our story...

born from purpose & passion

Nestled in British Columbia's beautiful Gulf Islands, Denman Island Chocolate was founded in 1998 by the Terry family with a simple, powerful vision. Driven by a passion for the organic food movement and a shared love of fine chocolate, the founders built Canada's first certified organic chocolate bar company. Over the decades, they grew the business into a beloved national brand known across the country for its exceptionally smooth dark chocolate and an unwavering "Chocolate with a Conscience" philosophy.

A Sweet Succession:

welcoming a new chapter

After 28 years of handcrafting small-batch organic chocolate, Daniel and Anika have proudly passed the torch to our new owner, Jessica Johnston.

Jessica is a fifth-generation Denman Islander whose journey comes full circle with this new chapter. After a successful, fast-paced career in the digital art and animation industry across Vancouver, Toronto, and Victoria, a personal health journey deepened her commitment to a clean, organic, plant-based diet. Seeking a path with deeper purpose, she stepped away from the tech industry to immerse herself in ethical food production and community-focused social enterprises.

That journey eventually led her back home. Jessica joined the Denman Island Chocolate team during the pandemic, falling completely in love with the values, the community, and the craft. She worked side-by-side with Daniel for five years, mastering our signature tempering and moulding process and learning the precise techniques behind all 17 of our distinct chocolate bar flavours. Along the way, she developed a true connoisseur's enthusiasm for making *and savouring* exceptional chocolate.

the legacy continues

Today, our mission remains exactly as it always has been: 100% Canadian-owned, independent, lovingly handcrafted, and deeply rooted on Denman Island. Armed with a lifelong connection to this land and a fresh creative perspective, Jessica is thrilled to carry this delicious, eco-friendly tradition forward into the future.

"Many wonderful businesses die because they lack a succession plan that prioritizes the heart of the brand over the bottom line," says Jessica Johnston. "Daniel and Anika didn't just sell a business; they entrusted a legacy. This transition was possible only because they believed in keeping the business true to its roots: on the island, organic, and independent. None of this would have been possible without their generous support, encouragement, and their conviction to stay true to the values the business was born from."

the chocolate factory

At Denman Island Chocolate we believe in the importance of beauty in all aspects of our business. We start with our factory. Think factory and you might imagine concrete blocks and smokestacks. Well, we wanted to do things differently. Our factory is perched on top of a bluff overlooking ocean and mountains. We are surrounded by trees that are protected by a permanent conservation covenant we put in place in 2006. The building itself is all curves, with lots of wood and glass. We have used building materials and techniques appropriate for our bioregion, including recycled fir boards and Paperstone countertops (made of recycled cardboard and cashew shell resins) in the staff kitchen. We use a heat pump and wood stove to keep our factory warm in the winter and natural ventilation and tree cover help keep us cool in the summer. We love being surrounded by this beauty. We also think that it is important to create and be a part of beauty in order to make a product that we can make and send to you with the realisation that it doesn't just taste good; it is good.

denman island

Yes, there really is a Denman Island. It is one of the northern Gulf Islands, a string of small islands dotted through the Salish Sea, which lies between much larger Vancouver Island and the British Columbia mainland. It is a short ferry ride from Vancouver Island to Denman Island, where residents and visitors find themselves in a little rural Arcadia. It's green - although heavy logging that took place in the 1990's is only now starting to look a little less brown - and we have lakes and lots of beautiful beaches. Everyone knows everyone else - and everyone else's business - and we don't lock our doors. 

Denman Island may not be the simplest place in which to run a chocolate factory, but it has its perks. The factory is nestled on top of a ridge among arbutus and Douglas Fir trees, with an understory of moss, salal, ferns and - in season - calypso orchids and chocolate orchids. Yes, really.  We see deer walk by our windows almost every day. Bald eagles and turkey vultures ride the thermal currents that sweep up the ridge. And, in the summer, if we're really quiet, we can hear the thin arbutus bark crackle as it peels off the trees. It's a great place to work.