FERNANDO ARIAS
FERNANDO'S KAFFEE
Fernando is the charismatic owner of Fernando's Kaffee, which is located on a quiet corner of Antigua, Guatemala. Fernando and his team strive to craft the highest quality products from the bounty of ingredients that are native to Central America. Fernando's motto, “The finest drugs on Earth are not illegal", is a reference to the incredible coffee and cacao products he and his team produce. Fernando is a respected leader in the bean to bar business with more than two decades of experience. His insights into cacao production ensure unbeatable quality and flavor.
TOM CURCIO
KINSHIP Chocolate
Tom’s fascination with “flavor” has carried him from wine, to culture, and now to chocolate. Tom’s 35 year career in the wine industry has enabled him to travel all over the world. During his frequent travels to Central America, he fell in love with the color, flavor, and beauty of Guatemala. This love of country and culture led Tom to co-founding Kinship Chocolate with Fernando. In chocolate, Tom is able to fuse his highly developed palate with his enthusiasm for intercultural connection and kinship.
A Chocolate Boom Is Taking Guatemala Back to Its Roots
ABOUT GUATEMALA
Guatemala is a beautiful multicultural and multilingual country in Central America. It is also environmentally diverse, with mountains, active volcanoes, and rainforests. These conditions provide the perfect climate for growing not only coffee, but also cacao. Considered to be a “gift from the Gods”, cacao played both economic and spiritual roles to the pre-Columbian Mayan civilization. Today, farmers are working to rehabilitate farmland long used for growing sugarcane by planting cacao.
Antigua, Guatemala is a UNESCO World Heritage Sight, known for its preserved Spanish-Baroque influenced architecture as well as a number of ruins of colonial churches. It is the setting for the story of Kinship Chocolate.
