Omnom Chocolate- Iceland

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Bringing the world together in Iceland, through chocolates.

In March last year, The Independent UK  published a list of the world’s best chocolate producers. From Oaxaca, Mexico to  Geiranger, Norway, looks like nothing brings the world together like a bar of good chocolate. Proving this fact right in their own way are the chocolate makers all the way from Iceland on this prestigious list- Omnom Chocolate.

If listicles aren’t your thing, then how about this- At the World Chocolate Awards 2018, Omnom won awards in 11 categories, including five Gold across various categories. Omnom’s Milk of Nicaragua won a Gold for the “Plain/origin milk bar categories” under the overall “Best in competition” segment. This was after winning 11 awards, at the European Chocolate Awards as well. Chocolate maker, chef and co-founder of Omnom Chocolate Kjartan Gíslason spoke to me over Skype about what it means to be making award-winning,bean-to-bar chocolates in Iceland, and his Omnom journey.

The Experiment

In 2013, intrigued by the rise of bean-to-bar chocolates in the west, Gíslason teamed up with his childhood friend Óskar Þórðarson to experiment with chocolates. As a chef, Gíslason already had experience working with chocolates and pastries. Þórðarson had worked with food startups previously. They set up their chocolate laboratory initially in Gíslason’s own kitchen, and then moved to an abandoned gas station.

It may have been curiosity that propelled the team in the direction of experimenting with what Gíslason refers to as the “ultimate product when it comes to taste”, but very early into this endeavour the chef was hooked and confessed to falling in love the concept.

“As a chef, you buy chocolates in big blocks or bags. You don’t think about the work that has gone into it,” said Gíslason. “Once we started researching, every day I was learning something new about chocolate. The thing that surprised me the most was the quality of cacao beans and the variety that was available. I came to know about the work that goes on behind the scenes-  right from the cultivation, to the fermentation to knowing about the people who work with cacao. Once you have seen the whole back story, you cannot treat it as just another ingredient.“

The Chocolate

Omnom Chocolate today operates out of a production facility in Reykjavík. Their first single origin chocolates were a Madagascar 66% and a Papua New Guinea, but today their product shelf boasts of chocolates like Peru 100%, Black n’ Burnt Barley, Nicaragua 73% and Dark Milk of Tanzania 65%, to name a few.

Talking about these product varieties, Gíslason said that he believes in a minimalistic approach that brings out the best in his ingredients. While team Omnom does love their dark chocolates, Gíslason shared that working with milk chocolates and white chocolates are equally important for him as a chocolatier.

“Milk chocolates are the most popular chocolates in the world. Many bean-to-bar chocolate makers focus on dark, but I also like working with milk, because it is delicious,” said Gíslason. As for white chocolate? “They are a great way to get creative with ingredients,” he added. “I really like working with white chocolates using different types of ingredients- like liquorice or barley or coffee. It’s a fun outlet for my creativity.”

The Source

Omnom sources its cacao beans from Madagascar, Tanzania and Nicaragua. But it’s not just the cacao that travels thousands of miles to reach Iceland. Their sugar comes from  Brazil through a source that works on sustainable and ethical sugar cultivation, as well as reforestation. Milk that is used to make Omnom Chocolate comes from local dairy farmers, and the sea salt from Saltverk – a sustainable sea salt company located in Iceland.

“Initially, we wanted to understand the beans – how they are processed, the farmers, the certification, etc.,” said Gíslason as he talked about sourcing ingredients. “But, from there on we started thinking about the rest of our ingredients. We could drive down to the farm where we source our milk, but what about the sugar or the coffee? It was basically re-evaluating our supply chain, finding those right sources, and making sure they get the returns they deserve,” he added.

The Market

Apart from Iceland, Omnom Chocolate products are available in the United States, and in select stores in the UK, Japan, and Singapore, among a few other countries. “We have been increasing our export year by year. At the moment 20% of our products are exported. This year we plan to go up to 25%,” shared Gíslason.

What about consumer response within Iceland? Gíslason shared that while it was a slow start owing to the price points they were selling at initially, their Lakkrís or liquorice chocolates were a turning point for the Omnom team with respect to their local market. “It is one of our bestsellers and propelled us forward as a company.” But Gíslason is quick to add that this is also an important lesson in terms of understanding your consumers. “You can make 12 to 13 different types of chocolate, but not everyone is going to like all of them. There is probably one in that lot for each person,” he said.

In the end, chocolate is about having fun, said the co-founder of Omnom. The name is itself a gibberish take on the sound of munching something delicious. “Our overall approach is serious- the way we make our products, the way source our ingredients, and our method. But, at the end of the day what we make is chocolate, so it should be fun.“

The Conversation

Omnom Chocolate also hopes to contribute to this newer dialogue we are having about cacao and its source. “I feel like we are in the renaissance era of chocolate at the moment and the bean-to-bar makers are definitely in the forefront of getting the conversation out there to consumers that chocolate is so much more than just semi-sweet or dark or bitter or 70%. It has an origin, and  it has flavour profiles that are unique.“

Shipping ingredients and finished products in and out of  Iceland is not an easy feat and does involve high costs. With increasing global recognition, team Omnom is currently working on expanding their production facility to match their bigger ideas. Gíslason adds that he receives emails every week from cacao producers across the world requesting him to sample their beans, and even before I ask he is quick to mention- “I have sampled chocolate from India and it is delicious.“

So can we hope for an Indian-Icelandic chocolate bar in the future? “It is possible,” comes the hopeful response. Now that is something I would definitely look forward to.

For more information visit Omnom Chocolate.

Featured Image Courtesy: Omnom Chocolate