Three shifts worth catching up on
This Week in Hawaii Chocolate: June 20-26, 2026
A first-time manufacturing award, a major farm-tour closure, and national recognition for a Hawaii-grown chocolate bar mark a changing local scene.
June 20-26, 2026
Hawaii chocolate is moving in more than one direction at once. One company received new manufacturing support, one respected Hamakua cacao farm ended its visitor chapter, and a rum-and-coconut-milk bar from Honokaa earned national recognition. Together they show an industry balancing farm transitions, production capacity, and products that can travel far beyond the islands.
News and scene updates
The business and award signals point to where Hawaii chocolate is gaining reach.
- Capacity behind the craft
Capacity behind the craft
Galleon Chocolate earns first-time manufacturing support
Galleon Chocolate Trade Company joined seven first-time recipients in HTDC's FY26 Manufacturing Assistance Program.
Why it matters: Small chocolate companies often hit limits in refining, tempering, molding, packaging, or throughput before they run out of ideas. Manufacturing support can help a maker produce more consistently and reach more customers without treating growth as a purely marketing problem.
- When
- Announced June 18
Best for: people following Hawaii makers; local food-business watchers
- A bar worth seeking out
A bar worth seeking out
Honokaa Chocolate wins with rum, coconut milk, and Hawaii cacao
Honokaa Chocolate's Barrel Aged Rum Bar with Coconut Milk was selected as a 2026 Good Food Award winner in the West region chocolate category.
Why it matters: The award was selected through blind tasting from a large national field and considers more than flavor alone. For shoppers, it is a concrete lead on a Hawaii-made bar with a clear sense of place rather than another generic souvenir chocolate.
- Where
- Honokaa, Hawaii Island
Best for: gift buyers; drink-and-chocolate pairing fans
Useful to know
One familiar Big Island experience is no longer available and should come out of trip plans.
- Big Island planning change
Big Island planning change
Mauna Kea Cacao closes its farm tours after selling the property
Mauna Kea Cacao sold its Pepeekeo house and land and is no longer offering farm tours or chocolate tastings. Its final Hawaii-grown cacao beans remain available in limited quantity, while a new chocolate business is planned on the mainland using those beans first.
Why it matters: The farm was a meaningful Hamakua stop because visitors could connect cacao growing, fermentation, and tasting in one place. Its closure narrows the Big Island tour landscape and marks the end of a particular farm story, even as the cacao itself continues into a new maker chapter.
- When
- Property sold May 15
- Where
- Pepeekeo, Hawaii Island
- Plan
- Tours and tastings have ended
Best for: Big Island chocolate travelers; buyers seeking Hawaii-grown cacao