They say that necessity is the mother of invention. In many ways, this was how Bayani Chocolate was born.
A few years ago, Raul Matias needed a way to break the pandemic fatigue and blues. And for the seasoned chocolatier, what better way to bounce back with a vengeance than to come up with something sweet.
“After the pandemic, I just wanted to indulge myself by creating something that lets us celebrate again,” Matias said during the brand’s launch at Opus Mall in Quezon City.
“I wanted to celebrate myself for surviving, my fellow Filipinos — our resilience as people. That’s why the name is Bayani — we are all heroes in our own way. This is really a celebratory brand,” he added.
Bayani now has three collections — Classic, Cheers, and Royal Crunch.
The Classic Collection features milk, dark, and white chocolate bars while the Cheers Collection includes Dark Chocolate Champagne, Red Wine Milk Chocolate, and Strawberry Cheese White Chocolate.
The Royal Crunch Collection, on the other hand, features pistachio, hazelnut, and almond flavors.
For Matias, Royal Crunch is a nod to everday Filipino heroes.
“I consider heroes as royalty…and heroes deserve that kind of royal treatment,” he said.
Matias and other Pinoy chocolatiers, however, need a little boost to help their sweet business thrive.
Shortage of properly fermented cacoa beans remains a challenge, he said.
His beans are currently sourced from Indonesia and Malaysia, among other cacoa-exporting countries.
“They say it takes seven to eight days to ferment cocoa beans that are ideal for chocolates, but many of our farmers only ferment for three or four days. When that happens, the bitterness comes out when you roast and grind the beans,” he said, noting the need of local producers for quick returns.
“We have so many problems, but I think we have a potential to be one of the significant suppliers of cocoa,” he said.
For now, Bayani Chocolate is thriving despite the challenges the industry faces — a delicious way to fete the hero in all of us.
