Interview with Stephanie Chia of The Chocolate Museum

Yum. Next up is Stephanie Chia of The Chocolate Museum. As one of the top 10 finalists of the Martell VSOP The Ultimate Start-Up Space competition, she stands to gain a space in Clarke Quay from which she can launch her business. Let us hear her thoughts.

(For a quick overview of the prizes the ultimate winner stands to gain, read this.)

Describe your idea and how you think it stands out from all the finalists.

The Chocolate Museum plans to usher a new line of specialty chocolate brands into the Singapore market from South America, Europe and North America. To redefine the chocolate eating culture in Singapore, we have created a unique dessert concept that pairs chocolates with wonderful things like wine, spirits, coffee, tea and even flowers! Being not just a retail outlet, we also hope to create awareness about the history and culture of chocolate such as the way cocoa beans transform into yummy chocolate bars.

[View her 60-second video submission for TUSS.]

How did you come up with this idea? Did you already have this idea before hearing about this competition?

I have always been a harsh critic of chocolates, despite loving these little gems. I would go in search for a good bar of chocolate during my travels around the world, just to satisfy my craving for something new. I have even been as far as a cocoa plantation in Belize where I was exposed to the chocolate manufacturing process and experienced the sheer amount of effort that went into it.

Stephanie looks at a coffee plant in a cacao plantation in Belize

I was planning to ship some chocolates from South America to Singapore, together with a group of friends, when this competition came along. And I thought, hey, there just might be others like myself who would love to know about these specialty chocolate brands. So The Chocolate Museum was a natural progression of expanding the chocolate network from friends to all chocolate lovers in Singapore.

Why do you think you should win the top prize for The Ultimate Start-Up Space?

Because we’re adding a new element to Clarke Quay! With a colourful mix of themed restaurants, bars, entertainment night spots and a trendy crowd that is always on the look out for something novel, Clarke Quay is the perfect hub to experiment with the bold and innovative. So with a new variety of chocolate brands and an intriguing chocolate-pairing dessert concept, why shouldn’t we win?

Tell us your team’s background and what you are doing now.

I’m currently a freelance food writer for a Singapore dining magazine and it is my job to keep up with the latest trends in the food business. Prior to this, I spent my undergraduate years at University of Warwick in the UK, before moving to the USA for my post-graduate studies at Stanford University. So the wealth of my overseas experience and my understanding of the F&B industry have been the basis for The Chocolate Museum.