Living Lotus Chocolate

I am beyond thrilled to announce that we have opened our very own storefront inside a shipping container at Junction Market! 🎉 This is a milestone we've dreamt of since we started back in 2013. It's incredible to see it come to life. Come visit us and experience our bean to bar chocolate firsthand. Here are our dates and hours: Friday, July 19: 11-7 Saturday, July 20: 11-9 (join us for salsa dancing in the plaza this evening!) Sunday, July 21: 11-7 Monday, July 22: CLOSED Tuesday, July 23: 11-7 Wednesday, July 24: 11-7 Thursday, July 25: 11-7 (last day!) 📍 Granville Plaza - 200 Granville Street We'll be here until July 25th. See you soon! 🌟

🎉 It’s our 11th birthday today! 🎉 Living Lotus started as a raw vegan dessert company 11 years ago, and today, we proudly make bean-to-bar chocolate. When I began this journey, I didn't know a single thing about running a food business. Cut to 11 years later, my how things have changed! Thank you to everyone for your support over our growing years (we’re still growing!) and the tumultuous past few years. With COVID, the economy, fuel surcharges, and the price surge on cacao (more on that later), your support does not go unnoticed. We're grateful for your love of our chocolate ganache, the product that grew this company, and our bean-to-bar chocolate over the years. Thank you for your online orders, likes, chats, and stopping to see us at events and markets all year round.

We had an incredible time at this year’s Planted Expo! This event was truly our most successful experience to date, and we couldn't have done it without the amazing community of chocolate enthusiasts, fellow exhibitors, and inspiring speakers. One of the major highlights was the launch of our newest limited release, Hojicha White Chocolate. The unique blend of the roasted, smoky notes of Hojicha tea and the delicate, slightly peppery flavour of calendula flowers was a hit among attendees. The overwhelming response to this new product was truly gratifying and validated our commitment to innovation and quality. Engaging with the community was another rewarding aspect of our experience. Connecting with the many plant curious and those dedicated to plant-based living was inspiring and energizing. Your enthusiasm and feedback drive us to continue creating delicious ethically sourced, vegan chocolate. The support and interest we received from everyone who visited our booth reaffirmed the importance of what we do. We had the pleasure of meeting other exhibitors and learning about their products and missions. These interactions sparked exciting potential collaborations that we look forward to exploring in the future. The spirit of support and shared purpose within the community was palpable and heartening. Thank you to the team Planted Expo for our most successful Planted to date! Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth and sampled our chocolate. Your support means the world to us. For those who missed us at Planted Expo or want to stay updated on our latest, be sure to follow us on our social media channels or visit our website. #PlantedExpo #PlantBasedLiving #SustainableTreats #CommunitySupport #Livinglotus

Our founder was the guest speaker last week at #VEGNetworkingCanada hosted by Justin Manning Ⓥ and Sandra Nomoto Ⓥ🌱 Watch the replay here https://lnkd.in/eDW8dfMg

In the chocolate industry, there are multiple ways of sourcing cacao. However, some of these ways are better than others. We've always been open about the fact that our cacao is sourced directly from farmers who are paid a fair wage. It's a fact that we're proud of, & a process that we will continue for as long as Living Lotus is making bean to bar chocolate (this will be for a long, long time!) In an effort to support transparent trade, we want to tell you more: When chocolate companies get their cacao directly sourced, the cacao typically has one middleman. It looks like this: Cacao farmers -> Exporter -> Us We get our cacao using this method for one reason = It's Ethical.  Plain & simple, this allows cacao farmers to receive their fair share of the cost. With commercial chocolate companies, the conventional model of sourcing cacao looks like this: Farmer -> Local Buyer -> Exporter -> Importer -> Chocolate Company In this stream, the cacao is grown for quantity & not flavour. This commodity (low quality) cacao is purchased at a low price, & every middleman takes their cut. This leaves the original cacao farmer with little earnings to show for their work. This profit-driven process is unethical & often slave & child labour are used to harvest the cacao bean as a result. This is why you see such a great divide in pricing for your chocolate bars. The best thing that you can do, is ask your favourite chocolate makers where they source their cacao from. And then keep asking.  We are chocolate makers passionate about ethical sourcing. That's why direct-source cacao is the only way for us! 🙌 [Alt text: a pile of brown cacao beans with a crackled appearance lay on a wooden table.]

Cacao contains over three hundred (300!) different compounds and more than 1500 flavour components, making it one of the most complex known chemical mixtures with a profound and wonderful effect on the human body. It's been found that consuming 40 grams of chocolate every day for two weeks is enough to reduce the levels of your stress hormones. In addition, chocolate has been found to have stimulant effects and can even activate the pleasure centers in the brain. Talk about ‘self-care'.... [Alt text: Two hand cup an opened cacao fruit, where the white pulp and beans are spilling out.]

Living Lotus started as a #rawfood dessert company. Our chocolate ganache was the clear favourite of all our offerings (and still is a favourite for some of our OG customers). We've also offered macaroons, brownies, and even custom raw cakes! When I found out about bean to bar chocolate, it just made sense to start making chocolate from the whole cacao bean. We had always used #whole ingredients whenever possible and using the whole cacao bean fit that ethos perfectly. Thus, our first set of bean-to-bar chocolate was born! Three (or four) ingredient chocolate without any emulsifiers or additives. Just the good stuff. [Alt text: a shallow cardboard box with shredded packing paper holds three Living Lotus vegan chocolate bar packages. Packages of Living Lotus Chocolate and Christmas lights surround the box.]

Do you taste your #chocolate like a pro? Before your next nibble, try doing these things:  1. Prepare a cup of hot or warm water to melt the cacao butter from the chocolate off of your tongue between bites. Think of the water as a palate cleanser in between samples. 2. When choosing your chocolate samples, try the same types of chocolate at the same time. For example, all dark chocolate or all milk chocolate etc. This is so you can compare each nuanced flavour between every sample. 3. Limit any extra aromas or sources of smells near you. If you are cooking or have a diffuser on, for example, move to a different area for your chocolate tasting. 4. Make sure your chocolate is at room temperature. When a food is cold, your sense of taste is dulled. That’s why when you eat melted ice cream it tastes a lot sweeter than when it was frozen! However long your #holiday chocolate lasts, make sure to follow these steps to enjoy every last bit! [Alt text: Multiple Living Lotus vegan oat milk chocolate bars in a small bowl with a hand reaching out to grab one. The bowl sits on a white background with green leaves and pink roses scattered around.]

It's been another wonderfully busy holiday season (and year!) ✨ Thank you to everyone that came out to see us at one of our markets. This year we did a total number of 110 market days!  Almost a third of the year was spent with our customers at our table talking all things chocolate.  Connecting with you and sharing about chocolate has been the highlight of 2023.  We're taking some time to rest and recoup from the chocolate grind. But don't worry, new events, collabs & products will be here to greet you once we come back in January. We will be closed from December 23rd until January 20th. Happy holidays! xox Audrey [Alt text: An asian woman named Audrey Wong, with long black hair and wearing red lipstick, sits inside a red garland covered O with sparkling white lights.]

Making craft chocolate isn’t always easy - but it’s the only way we’ll do it! Craft chocolate production accounts for a very small share of the total global chocolate market, estimated to be only at around 1%. This group is comprised of many small-scale producers, who all face very different challenges than their giant industrial counterparts. Many of the issues faced by smaller producers come from the small size of this community - at least 75% of craft chocolate companies are run by the owner. The high effort required for chocolate specialization can also lead to difficulties in craft producers. Craft chocolate prioritizes fine flavour notes, product diversity, and ethical sourcing models - all factors that are more complicated and/or more expensive than traditional methods. By supporting your local craft chocolate makers you’re making a direct impact on the determined & delicious chocolate industry. [Alt text: Living Lotus finger bars adorned with hummingbirds and flowers lay criss-crossed on a pink background surrounded by pink roses and green leaves.]