After struggling to find a single buyer for a year and facing fears of closure of their business, two young brothers from Kerala are now conquering the chocolate market in Europe by exporting over two tonnes of their homemade chocolate products every month.
Brothers Ousepachan Johnson, 31, and Kuriachan Johnson, 28, one an engineering graduate and the other a postgraduate in Economics, started their chocolate-making venture in 2020 after getting inspired by an Italian national, Luca, who frequently visited their village to procure cocoa beans for export to Europe.
What started as a small venture with a monthly production of just 20 kg at their modest factory adjacent to their home at Ezhumuttom, Thodupuzha in Idukki has now grown into a premium brand exporting over two tonnes of different varieties of premium chocolate products every month under the brand name “Rakkaudella,” which means “With Love” in Finnish.
“We used to see him come every season, selecting the best beans. That sparked our curiosity. One day, we went to him and asked why we can’t make quality chocolate here in Kerala using the same cocoa which was being exported to Europe. Though he warned about tight competition in the market and fewer takers for premium chocolate which is of high production cost, he guided us on how to start a small manufacturing unit,” Kuriachan told “Open Digest“.
The early days were far from easy as none of the distributors and retailers in Kerala were ready to accept their product. “We literally went door to door with samples, explaining our process and the quality of ingredients. But we faced repeated rejections and for nearly a year, we were clueless about how to proceed with our venture. Despite all odds, we were never ready to compromise on the quality of our products to reduce their price,” Kuriachan said.
However, months of persistence trying to reach out to clients in other states finally paid off when a few premium hotels and bakeries in North India agreed to stock Rakkaudella. The response was overwhelming—customers loved the texture, the rich cocoa flavour, and the artisanal touch. “Our chocolates are made from the finest and top-quality cocoa beans which we select by directly sourcing from farmers. Our products undergo strict quality checks in all processes to ensure that only the highest quality products reach the customers,” he said.
As word spread, so did demand. The brand’s growing reputation soon reached Europe, the very market that had once inspired them. Today, the brothers export over two tonnes of Rakkaudella chocolates every month to high-end retailers and gourmet stores across Belgium and the United Kingdom, generating lakhs in monthly revenue.
Their manufacturing unit at Thodupuzha now employs six persons, and they have also opened an exclusive Rakkaudella retail outlet in Panampilly Nagar, Kochi, offering a premium chocolate experience for Kerala’s discerning sweet tooth.
