Social Foodies: Chocolate and social awareness
The business model of tommorow?
It took me quite some time to find out how to tell everything that is needed to be said in regards to my encounter with the wonderful and visionary company Social Foodies. I hope you will take your time to read and consider.
Social Foodies sells eg. icecream, chocolate, nuts and seeds, of a high quality in terms of taste and 'pureness' of ingredients, but... Here's the twist that makes this story important for me to tell:
VALUE FOR MANY
Social Foodies is a private social business which means that it is earning money in alignment with regular market conditions but uses its profit to create jobs for vulnerable social groups or create a solution to other social or environmental challenges. Hereby following a sustainable and circular oriented business model. This means value for many and not just the owner of the company. Social Foodies' chocolate is not only the richest product I've had, but it is also produced socially responsible by considering the local farmers in Africa and the production in Denmark. But This basically means that you become more than just a consumer, you're an active participant in a circle of development work when indulging in your sweets. Seriously, isn't that amazing?
THE BRIGHT HEAD BEHIND IT
Meet Thor Thorøe, founder of Social Foodies. He is also founder of the big ice cream franchies Paradis Is, that he chose to leave after 10 years, because the business was heading in a direction of prioritizing profit and commercial upscaling over the social values that it was originally founded upon. He therefore started Social Foodies after several visits in Africa where most of the ingredients are grown and produced at the chocolate factory Cocoafair. I had an hour long talk with Thor a day I visited the store at Gl. Kongevej and the conversation, the visions and ideas was echo-ing in my thoughts many days after. I think I got a dreamy glimpse of how the world would look if all businesses were based on and considering the same values as Social Foodies'. Thor is full of incredible stories that many could learn from and he actually reminded me a bit of my amazing father - the definition of a driven human, with a kind heart and everlasting energy.
.. the visions and ideas was echo-ing in my thoughts many days after.
Bounty bars and diagnoses
After an hour of talk Thor got restless and stood up. He quickly went behind the counter and started to make these coconut 'bounty' bars - one of my personal favorites! All of the products are handmade and mostly done in-store as seen on the pictures. The other practicalities in the production in Denmark (for instance transportation or packaging) are done by employees with different diagnoses such as ADHD, Aspergers or Down's Syndrom.
'Flødebolle' workshop
Social Foodies kindly invited me and a couple of friends for a cream puff 'flødebolle' workshop and I couldn't say no as they took the prize for the best cream puff in CPH 2016. We had so much fun that afternoon with Thor hosting the workshop! I sucked, my friends Sophie & Jesper sucked, while Kenneth took the 1st prize with his experience as soft-ice maker back in his teen years. Cool fact: one cream puff pays a daily salary in Africa.. Puff!
Photo: Kenneth Nguyen
Photo: Kenneth Nguyen
Because Its important
Why do I want to use my space to tell this? Because it's important. The majority of companies today only prioritize the social aspects and potential of their business when they reach success on the bottomline and only after that they spend big money on CSR work. Don't get me wrong, CSR is better than nothing, but in my opinion the problem is that the above mentioned way is like buying a good consciousness and it is doing things backwards.
I really do believe that social businesses are the businesses of the future. It is what our society and environment need in order to change for the better. Therefore Social foodies is a concept that more people need to know about because it serves as the perfect example of doing good better! This is really no false advertisement (and this is not a sponsored post either): Not only is the idea and vision good, but they execute the idea and they create straight up amazing products. I got so happy to know that when I need my chocolate I don't have to settle with a purchase that doesn't serve a greater purpose than consumption. We as consumers hold a lot of power which shapes the market. A power that we're not always aware of. We need to demand this power and the change we want to see through our consumption.
Thanks to Social Foodies,
for expanding my horizon and my awareness of the options I have.
Thanks to you for reading this story!
Social Foodies
COPENHAGEN.
Gl. Kongevej 115
Photos and words by
Alona Vibe & Kenneth Nguyen
Photo: Kenneth Nguyen
his & her TASTE
Wondered what this is all about? Kenneth and I decided to join creative forces by creating this concept of stories of the best places or experiences we meet on our way. Wether it's at home in CPH or out in the big world. For us it's about sharing gems and spreading the word to all of you. We combine art direction, photography and writing and all content of 'his & her TASTE' is created in collaboration between the two of us unless something else is stated.
Sounds tasty?