brownie, cake, and chocolate gift we create starts with respect for the farmers, the environment, and the craft behind each ingredient.
Is Dello Mano chocolate ethically sourced?
Yes. We work with suppliers who support ethical practices, quality farming, and sustainability — values we personally witnessed during our journey to Ghana’s cocoa fields.
Does Dello Mano still use Ghanaian cocoa today?
Our products are made with premium chocolate that often includes Ghanaian cocoa beans, honoring the connection we built during our sourcing journey.
As I reflect on this journey, the vibrancy and spirit of Ghana’s markets stay with me.
Here’s a small collection of photos capturing the everyday beauty, color, and connection I experienced — a tribute to the people and places at the heart of the cocoa trail.
