Sinful Swiss indulgence: Geneva-based luxury chocolate maker to open India chapter

India, a country where people love indulging in sweets, will soon get yet another option that is bound to appeal to the dessert-loving population. Geneva-based Du Rhône Chocolatier, which is known for its handmade chocolates, is all set to debut in Mumbai next month. In partnership with Liberty Luxuries Pvt Ltd, this 143-year-old chocolate brand doesn’t use chemical additives and industrial preservatives.

These high-end chocolates are known for their long-lasting taste, which comes from the fact that they are handmade. These delectable confectioneries use ingredients like  raisins, pistachios, nuts, coffee, almonds among others. DNA spoke to Frederico Marangoni, CEO of this Swiss luxury chocolate brand on his recent trip to Mumbai.

So why did the brand choose to launch in India?

Chocolates are the fastest consumption goods in the world and so as a product, they get consumed by a lot of people. In India, with a billion population, it creates a huge market for us and also since there’s a big tradition for sweets. So these factors for a great market for us.

For the launch in India, why did the brand choose Mumbai?

We feel that people in Mumbai are more keen and a bit more experimental when it comes to trying out newer chocolates, so we thought that launching in Mumbai first will be a good idea.

Does the brand plan on expansion?

For now, we are opening the store in Mumbai’s Peddar Road neighbourhood and we are hoping that by end of this year, we can also open a store in Delhi. Depending on the response we receive in these two cities, we will consider expanding it further.

What do you think of India’s chocolate market in general?

India’s chocolate market today, is pretty competitive, but there are very few local brands. So that, in a way, is a good chance for us to grow.

Are there any exclusive flavours that are created to launch in India?

We are still working around a flavour where chocolate will be infused with peanut butter and chai tea, but we haven’t finalised it yet. We are still running a few tests to figure it out.

From where does the brand source cocoa beans?

We used to buy the cocoa beans from South America, but now 90% of the beans are sourced from West Africa.

Since these chocolates are handmade, what is their shelf life?

It’s more or less around six weeks.

What gives your chocolate its uniqueness?

The first factor is the ingredients we use — they make the chocolates exquisite. Secondly, it’s the knowledge. Everyone has the recipe of how to make the chocolate, but it takes a more in-depth knowledge to produce a fine chocolate.