Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bruno Meyerfreund Saade. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Bruno, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you have a hero? What have you learned from them?
My mission is deeply rooted in my family’s legacy, which began with my great-grandfather, who founded Chocolates Garoto in Espírito Santo, Brazil, in 1929. Back then it was only a warehouse that produced candy to be sold throughout the city. Garoto, which was owned by my family for over 70 years, grew to be one of the most respected chocolate companies in Brazil. My grandfather, who served as president for over 30 years, is my biggest inspiration as he was extremely hardworking, organized, and believed that businesses should collaborate closely with their communities. While at Garoto, he initiated various programs for workers, including a daycare for their children and a large cafeteria where people could eat for free, among many other community-focused initiatives. Having spoken with some of his former employees, many of them speak of him as an extremely fair and humble person.
Unfortunately, Garoto was sold in 2002 when I was just three years old, and my grandfather developed Alzheimer’s a few years later. As his oldest grandson, I had the privilege of learning from him at a young age, but I still missed out on so much of his experience. There was always a mystique about him that I never fully experienced firsthand. I knew he was a disciplined and purposeful person, but much of what I knew about him came from stories of his time at Garoto.
The decline in the quality of Garoto chocolates after the sale of the company further inspired me to honor my grandfather’s legacy. Because of him, I always had the vision of creating my own chocolate company. In 2020, I began making chocolate in my home kitchen for the first time and in 2022 studied French Chocolate Arts at École Ducasse before fully embarking on my chocolate journey. My goal with Anjar Chocolatier is to create high-quality, ethically sourced chocolates and revive the tradition of excellence that my grandfather once championed.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
At Anjar Chocolatier, we craft premium chocolate bars, bonbons, and seasonal chocolate goods. We pride ourselves on using only high-quality, ethically sourced ingredients and creating unique, elegant packaging for our chocolates.
I am especially proud of the distinctive flavors we create. Growing up in Brazil, I always enjoyed brigadeiro, a delicious sweet made from condensed milk and cocoa powder. One of our bonbons features a gold chocolate shell filled with brigadeiro, capturing that beloved taste. Another standout is our white chocolate lavender bar, crafted using our lavender-flavored cocoa butter. We strive to blend traditional flavors with our unique touch, setting us apart and making our creations truly special.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
When starting my chocolate business there was so much more that went into it than I had originally envisioned. First I had to learn everything there is about chocolate making, what equipment was best, and what recipes worked well. At first you think all of these things will be simple, however, it is a constant trial and error and I still continuously try to improve products and processes to make Anjar more efficient. Other challenges included finding a location to manufacture our chocolates. I visited various facilities before finding the facility we are in today.
The most important lesson I learned about manufacturing is that you have to write down everything you do. That way you can replicate processes that do work and eliminate or tweak those that don’t.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One thing I have often heard is to be very patient and that your time will come in business. Although patience can be an important trait to stay grounded, it can also hinder you from growing. Relying on emails, and waiting for one aspect of your business to be perfect before investing in something I knew I needed are all things that held me back in the beginning. I took way longer to find the facility we operate out of now than I should have. If you want to know some information and know of someone who can help, make a phone call to get your answer immediately. Don’t be afraid to bother people to get what you want. No one is going to be in a rush to help you, so you have to be the one to make the moves.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://anjarchocolatier.com
- Instagram: @anjarchocolatier
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anjar-chocolatier
