The founders of Fossa Chocolate on blending Singaporean cuisine with artisanal chocolate craftsmanship

How did you come to work together?
Jay Chua (JC): Chocolate-making started as one of my many hobbies. I got Yilina and Charis interested in the craft and eventually decided to try sharing these interesting chocolates with more people. Selling food requires an SFA licence which means we needed a food factory so it quickly escalated into a full-fledged business.

Can you share your experience working together? What are the trials and challenges of doing so?
JC: Starting a business is never smooth sailing but we were fortunate to have each other to rely on. We come from different career backgrounds so we brought to the company different experiences and skill sets. That being said, in our previous jobs, we never had to deal with things like fixing machines, legal and Human Resources (HR), to name a few. So there was a lot of learning on the job and making mistakes, even today.

How do your combined passions for food translate into the brand?
JC: Our passion for food allows us to be creative with our creation, and ensure the chocolate we make doesn’t just sound tasty, but also actually tastes delicious.

Yilina, how did your background and interest lead you to spearhead business development for Fossa Chocolate?
Yilina Leong (YL): I have always been interested in food. After co-founding two food brands almost a decade ago, I joined the corporate world briefly and in my last role, I worked with local F&B companies on their expansion plans beyond Singapore. It brings me great joy and satisfaction to grow a brand so when we started Fossa Chocolate, I had lots of ideas for how we could develop the business and expand our reach.

Charis, what initially drew you to craft chocolate making?
Charis Chia (CC): I enjoy baking and love to incorporate flavour pairings that can elevate the tasting experience beyond the classics. When it comes to chocolate, the traditional pairings are always with nuts and dried fruits. While they are no doubt delicious, they are not flavours that inspire me. What drew me to craft chocolate is the potential to incorporate unique flavours that resonate with what I’m passionate about at that moment. That makes things interesting and refreshing.

How do your pastry and confectionary skills influence your chocolate creations?
CC: I didn’t attend any culinary schools. Instead, I worked in kitchens learning from chefs and seniors. That lack of classical training allowed me to constantly think outside of the box, inventing new techniques that a classical chef would be unlikely to have thought of. That’s how we come up with a lot of our unique creations using self-invented techniques.

In pastry and confectionary, we strive to present dishes with a myriad of flavours, aromas and textures. I apply the same thought process to chocolate creations to bring forth layers of flavours and present a satisfying taste experience.

Can you share more on Fossa Chocolate’s commitment to ethically sourced cocoa beans? What inspired this?
JC: Cacao is a produce. And for all produce, who grows them and how it’s grown has a direct impact on their quality. We are very particular about the flavour of our ingredients, and will only procure them from producers who care as much as us. This inevitably means that we exclusively work with producers who are transparent in their labour policies and practise sustainable farming. Happy people produce better quality cacao, and old trees grown with agroforestry practices usually produce flavour-dense cacao beans.

Can you share more on Fossa Chocolate’s sustainability practices?
JC: We source from sustainable and ethical producers. We use paper materials that are made with 50 per cent recycled fibres. Whenever possible, we try to upcycle cacao wastes such as giving away cacao husk to soap makers, paper makers and urban farmers.

How do you create new and exciting flavour combinations for your chocolate bars?
JC: We usually look to dishes that inspire us. Otherwise, we look for flavours and ingredients that are either harmonious or contrasting, that make the chocolate delicious and balanced.

Looking back, how has Fossa Chocolate helped shape Singapore’s craft chocolate scene?
JC: We started when there wasn’t any craft chocolate in Singapore. I think we helped to introduce people to the concept that there is better chocolate. Better flavour for the people, better for the supply chain, and better for the environment.

How do you hope the industry will change in the next few years?
JC: We hope that more people will start to pay attention to where their food comes from, how it was made, and who made it. Hopefully that way, there will be also more demand for artisanal products to allow artisans to continue making nice things for everyone.

How does Fossa Chocolate stay relevant in the industry and what sets it apart?
JC: We continue to innovate to come up with interesting products that are fun for our customers as well as for ourselves. I think what sets us apart from the rest is that we are completely self-owned and funded so we don’t need to care so much about what other shareholders think and say. We can do things that we are interested in and find fun, rather than just be profit-driven.

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