From the Amazon to your hand
In 2021, we embarked on a mission to redefine chocolate by purchasing a 5 hectare cacao farm in the Amazon region of Ecuador. Our goal was clear: to cultivate cacao organically and craft a rich, healthy, and delicious chocolate—one that honours both tradition and innovation. However, the journey was not without challenges. The conventional cacao trade is dominated by middlemen who exploit farmers, driving them into poverty and lowering the quality of cacao in pursuit of high turnover profits. This is where Natcha Nibs steps in with a different approach.
We eliminated unnecessary intermediaries, ensuring fair compensation for farmers and complete control over quality. Every step of the process harvesting, fermenting, drying, roasting, and packaging —is handled by us, guaranteeing a truly direct-trade product. Once in the UK, our cacao is refined and formulated using state of-the-art technology, preserving its natural richness and nutritional benefits.
Our Story
From the Farm to the Chocolate: Our Origins in the Heart of the Amazon
Everything we are begins in a green, vibrant corner of Ecuador, right next to the Amazon. There, among warm mist, the songs of wild birds, and fertile soil, lies our farm: the beating heart of Natcha.
But this is no ordinary farm. We don't believe in monoculture or industrial farming. Here, cacao grows alongside green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and other plants that nourish the earth and the people who work it. This diversity sustains the ecosystem's natural balance, protecting the richness of the soil and the life it shelters.
From planting the cacao trees to harvesting, fermenting, and roasting, every step is carried out with patience, ancestral knowledge, and love. We use only organic fertilisers, precisely formulated by our trusted chemist, who is an integral part of the farm. Thanks to their expertise, we've developed a process that is effective, sustainable, and environmentally respectful.
Nothing here is random: every cacao bean represents a commitment to the land, to the people who live on it, and to those who choose honest, high-quality products.
Our human team is essential. Everyone working with Natcha in Ecuador is treated with fairness, dignity, and respect. We know that behind every fruit are hands, stories, and families that deserve to be valued. We believe in a work model where ethics aren't optional — they are the foundation.
And when the cacao is ready to fly, we take it directly to the United Kingdom, with no intermediaries, ensuring traceability, transparency, and a fair relationship between those who grow and those who enjoy. Because for us, chocolate isn't just eaten: it's honoured.
This is how the story of Natcha begins. In the jungle, among living trees, fertile soil, and a deep respect for nature and humanity. A story that now also belongs to you.
Our Story
Our Refinery in the UK: Where the Magic of Cacao is Transformed
Once our cacao has met all health, legal, and logistical requirements to cross continents, it arrives at its new home: our refinery in the United Kingdom.
This space is not just a chocolate workshop: it is a sanctuary for cacao. Here, in a cared-for and harmonious environment, we transform each bean into cacao paste, hot chocolate, spreads, and ceremonial bars with purpose and awareness. We firmly believe that the energy invested in creating a product lives in the final result, which is why we work with calm, respect, and devotion.
We use modern and precise machinery, specially designed to preserve the best qualities of the bean and unlock its most noble aromas and textures. But what truly sets our space apart is not just the technology — it's the spirit with which we work every day.
We remain in constant learning and evolution, researching, testing, and improving our processes to ensure every Natcha product represents the best of Ecuadorian cacao, with a contemporary and conscious touch.
Here, in our UK refinery, cacao becomes an experience. One that speaks of origin, care, and passion.
Our Story
Little Mexico: Where Chocolate is Served with History
In the heart of Hexham, Northumberland, lies Little Mexico, a vibrant corner of flavour, culture, and deep roots. But this is not just a Mexican restaurant: it's also the home of Natcha Nibs, our artisanal chocolate brand, and the place where cacao is transformed every day, thanks to the refinery located within the same space.
Yes, right here, among the aromas of mole and freshly made tortillas, our specialised machinery brings to life the cacao delivered straight from our farm in Ecuador. Every tablet, every paste, every spread is born surrounded by music, warmth, and respect. We believe the environment influences the soul of chocolate, and Little Mexico is full of soul.
But the story goes far beyond flavour. Around 5,300 years ago, in the southern Amazon region of Ecuador, cacao was discovered and used as a fermented drink. However, in Mesoamerica — what we now know as Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador — cacao gained deep symbolic and spiritual meaning. There, the "xocolatl" ritual drink was born, as well as mole, the culinary jewel where cacao finds its ultimate expression.
At Little Mexico, we honour that living history. Our signature dish, the King Prawn Quesadilla, is a crispy tortilla filled with cheese and prawns, bathed in our special mole made with our own house-refined cacao. A bridge of flavour connecting the Ecuadorian jungle with Mesoamerican tradition.