The full story of how we came to choose the name Divine for our chocolate is lost in the mists of time. What I can say is it was not one of the names recommended by the expensive branding firms we hired to advise us on a name. The temptation was to think that we knew nothing and needed experts – but we didn’t like any of the names the experts came up with and so we went our own way. And ‘Divine’ has proved to be an excellent brand name. Everyone knows it; it has no unfortunate connotations and it works both as an adjective (my Cambers dictionary defines it as “excellent in the highest degree”) and as a verb (“to foretell the future.”) “Excellent in the highest degree!” chimes nicely with the slogan of Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union: Pa Pa Paa! Which in Twi means ‘the best of the best’ and refers both to the farmers who co-own Divine and the cocoa they grow. Whether we are foretelling the future is another question. I like to think we are shaping a different and better future for farmers in Ghana and chocolate lovers everywhere. We have a vision of a different and more dignified trading relationship than currently exists and a way of making it a reality. Our indefatigable farmers, Cecilia Appianim and Cecilia Donkor, continue with their tour of the country. They’ve completed the Midwest leg and  were back in Washington DC for the launch of our Divine Recipe Competition. All you need to enter is a unique Divine Chocolate Recipe, your statement about why you are Hungry to Change the world through Fair Trade, and, if possible, a picture of your creation. The rules and more details are elsewhere on this website.

And keep those Divine sightings coming! It is really helpful to know where and when our chocolate is available.