Honeymoon Chocolates

Honeymoon Chocolates operates as a bean-to-bar craft chocolate maker with a distinct focus on health-conscious and ethically produced confections. The company's origin traces back to a dorm room kitchen in 2016, where co-founders Cam and Haley Loyet, then college students, began experimenting with chocolate making as a hobby. Cam's upbringing in a health-conscious family and Haley's background in baking converged, leading them to explore alternative sweeteners and ultimately land on raw honey. This initial venture was propelled by a university grant and evolved into a formal business. The couple later moved to St. Louis to pursue graduate degrees to further support the company's growth.

The company's business model centers on direct-to-consumer online sales and a wholesale channel that serves over 200 retailers, including notable names like Whole Foods and Erewhon. After initially operating a retail storefront, the founders shifted focus to the wholesale side of the business to scale their operations. Honeymoon Chocolates' core value proposition is its exclusive use of raw, unfiltered honey as a sweetener, distinguishing its products from traditional cane sugar-based chocolates. This choice is positioned as a healthier alternative, citing honey's lower glycemic index and the presence of trace minerals and enzymes. The product line is intentionally simple, often featuring just three main ingredients: organic cacao, organic cacao butter, and raw honey. Their offerings are free from common additives like lecithin, palm oil, and soy.

A significant part of the company's mission is rooted in sustainability and ethical sourcing. They partner with organizations like Uncommon Cacao to source single-origin organic cacao from countries such as Tanzania, Uganda, Peru, and Haiti, ensuring farmers receive premium prices for their crops. This commitment to transparency was inspired by the data they could access from their local honey suppliers. In addition to ethical cacao sourcing, the company addresses the decline in honeybee populations by donating a portion of its proceeds to pollinator research and supporting local apiarists through direct purchasing. All product packaging is designed to be compostable and recyclable, reflecting a commitment to environmental responsibility.

Keywords: bean-to-bar chocolate, raw honey sweetened, craft chocolate, ethical sourcing, single-origin cacao, pollinator conservation, refined sugar-free, direct-to-consumer confections, wholesale chocolate, sustainable packaging, health-conscious sweets, St. Louis food startup, Cam Loyet, Haley Loyet, artisan chocolate, compostable packaging, honeybee support, fair trade cacao, natural sweeteners, specialty foods