MORE ABOUT US!

The Johnny  Appleseed of cacao in Hawai'i began getting neighbors farmers and entrepenuers to plant cacao all over the islands. It worked and then they all came to him for growing tips and harvesting techniques. They all began fermenting and cracking and drying their beans together.  This was about 25 years ago.

After discovering for himself, the amount of hardwork it takes opening cacaos, Tom Sharkey began coffee shops and farm tours to receive the labor benefit of curious clients.  A lot of hard work was still left to be done and cacao pulp nectar became one of the rwards, next to finished chocolate, that all his volunteers would get as recompense.  

Ethan Swift, joined the Sharkey Ohana in 2011 after consuming massive daily quantities of Sharkey's Chocolate.  He was brought in as the brand developer.  He has 5 years of chocolate making experience with multiple chocolate startups in his earlier years in the islands.
 
Hawaiian cacao must have spoken to Erin after making his Dad's chocolate for years and was pushed to begin his own brand. Erin Sharkey went on to begin the East Hawaii Cacao Association with Patrick Merrit in 2014.

Designed and marketed by Ethan, Island Sharks Chocolate, also Erin's offshoot brand of Hilo Shark's chocolate, began in 2019 months before the pandemic.  We pivoted and moved all our sales online and launched at #1 on google search results. 

The business is growing and looking for new land to steward and cacao to serve.  After 4 years in business and many more to come, we are currently looking to fund our new orchard. 

We are cacao experts and have spent thousands of hours educating on our farm to bar slave free craft chocolate. Giving tours and working 1 on 1 at farmers markets has put the Sharkey name at the forefront of Hawaii Cacao Farm Tours, "cocoa of excellence", and now we can add the Best of East Hawaii. 

We accept apprentices at no regular schedule and are currently full in all position.  

If you. have any questions please reach out in the community or contact us and we may have time to get back to everyone. 

Thanks so much. Aloha and mahalo,
Ethan, Erin and the team
Makers / Owners
Island Sharks Chocolate

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