Meni Morim is CEO of Namaste Technologies and Brad Churchill is CEO of Choklat. The two have partnered.
Meni Morim
Tell me what Choklat is and what it does? When it started and where it’s located?
Churchill: Choklat is a luxury “bean to bar” chocolate maker and chocolatier. Where other chocolatiers buy chocolate and make their confections, Choklat starts by purchasing and roasting some of the finest and rarest cocoa beans in the world, makes our own chocolate on site, and then makes our confections exclusively using our own chocolate and recipes.
We have a factory and showroom at 3601B 21 Street NE, in Calgary, and are now in over 150 retail stores regionally.
How has business been since you started?
Churchill: I’m not going to lie. It’s been a challenge, to say the least. We opened during the recession in 2008, were met with overwhelming resistance from the public due to our claims (now proven true) that Choklat was the only true chocolate maker in Alberta, and then got hit hard again by the downturn in the oil and gas sector in recent years.
However, our product quality and business integrity won over tens of thousands of people, who have become incredibly loyal customers. As a result, and in spite of our struggles, Choklat has grown to become the largest craft chocolate maker in Canada.
What differentiates you from other chocolate companies?
Churchill: We make chocolate, whereas other chocolate companies purchase mass-produced bulk chocolate to make their confections. To them, chocolate is an ingredient in the confection process, just like cream, or butter, or sugar. To us, chocolate is the most important ingredient, and we control 100 per cent of the flavour and manufacturing process. As a result, our peers can’t compete with us when it comes to flavour.
What is the relationship you now have with Namaste Technologies?
Churchill: Namaste has recognized the quality and scalability of what we do, and has invested in Choklat in order to assist us with our strategy to offer products to the cannabis marketplace.
Brad Churchill
We have a superior product, and they have already-established relationships and a solid foundation with key aspects of the cannabis market. This partnership is allowing Choklat to move through the regulatory process very quickly and be first to market with edibles when legislation permits.
Morim: In addition, Namaste is an expert when it comes to e-commerce, which means that once legislation permits, we immediately have a strong e-commerce channel through which we can reach out to customers.
Lastly, being part of the Namaste family means we have access to other companies in the portfolio, such as Cannmart Labs, which pending their licence would provide us with needed raw materials, guaranteeing supply.
What’s the vision for the future of the cannabis edible market and Choklat’s role in that?
Churchill: Choklat is in a very unique position in this space. We’re a food manufacturer first and foremost, and will continue to build the brand using our non-infused products and a national retailer distribution strategy even after edibles are legal.
At the same time, we will produce a line of cannabis-related products – some of which will be made available in the retail market, and some of which will be made available in bulk to cannabis companies who want to make edibles without involving a lot of food science.
Cannabis companies don’t have the luxury of being able to extensively market their products or brand outside of the cannabis space, but we can through our non-infused channels. We hope to use this strategy to build a strong brand awareness through traditional retail channels that we hope to carry into the cannabis space.
Not everybody buys cannabis. However everybody who buys cannabis also buys groceries. At the end of the day, our vision is national distribution in two markets, with a long-term vision of export to other markets for both products.
Interviewed by Mario Toneguzzi, a Troy Media business reporter based in Calgary.
The views, opinions and positions expressed by columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of our publication.
