Meet the maker
JK Fine Chocolates
Jamie Kemp’s chocolate adventure began in 2014 when travelling through Costa Rica. Stumbling into the mountains of Puriscal, Jamie discovered the small native village of Mastatal. Here he started working alongside the Salazar Garcia family who ran the La Iguana cacao farm. This family have been growing, harvesting and making chocolate for three generations.
JK Fine Chocolates, residing in Portsmouth, is known in the fine chocolate industry for its Triple Layered chocolate truffles, and for using the finest bean-to-bar craft chocolate in creating its truffles. In this sense, Jamie is a chocolatier. Since 2014, JK Fine Chocolates has won a number of food awards, including Great Taste, Academy of Chocolate and Great British Food Awards.
However, in 2018, JK Fine Chocolates developed its first bean-to-bar chocolate, made from cacao from the Vohibinany region of East Madagascar. This exposition is what brings JK Fine Chocolates to our Chocolate Library.
Grafts of cacao were first discovered in the region of Vohibinany, a region that lies along the east coast of Madagascar. These cacao plants were soon transported to the Sambirano Valley, a Northern region of the island that has become the prime destination of fine African cacao.
Already very familiar with the cacao hailing from the Sambirano Valley, it was during Jamie’s adventures around Madagascar that he discovered the cacao plantations that lied east of the island.
The cacao that Jamie sources is from the Ambalahady estate, where the cocoa pods are then transported down river through the narrow waters and rapids to reach the native village of Anivorano-Gare. Here the cocoa pods are cut and the beans are fermented and dried before being transported to Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, for crafting into fine chocolate.
Catching up with Jamie, we had a couple of questions…
How did you source your beans?
In 2017 I travelled to Madagascar to continue the cocoa journey and visit the suppliers and cocoa farmers who produce fine chocolate and cocoa which I work with in many of my chocolate creations.
Again I wanted to build a real personal relationship with the company Chocolat Madagascar who like myself share similar chocolate passions in quality, sustainability, fair trade and innovation. My journey took me to the east coast of Madagascar where I met the cocoa farmers who only in recent years have been harvesting, fermenting and drying cocoa beans from this particular region. This inspired me to create a new and exciting single plantation chocolate which showcased Ambalahady’s cacao in comparison to commonly used Sambirano cacao in the north.
What chocolate achievement are you most proud of to date?
My greatest achievement in chocolate is linking directly with La Iguana Chocolate in Costa Rica when we created an extremely rare small batch bean to bar which was crafted from specially selected cocoa beans and made only 50 chocolate bars. A wonder and rare experience for us and for our customers who tasted a chocolate like nothing they’ve had before.
What is your favourite food? Wine? Other chocolate makers?
I have fond memories of having Flambé Chateaubriand steak with stuffed peppers on holiday from many years ago and never forgotten it. So it’s not often but definitely one of my favourites.
I enjoy Merlot red wine, although often would have an ale or IPA as first choice. I really like ‘Staggeringly Good Brewery’ IPA’s from my local city of Portsmouth.
I particularly like Dormouse’s and pump street bakery’s chocolate bars. There’s often a distinct flavour, innovation and quality about their chocolate. Pump Streets ‘eccles cake’ bar will always be an absolute favourite of mine.
Want to explore more makers of the world's best craft chocolate? Just start typing their name (or any letter) into the search box to discover them.
20° Nord 20° Sud
9th & Larkin
Åkesson’s
Amaro
Amedei
AMMA
Ara
Askinosie
Auro Chocolate
AWKI
Aztec Gold
Baianí
Bare Bones
Bean & Goose
BeanCraft
Belmont Estate
Belvie
BOHO Chocolate
Bonnat
Bullion
Butterfly
Cacaoken
Cacaosuyo
Carambole
Casa Cacao
Castronovo
Chapon
Chequessett Chocolate
Choco Del Sol
Chococard
Chocokoo
Chocolarder
Chocolat Madagascar
Chocolate Tree
Chocolatemakers
Chocolaterie A. Morin
Chocolaterie Robert
ChocoMe Atelier
Claudio Corallo
Cocama
Coco Caravan
Cocoa Retreat
Conexion
Contour Chocolate
Cuna de Piedra
Damson
Dandelion Chocolate
DesBarres
Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate
Diogo Vaz
Doble & Bignall
Domori
Dormouse Chocolates
Duffy’s Chocolate
Encuentro
Endorfin
ENRICHD
Erithaj Chocolat
Ethereal
Feitoria do Cacao
Firetree
Fjåk
Forever Cacao
Fossa
Foundry Chocolate
Franceschi
French Broad Chocolates
Fresco Chocolate
Friis Holm
Fruition
Fu Wan Chocolate
Georgia Ramon
Goodnow Farms Chocolate
Grenada Chocolate Company
Hasnaâ La Feverie
Heinde & Verre
Herencia Esmeraldas
Herufek
Höganäs
Hogarth
Hoja Verde
Idilio Origins
Innato
Islands Chocolate
Ivee Promenade
Jordi’s Chocolate
Junglegold Bali
Kankel
Karuna
Krak Chocolade
Krakakoa
La Naya
Land
Lapa-Lapa
Latitude
Levy
LIM
Lucocoa
Luisa Abram
Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates
Lumineux
Lyra
Madécasse
Malagos Chocolate
Manoa
Manufaktura Czekolady
Marana
Marou
Mast Brothers
Maüa
Mellow
Menakao
Mestico
Metiisto
MIA
Michel Cluizel
Mike & Becky
Milz Chocolat
Minka
Mirzam
Misina Cokolada
MOKA
Montecristi
Mucho
Nadalina
Naive
NearyNogs
ÓBOLO
Ocelot
Oialla
Omnom
Original Beans
Pacari
Pacha de Cacao
Palette de Bine
Parliament
Pitch Dark
Plaq
Pralus
PRIDI Cacaofevier
Puchero
Pump Street Chocolate
Pure Imagination
Qantu
Raaka
Radek’s Chocolate
Raphio Chocolate
Reine Astrid
Rio Nuevo
Ritual Chocolate
Rococo
Rózsavölgyi Csokoládé
Ruket
Seaforth Chocolate Co.
Shattell
Sirene
Sisters A. Chocolate
Soklet
Solkiki
Solomons Gold
Solstice
Soma
SPAGnVOLA
Standout Chocolate
Storm & Bille
Stranger
Svenska Kakaobolaget
Table
Taucherli
Taza Chocolate
TBROS
TCHO
The Careless Collection
The Smooth Chocolator
Theobroma Cacao
Tibito
Tobago Cocoa
Tosier
Undone Chocolate
Utopick
Vinte Vinte
Willie’s Cacao
Zotter
