Blink Chocolate Bark
In this digital age, it’s hard to believe anyone would start a business without a twitter handle, Facebook page or even a website.
But Kyle Cooper has a thing for good, old-fashioned face time.
Which is why you won’t find his Blink Chocolate Bark anywhere online. But feel free to meet him in person at Circle Craft, where for the second year he’ll be handing out samples of chocolate, getting to know customers, asking them what they think. In short, selling the traditional way.
“I really like the thought of meeting the customer, putting the product in their hand. So it’s wherever I go, I like to thank people and see them enjoying it,” he says.
Cooper was inspired to get into the chocolate business after extensive travelling, especially to Europe, where he became addicted to high-quality chocolate.
When the Delta resident returned home to his sales job (incidentally, working for his brother’s company selling chocolate-covered almonds), he decided to combine his love of sales with chocolate.
It didn’t hurt that “research” would require more trips to Europe.
“That’s the hardship of going to Europe, ”hedeadpans. “Oh, do I need to try more chocolate?”
After trying dozens of brands, he settled on a Belgian company to create a special blend dark chocolate with 68-per-cent cocoa. It’s made up of Valrhona, Callebaut and a third “mystery” chocolate they never revealed to Cooper.
The goal for Cooper was to create a dark chocolate with the widest appeal possible: sweet, but not too sweet; dark, but not too bitter. The Belgian company also created a milk-chocolate version for him to satisfy kids and people with a sweeter tooth. “I was looking for versatility,” he says. The name “Blink Bark” came simply because it was easy to remember and “fun to say.” Plus, Cooper envisioned a large bar: essentially a thin sheet of chocolate with different toppings, echoing the brittle texture of bark. Weighing in at 150 grams, it’s about 50 per cent bigger than a typical chocolate bar.
“I always tell people it’s like social chocolate. You’d take it over to someone’s house, for example, you’d break it up and have lots of pieces to share with family and friends,” says Cooper.
While the base chocolate is imported from Belgium, Cooper experimented with toppings himself. There are nine different flavours, including sour cherry and cocoanib(the bestseller),espresso, chipotle and almond, and peppermint. Blink Bark retails for $14 per bar or $35 for three.
Since he launched in July 2011, Cooper has been selling mostly at fairs, farmers’ markets and through word of mouth. He has ambitions of opening a retail store one day. And, yes, a website is on his “to do” list. But for now, it’s all about meeting people — face to face.