Artisanal chocolates have been steadily gaining in popularity for their fresh and luxuriant feel for quite some time now. And with a steadily growing awareness about clean eating and sustainability among the pandemic-battered, health-conscious population, the demand for bean-to-bar chocolates has spiked manifold. The best part about them is the assured quality since most of the makers ensure they source it from the organic coffee plantations down South that are at times also owned by them. However, when it comes to homegrown labels from the city, there are only a handful of them, with Rushk, leading the pack for all the care it takes while making your sinful cocoa bar.
Owned by Rushdah Hamaira, it also is Bengal’s first only bean-to-bar organic chocolate brand and is loved by the young and old alike for its balanced bittersweet taste. “Online presence has definitely helped my brand grow popular, especially among the millennials and by God’s grace; I had delivery orders throughout the pandemic that helped sustain my brand,” shares Rushda, whose exotic bars are available at select city coffee shops and online on Amazon. The rich treats come in flavourful variants with Pistachio, Cocoa Cranberry, Cocoa Pumpkin Spice, Milk Hazelnut and Saffron White Chocolate earning her repute among chocolate connoisseurs.
Resolved to give people a taste of real chocolate, Rushdah has never compromised on the ingredients and sources her beans directly from Idukki in Kerala. Mindful of sustainability and eco-friendly practices, the young chocolatier has also been conscious about her packaging from the very beginning. The lockdown simply pushed her further to start the brand with the right intention and at the right time. “The journey has been exciting so far, though the struggles are many because certain leading brands are so well-entrenched in Indian minds that they continue to dominate their palates. Also, we are conditioned to believe and expect chocolates to be sweet in taste. But it feels good to see the perception changing. However, we still have a long way to go, though the demand for handcrafted chocolates is increasing,” adds Rushdah, whose brand’s bestsellers include 70 and 77 per cent classic cocoa.
Going ahead, Rushdah plans to usher in a few more changes to overhaul the brand’s image and also wants to revise the flavours, introducing a few new ones too.