Local Baker Wins Chocolate Festival Cake Competition
By Eliza Kukutu
Local baker and owner of “Louisa’s Home Bake”, Mrs. Louisa Fono, won the Chocolate Festival Cake Competition held yesterday at the Pacific Crown Hotel in Honiara.
Now in its third year, the Chocolate Festival brought together local businesses to promote cocoa and highlight the significance of cocoa and its products.
Local bakers showcased their creativity by making cakes using locally sourced cocoa powder and chocolates.
Mrs. Fono’s winning cake was a Chocolate Mud Cake, baked using cocoa powder from Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands (KPSI), with the icing and fillings infused with chocolates from Cathliro.
The Winning cake from Louisa’s Home Bake”.
Speaking to SIBC News, Mrs. Fono shared her excitement about the win.
“I started baking four years ago, and to be honest, I did not expect to win. But I am so happy, as this is the first time I’ve ever won such a competition,” she said.
Reflecting on the event, Mrs. Fono said the win has motivated her to continue improving in her baking.
“Such competitions help us come out of our comfort zones, and they also provide a space where we can connect with other local bakers.”
“For me, this has really motivated me to improve in my cake business,” she added.
Judges for the competition included international experts from Italy and other countries, who are currently in the country as international cocoa buyers.
Cake entries for yesterdays cake competition.
The Pacific Crown Hotel, with support from The Cacao Ambassador, hosted the Chocolate Festival.
The festival was initiated to celebrate the rich cocoa heritage of the Solomon Islands by showcasing products that can be made from cocoa.
Founder of The Cacao Ambassador and master chocolatier, Oonagh Browne told SIBC News about the importance of such events in helping local producers realise the potential of cocoa-based products.
“The passion and reason behind this event is to really educate the people of the Solomon Islands about cocoa. Many farmers here today were saying they’ve grown it for 20 or 30 years and never really knew what it was. Cocoa is one of the healthiest foods,” she said.
“We want the people of the Solomon Islands to enjoy their own cocoa first, and to grow quality cocoa so they can earn long-term, fair prices. We say cocoa is for health and wealth and today was a celebration of that.”
For the first time ever, this year’s festival included farmers from Makira, Malaita, and Guadalcanal Provinces, allowing them to witness how much people love chocolate.
Local Cocoa Producers at the festival.
Food and Beverage Manager at the Pacific Crown Hotel, Esther Dede, confirmed plans to make the festival even bigger next year.
“We will be having the festival as an annual event, and next year, we’re planning a larger celebration with more local cocoa farmers and producers from the provinces.”
“This will enable them to engage with international cocoa buyers, and we hope to welcome even more buyers for next year’s festival,” she said.
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