Main content

The chocolate world of Mott Green

The story of Mott Green, a maverick cocoa farmer based in Grenada, who changed an industry with a radical idea about where chocolate could be made.

The story of Mott Green, cocoa farmer and chocolate maker, who was changing the industry one bar at a time.

Born in New York, this gifted engineer and mathematician left Manhattan in his twenties to explore the Caribbean. He ended up in Grenada, fell in love with cocoa and with a local drink, "cocoa tea".

Despite this chocolate tradition and Grenada having some of the finest cocoa trees in the world, farmers were leaving the land and abandoning their crop because of low prices. Mott Green took it upon himself to change that.

By using hand built machines and creating a co-operative, Mott managed to build a chocolate factory in a tropical climate, the first time this had been done. Sales of his quality bars grew and cocoa farming on the island once again became profitable.

His success was documented in a film, Nothing Like Chocolate, and he was celebrated in Grenada as someone who had not only made a big impact on the island's economy but also changed thinking about chocolate around the world.

Tragically, shortly after the Food Programme recorded with Mott Green he was killed in an accident as he was repairing some equipment. The programme follows him through the chocolate making process and as he embarked on a three month voyage transporting his bars across the Atlantic using only wind and solar power.

Producer: Dan Saladino.

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Mon 17 Jun 2013 15:30

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Sheila Dillon
Producer Dan Saladino

Broadcasts

  • Sun 16 Jun 2013 12:32
  • Mon 17 Jun 2013 15:30

Featured in...

Download this programme

Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.

Can comfort foods really make you feel better?

Yes they can, says Sheila Dillon.

Podcast