By Emma Brand, CU Class of 2016 and SummerScape Educator Lead for Chocolate University
If you could invent a new flavor of chocolate what would it be? Would it combine unique flavors like mango and jasmine? Would it be unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before attempting to appeal to a savory palate, like a smoked Gouda cheese and dark chocolate bar, or apple cider bar? What would your package look like? How would you responsibly source your ingredients? What would you design the package to look like to show your customers that you created something delicious and worth buying?
This was one of the projects the 2024 Chocolate University Class at Drury University’s Summerscape Academic Camp was tasked with over a week of classes on Drury’s campus. They imagined their flavors, designed their packages, perfected their presentations, and pitched their ideas to the Askinosie team. Learning about Askinosie’s model of direct trade and farmer partnerships inspired the students to design their bars with social responsibility in mind.
The student creator of the apple cider bar discussed planting trees for every ten chocolate bars sold and showing her customer base their positive environmental impact on her website. The “Don’t Worry, Bee Happy” chocolate bar group discussed how their chocolate bar could support bees and businesses by sourcing their honey from local beekeepers. Some groups included other special interests and passions by supporting literacy efforts with their imagined chocolate bars.
The Askinosie team gave the students feedback, asked them questions about their flavors, and ultimately chose three winners; one for the best flavor, one for being the most socially responsible, and one with the best packaging design.
Beyond designing new flavors and tasting a myriad of chocolate throughout the week, the fourteen students of Summerscape’s Chocolate University at Drury had the opportunity to tour the Askinosie Chocolate factory, learn about cocoa origins, make connections with factory employees, and write their own “Vision of Greatness”.
The students toured the factory with the expert retail manager and tour guide, Haylee Martinson. They learned about the cocoa bean origins and tasted bars from Tanzania, Ecuador, the Philippines, and Amazonia with Chief Operating Officer John Taylor. Shawn Askinosie, founder and CEO, and Missy Gelner led a discussion with students about Askinosie’s Empowered Girls and Enlightened Boys programs in Tanzania. Director of Sales, Kat Canterbury led the students through their favorite tasting of Askinosie Chocolate’s best-selling and CollaBARation bars. John Taylor and Kaylyn Mccune, Marketing Director, were the judges for the socially responsible chocolate flavor competition, giving students feedback and asking questions about their flavors and packaging. And I, Emma CU Class of 2016 alum, led the class through writing their own “Vision of Greatness” by discussing where the students’ hearts and the world’s needs combine to make paths for their futures. It was a week of learning, reflecting, chocolate tasting, and writing.
Read more about Drury’s Summerscape Program to join us next summer for this week of Chocolate University at SummerScape, or find other opportunities to join Chocolate University’s programs.