Honeymoon Chocolates

Origin: MO | Grant Awarded: 2021 | Status: Active

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What is Honeymoon Chocolates?

Chocolate is synonymous with all of life’s important moments. Be it a chocolate birthday cake, a romantic holiday filled with chocolate covered strawberries, or a celebratory dessert during a night out. We pair our most intimate and memorable moments with chocolate. But the truth of chocolate is harsh, scary, and truthfully, scarce when it comes to cacao- the main ingredient in chocolate. The global chocolate industry is valued at $11B USD, but the average price paid to cacao farmers is about $2 USD per day. This disparity is a direct reason why farmers are switching to more profitable crops such as palm oil. Some scientists at UC Berkeley believe cacao could be wiped from the planet by the end of 2050- and all chocolate with it. Enter Honeymoon Chocolates- Saint Louis’ first bean-to-bar chocolate makers. Honeymoon Chocolates officially began in a dorm room kitchen when Co-Founders Cam Loyet and Haley Loyet first began making bean-to-bar craft chocolate. Honeymoon specializes in bean to bar craft chocolate sweetened solely with raw honey. We are chocolate makers in solidarity with our cacao farmers through pledging to pay a premium for all cacao purchased. Many cacao farmers are not afforded internet, electricity, or even running water before craft chocolate companies such as Honeymoon offer them a chance for a better living wage. These hard-working families are our purpose- those keeping the tradition of growing cacao alive. Secondary to our brand is to allow our consumers to remove refined sugar from their favorite foods. A few positives in using honey compared to traditional cane sugar include a roughly 1.5 -2 time multiple in sweetness, a lower glycemic index of 55 compared to 68, and trace amounts of beneficial enzymes, vitamins, minerals. Not only do we give a portion of our proceeds to support honeybee research, but we also purchase directly from beekeepers which allows us to support local apiarists.

Company Leadership

Cameron Loyet

co-Founder & CEO

My academic career began at Illinois Wesleyan University where I earned my BS in Business. After moving to Saint Louis, I enrolled at Washington University where I ultimately earned my MBA in May of 2021. Saint Louis has been home to my family and my start-up, Honeymoon Chocolates since 2017. Some of my proudest accomplishments include: exhibiting my start-up to an international audience in Seattle, WA, qualifying for the 2018 Wisconsin State Amateur, and being awarded 2nd place in the 2019 Skandalaris Venture Competition. An interesting fact about me is that I started playing golf at the age of 3 and continued competing in college at Illinois Wesleyan. My future career goals are to continue to foster Honeymoon Chocolates. We craft bean-to-bar chocolate sweetened with raw honey and operate out of Saint Louis, MO. Check out www.hmchocolates.com for more information on us!

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Haley Loyet

co-Founder

I am Co-Founder of Honeymoon Chocolates, and Co-Creator of the process to produce honey-sweetened chocolate. My top accomplishments include: starting my own business, completing my MD at Saint Louis School of Medicine with a distinction in medical education, graduating Summa Cum Laude from Illinois Wesleyan, and my role as a Student Chief in Pediatrics. My favorite hobbies include: reading mystery novels, knitting, and trying new chocolates!

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