Oumé, co-founded by former Chelsea and Côte d’Ivoire footballer Salomon Kalou and creative director Karina Ferreira, is positioning itself as a story-first brand - leading with memory, nostalgia and belonging before product specifications.
Named after Kalou’s hometown in Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa belt, Oumé is pitched as ‘one of the first truly global chocolate brands with African authorship at its core.’
A spokesperson for the brand says in a keynote session, Salomon and Karina will discuss how they built brand loyalty and emotional connection before launching any product.
“Moving away from traditional chocolate brand strategies that focus on product features or sustainability claims, Oumé has created a community centred around themes of home and nostalgia,” says Ndubuisi Kejeh, founding partner at London-based agency Mustard
The venture is also backed by seasoned cocoa executive Marc Donaldson, Oumé’s Chief Chocolate Officer, who brings nearly four decades of industry experience (Barry Callebaut, Delfi, Petra Foods) to steer sourcing, flavour development and commercial rollout. Creative direction takes inspiration from Ivorian photographer Paul Kodjo, with a visual identity aimed at bridging West African cultural pride and contemporary premium retail.
Initial plans point to premium milk and dark chocolate ranges, with packaging and positioning aimed at the high-end supermarket in the UK - for now. Final recipe details, cocoa sourcing and certification approach remain under wraps until the official reveal.
London Chocolate Forum (LCF)
The next edition of the London Chocolate Forum (LCF) is organised by the team behind trade magazine Kennedy’s Confection. It bills itself as ‘the world’s premier networking event for chocolate professionals’.
The forum is also a platform for unveiling new products, debating regulatory and sustainability issues and addressing volatility in the global cocoa market.
In another keynote, World Cocoa Foundation president Chris Vincent will address traceability and due diligence ahead of the new European Union Deforestation Regulations, which will require companies to map supply chains, document land ownership and provide GPS coordinates for every batch of beans.
Full LCF agenda here:
- 08:30 – 09:00 – Registration and morning refreshments.
- 09:00 – 09:10 – Opening welcome.
- 09:10 – 09:40 – Keynote 1: Andrea Camacho (Luker Chocolate). Camacho will discuss climate-resilient cocoa farming and how biodiversity, water conservation and carbon‑credit certification can help growers adapt to climate change[3].
- 09:40 – 10:10 – Keynote 2: Jonathan Williamson (Co‑op). The commercial manager for cocoa will trace the Co‑op’s journey with Fairtrade cocoa and outline the challenges and future of ethical sourcing.
- 10:10 – 10:40 – Keynote 3: Albertus Bernardus Eskes. A renowned cocoa geneticist, Eskes will present research into minimal fermentation methods that improve bean flavour and preserve polyphenols.
- 10:40 – 11:00 – Break & networking.
- 11:00 – 11:30 – Keynote 4: Spencer Hyman (Cocoa Runners). Hyman will explore the link between chocolate consumption, cardiovascular health and polyphenols, sharing data showing how cacao constituents influence blood pressure and inflammation.
- 11:30 – 12:15 – Panel discussion: Cocoa prices & market volatility. Given unprecedented price swings in 2023–25, producers and traders will debate how to build resilience.
- 12:15 – 12:45 – Keynote 5: Oumé: Salomon Kalou in conversation with co‑founder Karina Ferreira and strategy adviser Ndubuisi Kejeh. Oumé is a new chocolate brand rooted in memory and cultural identity, named after Kalou’s Ivorian hometown. According to pre‑forum coverage, the founders take a “story‑first” approach and plan to build a premium African chocolate brand while supporting smallholders. The brand will appear for the first time at LCF.
- 12:45 – 13:45 – Networking lunch.
- 13:45 – 14:45 – Keynote 6: Chris Vincent (World Cocoa Foundation president). Vincent will address traceability and due diligence. New European Union deforestation regulations require companies to map supply chains, document land ownership and provide GPS coordinates for every batch. Vincent will show how digital platforms can simplify compliance.
- 14:45 – 15:15 – Afternoon session (to be announced) – previous forums have featured updates on sustainability innovations and alternative ingredients.
- 15:15 – 15:45 – Keynote 7: Michael Cooke (VisionSpring). VisionSpring’s randomised controlled trials show that providing eyeglasses to cocoa farmers increases median income by 33.4 % because workers can hand‑pollinate flowers and sort beans more efficiently. Cooke will discuss how clear vision improves productivity and helps farmers meet traceability requirements.
- 15:45 – 16:15 – Keynote 8: Sophie Jewett (York Cocoa Works). Jewett will share lessons from building a craft‑chocolate business that sources directly from cooperatives and invites consumers to “see, taste and make chocolate”.
- 16:15 – 16:30 – Closing remarks.
- 16:30 – 17:15 – Informal networking & drinks.
Tickets and more details here.
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