
Origin Story
Bean to Bar
Everything we connect with has a story behind it, and storytelling is how we connect with one another.
As a chef, my approach to creating menus has always been rooted in trying to tell a story, whether it was about a season or about a particular event in time. The care and attention to detail really matter when putting all the aspects of a story together, that is how I approach making chocolate.
As a child, I lived in Venezuela, where my father is from and where some of the world's finest cacao is grown. I also grew up hearing stories of my great grandfather, H.O. Wilbur, and the iconic company he built with his brothers in Philadelphia and Lititz, PA, Wilbur Chocolates. Both of these aspects of my own origin story have played a key role in guiding me on this cacao journey.
After working with some amazing chefs throughout my culinary career, then becoming an executive chef myself, I thought I knew a lot about chocolate, but the deeper I go down this path the more I realize how superficial my knowledge was.
In 2020 I made a pivot from the savory side of the kitchen to the sweet side and I decided to focus on exploring the world of craft chocolate making. I wanted to see what I could learn from the ancient cacao plant and the farmers who grow them, and what stories I could share with my community. That is how Nantucket Faraway Chocolate was born.
We are the island's first “bean to bar” chocolate maker sourcing organic ingredients from small farmers and cooperatives around the world and making chocolate from scratch.
I am happy you found us, and I hope you enjoy our cacao origin stories.
All my best,
Andre J. Marrero,
Owner/Chocolate Maker
