Kittle Symphorien and the Art of Chocolate Making in Saint Lucia

A World Made by Many

Follow chocolatier Kittle Symphorien from Saint Lucia cocoa pod to handmade chocolate, and discover the Sugar Beach chocolate-making experience.

A display case of brown and orange chocolates

Growing up in Soufrière, Saint Lucia, Kittle spent time in her backyard filled with some of nature’s best treasures, mangos and cocoa pods. “It taught me to pause and learn to appreciate the simple things,” Kittle says. She was able to walk outside and pick a mango or cocoa pod right out of her own backyard and try it immediately. She felt so connected to the process, she pursued it professionally. “The entire journey from cocoa up until the end product of the chocolate is truly amazing,” she says.

Born and raised on the island, she’s lived in Saint Lucia for 23 years, leaving and coming back more than once. She traces her connection to the land to her early, unsupervised access to natural resources. “I understand truly how nature is beautiful, not just because of the scenery,” she says, but also because of “how deeply connected we are to everything around us – the culture, the flora, the fauna, the fruits.”

How Cocoa Becomes Handmade Chocolate at Sugar Beach

Now, as a chocolate artisan at Sugar Beach, Kittle takes cocoa pods sourced from local farms and turns them into chocolate by hand, from start to finish. It begins with the harvesting process. She picks the cocoa pods, cuts them open and packs the beans into an airtight container to ferment for up to five days. From there, the beans dry in the sun, and they’re watched closely. A stretch of bad weather can undo the whole batch. The cocoa pods look like almonds once they’re done drying, which is how you know they’re ready to roast. After roasting, the shells crack away to reveal the cocoa nibs inside, which get ground with sugar and cocoa butter in a stone grinder for a full 72 hours.

A woman in a Sugar Beach apron pours ingredients from a small bowl into a metal mixing bowl at an outdoor counter.

Even when everyone heads home for the night, the stone grinder is still turning and crushing. A finished piece of chocolate, like a salted caramel bonbon, can take up to three full days to make. A shell is poured on day one. Filling is piped the next day. And the chocolate piece is sealed and demoulded on day three.

There’s no heavy machinery. All of the designs and colors are made by hand. In today’s world, everything feels like it’s moving so quickly, so the deliberate slowness of the chocolate making process is a pleasant surprise for guests. "I love the element of surprise that they get when they walk in and realize the amount of care that we put into every single detail,” Kittle says.

A woman reaches across a large drying bed filled with small reddish-brown pieces at an outdoor processing facility, with forested hills behind her.

Sharing the Chocolate-Making Process with Guests

Making chocolate alongside guests tends to loosen people up quickly. "They tell us about their dogs, their cats, their children," Kittle says. She works with her team to take photos and videos along the way so guests have something to hold onto after they go home. What she hopes sticks with them is a respect for the work itself, for chocolate as something with an actual point of origin, not something that starts on a store shelf.

"A lot of people don't get to see the full journey of chocolate, from the bean to the pod to the actual end product," she says. "Once they've understood all the effort that's put behind it, I know that they truly understand why we put the price that we put on it and why we are passionate about what we do."

The Flavor of Saint Lucia's Landscape

Saint Lucia's cocoa, in her words, has an identity of its own, shaped by geography and technique. Saint Lucia soil is volcanic and very rich, she says, which gives her an edge on the type of cocoa beans that are actually produced. Kittle folds in fruit when she can, pulling from what's grown locally and on property: guava, apricot, rosemary, ginger.

Three people sit beneath trees in a forest, sorting cocoa pods beside a black tub and a pile of yellow, orange, and brown pods.

For a first-time visitor to Sugar Beach, her advice has less to do with chocolate than with attention. “Slow down and take in the scenery," she says. “If you just stop and look out, you'll see there's a lot of variation with the flora and fauna. There's a lot of heights and dips and contrast, and it's absolutely stunning. That's where you feel the most at peace." It's the same instinct that's behind everything she makes. Pay attention to what's already there, and let it take the time it needs.

A woman in a white polo and dark trousers stands among dense tropical plants, with broad green leaves and red flowers around her.

From Cocoa Pod to Chocolate Bar at Sugar Beach

Kittle's story may leave you with a new appreciation for every square of chocolate you taste. At Sugar Beach, we'd be delighted to take that curiosity a little further.

Step inside the Cocoa Mill for a private lesson in chocolate making. You’ll work with local spices, temper chocolate by hand, and see how much intention goes into something that vanishes in a moment.

There's a lovely satisfaction in making something yourself, especially when you know the story of the cocoa and the people who work with it. Kittle's care at every step makes that story all the more delicious.

Explore our Chocolate Making Experience.

Meet Our Makers at the Sundown Social

On October 28, 2026, from 5 to 6 PM, we're gathering at Spice of Life Estate for our A World Made By Many Sundown Social.

Join us as the sun sets over Saint Lucia for cocktails, canapés, and a chance to meet the makers whose knowledge and passions bring Sugar Beach to life. Hear their stories, ask questions, and discover the remarkable people behind some of your favorite resort experiences.

We can't think of a better way to celebrate the island and the people who know it so well.

Discover our Sugar Beach makers and the Sundown Social.

Two women in brown Sugar Beach aprons prepare food at a table outdoors, chopping white ingredients beside a bowl.

Discover More of Saint Lucia at Sugar Beach

From the Cocoa Mill to the landscapes Kittle grew up exploring, Saint Lucia has plenty to share with anyone willing to look a little closer. We'd love to help you experience more of it during your stay.

See what Sugar Beach has to offer.