Chef and Entrepreneur Launch Canadian Chocolate Maker to Challenge Foreign Suppliers

Why It Matters

Domestic production gives Canadian chefs greater control over ingredient quality and supply‑chain resilience, while challenging entrenched foreign suppliers.

Key Takeaways

• Canadian B2B chocolate market lacks domestic suppliers
• As We Do targets chefs with small minimum orders
• Kickstarter aims $100k for factory setup
• Founder Held previously built $500M digital health firm
• Product omits lecithin and palm oil additives

Pulse Analysis

The Canadian food‑service sector is increasingly prioritizing locally sourced ingredients to reduce reliance on overseas supply chains and to meet consumer demand for transparency. By establishing a domestic chocolate operation, As We Do Chocolate taps into a broader movement toward regional manufacturing, which can lower logistics costs, shorten lead times, and provide chefs with clearer provenance for a core baking ingredient.

What sets As We Do apart is its B2B‑focused model that eliminates the high‑minimum‑order barrier typical of multinational suppliers. Professional kitchens can now order custom blends in modest quantities, allowing them to experiment with flavors and adjust formulations without committing millions of dollars. This flexibility not only supports culinary innovation but also fosters tighter relationships between producers and end‑users, a factor increasingly valued in the hospitality industry.

Funding the venture through a $100,000 Kickstarter campaign reflects a growing appetite among culinary professionals and hobbyists to back locally rooted brands. The planned 15,000‑20,000‑square‑foot facility, slated for a 2026 opening, will create jobs and add capacity to Canada’s specialty food manufacturing landscape. If successful, As We Do could inspire similar niche‑focused startups, reshaping the Canadian confectionery market and reducing the dominance of foreign conglomerates.