With Holy Cow, Ellen and her husband Luca have been making delicious, plant-based, and 100% traceable chocolate right in the heart of Ghent for four years. They feature seasonal flavors and follow the "bean-to-bar" principle. But Holy Cow is much more than a chocolate brand—it's the result of years of dedication and craftsmanship, from cocoa bean to bar.
The story began in 2015, when Ellen and Luca moved to Kerala, India. They lived there for five years to closely study the cocoa harvest and master the fermentation and drying process down to the last detail. Today, they still run their own cocoa company in India, where, together with a team of local women and a manager, they support about 250 small-scale cocoa farmers on the plantations and guarantee them a fair and direct income. The freshly harvested cocoa is processed on-site into high-quality beans—the basis for their unique chocolate.
In their shop and workshop in Ghent, this sustainable and fair cocoa chain is central, from the farmer in India to "chocolate making" in Belgium. Visitors are immediately tempted by the aroma of freshly churned chocolate and creamy cocoa-nut spreads. Thanks to the glass walls of the workshop, you can see with your own eyes how the chocolate is made, and you can taste everything yourself or participate in a workshop.
Holy Cow's product range is pure and powerful in its simplicity: natural cocoa powder, roasted cocoa nibs, chocolate drops, cocoa and nut spreads, and a refined selection of chocolate bars and mini chocolates. Always with a minimum of ingredients, no additives, less sugar, but all the more flavor.
We krijgen de vraag wel vaker: ‘Ja, maar, hoe weten we nu dat fair trade wel echt is?’, ‘Ze zeggen zoveel dus ik weet het niet meer, en koop dan maar gewoon zoals voorheen’.