A UK trade mission to the Solomon islands in collaboration with the UN seemed an incredible once in a lifetime opportunity. As I read the invitation images of wild exploration, cutting through dense jungle and discovering remote and rare cacao came to mind - something simply unmissable.

I flew with a group of other esteemed and accomplished chocolate makers to the middle east where we connected to Brisbane and then to Honiara, the capital of the Hapi Isles, The Solomon Islands. The journey to this point was already some 27 hours but the adventure was yet to begin.

Upon landing we had a quick 30 minute turn around before heading to a reception by His Excellency, The High Commissioner who hosted us for a drink.

Our first visit to a cacao farm was on the following day where the Pilipaso chocolate company was in full swing. We were greeted with open arms and the love we put into our chocolates could be felt from here. Our first taste of Solomon cacao came in the form of a hot chocolate and it was utterly delicious; fruity and light acidity came through. As we ventured towards the cacao farm, giggling children followed behind, laughing at our seeming awkwardness in the new terrain. Seeing cacao growing from trees suddenly made us all the giddy children as we excitedly pointed out, yet another cacao pod. Close up filming, selfies with cacao and moments of hugging the trees later we made our way back to the processing centre. Here there were a couple of £100 machines which had been painstakingly worked hard to earn - something which transformed their operation. To think that this is all it took to change a farm to a chocolate factory was staggering. Such a humble need could be transformative. It got all of us thinking as to what lay latent in potential here and what we could do to help.

The cacao was harvested by hand and the fresh white pulp stored in vats to ferment. Periodic turning developed the right flavour and then at the right point, the yellow-brown pulp was left out in the sun to dry - where it turned to a chocolatey brown colour. The beans were roasted, shelled and pounded. Half an hour of pounding just a handful of beans resulted in just as much chocolate with a grainy texture. However the two machines they had could turn these beans into a smooth paste without the physical work and a lot quicker too.

Later we travelled to Malaita, the 3rd largest island, by ferry for 4 hours. Here we travelled along the only road for 3 hours before reaching the point from where to hike. We carefully came down steep rocky hill sides and later climbed up just as steep terrain for up to an hour and a half. Eventually, in the middle of absolutely nowhere, appeared a pristine village. There was a beautiful church and small homes. To think all the material for the church would have made the journey from Honiara as we just had and then carried up the hills was mind blowing. Jasper Iniga was the head of the church and the cacao project here. He gave us even more love and explained we were among the first people to have ever ventured into their village. Again more loving and giddy children played around us and followed us through the farms. We all spoke the same language but mainly communicated through hide and seek and teasing one another with funny faces and swapping our hats. Such a simple thing brought us close in just a few moments. Jasper prayed for his cacao and several of us bought his beans to try our hand at chocolate making with his produce.

Time flew and so did we. Back to London in next to no time and still trying to figure out what had just happened. From an invitation from the UN, to drinks with the High Commissioner, playing with children in remote jungles and eating fresh cacao from trees. The Solomon Islands is a special place and will always remain so because of its people and incredible fertile land.

I have come back with a new appreciation for how special chocolate is and what a difference it can make eating sustainable, ethical and flavourful chocolate from the right producers. They say when you buy from a small business a real person does a small dance. Well when you buy from a direct cacao chocolate producer, a real person’s life can change beyond their dreams.