Chocolate Purveyors 28 - Jussi Salonen

Chocolate Purveyors is a blog series where we connect and discuss everything chocolate with both makers and enthusiasts. This discussion is with Jussi Salonen, Chief Commercial Officer of Goodio Chocolate.

Founded in 2015, Goodio is a food pioneer with a big heart. The story started with a question: “What if there was a food brand you could trust?”. Goodio was created on the principles of sustainability, well-being, and transparency. It's a vision to bring Nordic-inspired flavors to a chocolate brand for the global consumer.

Photo Credit: Goodio

Do you remember your first experience with real chocolate? What was it?

I’ve always been a fan of sweets. However, I was allergic to everything as a child so my first experiences with most sweets were from a later age. Quite early I got interested in better for you treats and chocolate was one of those.

How does the Finnish craft chocolate scene compare to other parts of the world?

Finnish craft food is relatively new. We don’t have a long background in high-end confectionary like some other European countries do. However, as it has been with beer for example, craft chocolate has grown quite a bit in Finland. There are not that many companies but consumers definitely are looking for experiences in chocolate as well.

For someone trying Goodio Chocolate for the first time, what chocolate would you give them to try?

It depends :) If you are a milk chocolate fan I would go with our lighter flavors, for example coconut. If you are used to dark chocolate, then definitely our dark would be the one to go to.

Photo Credit: Goodio

How does Goodio create positive change with its chocolate? 

Our positive change is threefold: 1) PLANET: We are committed to pay a fair price on all of our ingredients (more than market price).  All our cacao comes directly from Peru and we work directly with farmers. 2) PEOPLE: At our factory we have at all time a minimum of 10% workforce who have been previously long-term unemployed. 3) QUALITY: Our products are mostly made of organic ingredients. Handmade with love in the happiest country in the world - Finland.

Do you prefer hot chocolate or coffee in the morning?

I’m a big craft coffee drinker. Actually we drink most coffee per capita in Finland in the world. However, craft chocolate goes well with coffee so it’s not rare that I grab a piece to go with my coffee.

What Nordic flavors do you bring to your chocolate?

We have a lot of them. To name a few, we use sea buckthorns, spruce sprouts, birch leaves, tar liquor.

Photo Credit: Goodio

What chocolate are you eating from other makers these days?

This is the best part of the job :) I have to eat a lot of chocolate and taste different infusions from other makers. My latest one was OmNom from Iceland, they make some really good chocolate.

You make several inclusion bars, are you noticing more inclusion bars being made? Where is its place in the craft chocolate world?

Yes, I do see more inclusion bars with different twists. I think all approaches have their place in the craft chocolate world as long as cacao, origin is treated well - meaning that everything is responsibly sourced.

What does the future hold for Goodio Chocolate?

In the future you are going to see new products from us in the snacks and beverages categories, stay tuned!

Photo Credit: Goodio

We want to thank Jussi for taking the time to answer our questions, and we hope you learned more about Jussi and Goodio Chocolate.

You can buy the entire Goodio Chocolate collection at our online chocolate store.

To get started with craft chocolate, start with our Kekao Box. We search the world for the finest chocolate bars and bring them right to your doorstep monthly. From rich dark Peruvian chocolate bars to new start-up chocolate bars on the come up, you never know what you'll get inside the box! Each month we will curate 4 to 5 premium specialty crafted chocolate bars. 

If you want to just try a couple of bars, check out our online chocolate store.

If you have any questions regarding this blog, our Kekao Box, or premium specialty crafted chocolate bars, feel free to contact us! Keep up with us by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on Twitter and Instagram.