Meet the Man behind Magic Chocolate

Sister and Brothers in Chocolate welcome to a mid-week interview! This past weekend, we shared our experience with the new truffle bars from Magic Chocolate. Today, I want to introduce you to their co-founder and CEO, Joe Whinney. Thank you, Joe, for answering our questions about you and your company today.

Joe Whinney, Magic Chocolate CEO

There are many ways that folks get into the chocolate business. When did you discover that chocolate was something you wanted to work with?

As a younger man in the early 1990’s I found my way to the chocolate industry unexpectedly when a sailing trip brought me to southern Belize. There, I volunteered with a small conservation foundation working to preserve native plant species threatened by rainforest logging concessions. I was so inspired by what I learned from the local Maya farmers, from stewarding the land to cultivating biodiversity to building regenerative cocoa systems that allow people and the environment to prosper. Cocoa has been culturally important to the Maya for millennia. I fell in love with the tree and its delicate, beautiful nature.  

At that time, I was starting to see how the modern food system was harming our environment and economically oppressing the people growing our food. One of the most harmful industries was the cocoa industry. It was unthinkable that something we share as an expression of love could do so much harm. I knew that if we could properly value crops and reward farmers for taking good care of the environment that we all depend on, the world would be better off. 

At the time, organic cocoa was virtually unknown in America, and I went on to build North America’s first organic cocoa supply chain to give cocoa farmers access to a market that would properly reward them and support financial, social, and ecological health. Ultimately, this effort grew into Theo Chocolate.

Many chocolate makers and sellers do not go that extra mile to create their own brand, so what inspired you to create Magic Chocolate?

I learned that to have the impact that I knew was possible, I needed to connect directly with consumers, have the flexibility to make products of the highest integrity, and keep more of the profit margin to invest in our supply chains. In 2004, with the support of key partners, we started to build Theo Chocolate,  North America’s first 100% Organic and Fair Trade chocolate maker. When I left in 2017, Theo had grown into the #1 selling organic chocolate brand in North America. 

In 2019, Dr. Bronner’s called and asked for help to create their own line of chocolate bars. I was working on other passion projects and believed that cocoa career was in the rearview mirror, but the trees called again.

My values are totally aligned Dr. Bronner’s. Dr. Bronner’s, one of the founders of Regenerative Organic Certification (“ROC”), was already featuring ROC coconut, palm, and mint oil in their soaps and body care products.The company supported their Ghanaian palm farmer partners to increase the biodiversity of their farms by growing other tree crops, and cocoa was one of crops they grew. To support diversification, the farmers needed to find a premium market for their cocoa. In true activist spirit, Dr. Bronner’s—a company known for their soap—decided to launch a chocolate bar line. 

I couldn’t imagine a better reason to come out of chocolate retirement! I started consulting for Dr. Bronner’s in 2019 to help them create their chocolate line, Dr. Bronner’s All-One Magic Chocolate.

Dr. Broner’s launched their chocolate at the end of 2021. The product line was successful and in late 2023, I was ready to step away from the industry again. In early 2024, Dr. Bronner’s wanted to see their chocolate brand reach its full potential and have the impact they knew was possible. They believed that a values-aligned experienced chocolate company would be the best steward of the line. 

Maestrani Schokoladen, a 174 year-old, family-owned Swiss chocolate maker was Dr. Bronner’s chocolate partner from the very start. Maestrani produced the world’s first organic chocolate in 1987, and operated a carbon-neutral and 100% Fair Trade factory. 

Maestrani was inspired by the potential of accelerating Dr. Bronner’s ROC vision. Together, Maestrani and I created a joint venture, Magic Chocolate, Inc. to carry the mission and product line forward. We’ve combined our experience and passion to help Magic reach its full potential.

Doing great things requires a strong team. We’re doing more than creating a brand. We’re helping to move the industry to a regenerative future. 

Most of our readers know what "organic" means when it comes to chocolate, but "regenerative" is a word many will not be familiar with. Could you explain what that means for your company, the cocoa farmers, and the chocolate makers you work with?

Regenerative is an approach that builds upon the foundation set by organic agriculture to take the future of the entire ecosystem—its land, people, and animals—into account. Regenerative organic practices focus on social wellbeing and soil health, the latter of which serves as the bedrock of sustainable farming that is implemented using techniques derived from Indigenous farming. 

To create the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) chocolate, we support a diversified agroforestry systems program designed to support farmers’ financial health, enhance biodiversity, and improve the habitat necessary for cocoa cultivation. By internalizing the cost of production, Magic’s program enables farmers to invest in their communities and land, cultivating a healthy, varied ecosystem where cocoa can thrive. All of our products are made with ROC cocoa sourced from KANY, an Ivory Coast women-owned collective that ensures the health of the planet and people by increasing cocoa farm biodiversity and generating financially stable incomes for farmers, and particularly female-led cooperatives.

In addition to using ROC cocoa, our chocolate bars are sweetened with ROC coconut sugar sourced from Aliet Green, an Indonesian women-owned B-Corp that champions small family holders, as well as female and disabled agroforestry farmers. Aliet Green seeks to improve indigenous communities’ well-being and combat the effects of climate change. 

Magic Chocolate is made in Switzerland by our co-owner and partner, Maestrani. A nearly 175-year-old, family-owned company, Maestrani was the first Swiss chocolate factory to produce organic chocolate. Today, they utilize state-of-the-art techniques to craft our chocolate with organic and ROC™ cocoa in a fully carbon neutral facility.

The Regenerative Organic Alliance is the nonprofit responsible for Magic’s Regenerative Organic Certified® designation, and is a crucial partner. A group of experts in farming, soil health, animal welfare, and farmer and worker fairness, this alliance established the framework for ROC and ensures that our products meet the requirements for soil health, land management, and farmer and worker wellbeing. 

For a lot of consumers, terms like "organic" or "fair trade" or now "regenerative" can feel like a marketing ploy to explain the higher costs for a product. Why should a potential customer care about those phrases when they are looking for something to enjoy themselves or give as a gift?

Organic and ROC certifications represent standards, transparency, and operational discipline that result in significantly improved ecological farming practices and farmer financial security. The same integrity necessary to maintain certifications also means that ingredients are carefully selected, measured for quality, and carefully tracked through production. Products produced by certified companies are more likely to be high-quality and meet or exceed consumer’s expectations.

It’s true, there is a lot of greenwashing, especially in the chocolate category. Many brands are starting to use  “Regenerative” on their packaging without any third party certification. However, consumers can trust third party certifications. The certifications do not guarantee that all problems are solved, but they do ensure that certified products are being held to a set of transparent standards.

We are on a journey. Supporting certified companies who are earnest and working hard to do the right thing will help ensure that your purchase is more likely to have a positive impact and meet quality expectations. Additionally, third party certifications can give consumers more peace of mind that they are not contributing to abusive supply chain practices. This increases the enjoyment they’re seeking.

We view Magic as a guilt-free indulgence. Individuals can enjoy our classic or truffle bars with the confidence that they are produced with care for animals, people, and the greater ecosystem. With the growing awareness of our pressing need to preserve the world through humane, regenerative agricultural practices, we feel our consumers are conscious about their impact when shopping. We hope that they share our environmental values, and would like this ethos to be reflected in their purchase decisions, whether gifting or enjoying our chocolate themselves. 

Swiss chocolates are known to be smooth, sweet, and usually milk chocolate. Your products have some dark chocolate options and the cacao percentage is higher on the milk chocolate side. Does that reflect what your customers have preferred over the years or are you a darker chocolate lover yourself?

I’m an equal opportunity chocolate lover! For me, it is less about the cocoa percentage and more about the overall flavor expression. I know what excellent chocolate making tastes like.

Magic’s goal is to create products that people love. We design our products to meet a variety of flavor preferences. Our Swiss partner is a world-class chocolate maker capable of crafting delicious products for a wide variety of palates. We bring Swiss excellence and precision to market. 

We also try to include the highest percentage of ROC ingredients as possible. For example, our cocoa and sugars are ROC. Our new line, Truffle Bars, use hazelnuts and almonds as other main ingredients. We’re leaning into other tree crops to help increase demand so we can certify more of our ingredients with ROC.

Where did the name "Magic Chocolate" come from?

We were inspired by Dr. Bronner’s use of Magic. Dr. Bronner’s. Dr. Bronner’s launched their chocolate bar line as Dr. Bronner’s All-One Magic Chocolate. This naming convention was inspired by Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soap, or Magic Soap; the founder, Emanuel Bronner, adopted this name in the 1970s after a profile in Esquire Magazine referred to his soaps as “magic.”  

“Magic” is evocative and encompasses our ambitions of creating beautiful chocolate products that have meaningful and lasting positive impact. The definition of Magic that we embrace is “the intersection of intention (deep, authentic desire) and invention (practical, real-world action to achieve it).”

Of all of the non-truffle bars that Magic Chocolate makes, what is your best seller? What is your personal favorite among all of the products your company creates?

Magic’s bestseller is our 70% Salted Dark chocolate bar. I love this bar! It’s a pure expression of our excellent chocolate making: especially the balance of coconut sugar and perfectly roasted cocoa beans. My other favorites are Cool Peppermint Crème and Crunchy Hazelnut Butter in 45% Oatmilk.

You have a new type of product that you are selling soon, a truffle bar. Given that here in the United States in 2026, a lot of folks continue to be worried about their local, national, and international economy and may be unwilling to take the risk of introducing a new product, making a new type of chocolate bar may seem counterintuitive. Why did you decide to expand your line at this time?

Chocolate is a celebration of love, joy, and delight. Premium chocolate has always been a small reprieve. There hasn’t been a compelling new product format in the category in a long time. I can’t imagine a better time to give everyone something special to help find some joy and delight.

Our truffle bars have a very special mouth feel and flavor combination in a portion control format. They’re designed to have broad appeal to help us expand the important work our farmer-partners are accomplishing.

Truffle bars are made with ROC chocolate and sugar and feature a new, layered technique of oat milk sandwiched between dark chocolate, a creamy raspberry flavor, and two bars studded with salted candied hazelnuts. 

When it is time to add a new product to your line, how involved are you in making that choice? Do you like to get into your test kitchens and try out what the chocolatiers are experimenting with?

Magic Chocolate is a very small, tightly-knit team, and all of our decisions are made collaboratively. With the launch of the Truffle Bars, I worked closely with our Innovation Lead, Joanna Lepore, and Maestrani’s amazing team to develop our new offerings throughout the development process. We encourage experimentation, an out-of-the-box approach, and curiosity in our design process. Our products are an expression of the entire team’s passion for delighting chocolate lovers everywhere. 

Is there anything else you'd like your readers to know about you or Magic Chocolate?

We’re incredibly proud to be the first to introduce ROC chocolate to the world and hope that our commitment to people and the planet reverberates throughout the industry. We want to encourage fellow chocolate producers to adopt these practices, and hope to eventually expand our use of ROC ingredients to include tree nuts, which are prominently featured in both our classic chocolate bars and truffle bars. 

We don’t pretend to have solved all of the world’s problems, but we are working as hard as possible to live up to our potential, execute our mission, and offer products that make everyone’s lives a little better and brighter.

Thank you, Joe, for answering questions with clear explanations about yourself and Magic Chocolate. I can tell you love chocolate as much as we do. Readers, feel free to leave comments or questions. Who knows, perhaps you'll get answers for something I didn't think to ask.