The Florida Aquarium has partnered with SSA Group, a best-in-class provider of integrated guest services, and TCHO Chocolate (pronounced “cho”) to launch Dark & Zesty, a unique treat that supports marine conservation with every purchase.
The new product was announced on 7 July, in celebration of World Chocolate Day.
Inside each box are three dark chocolate bars with a bright burst of orange, a citrus nod to the Sunshine State. Dark & Zesty, made with 62% Ghanaian organic cacao, is rich, smooth, and plant-based. It uses fair trade and non-GMO ingredients that taste great and support ethical cacao farming practices.
A collaboration rooted in purpose
This collaboration between The Florida Aquarium, the SSA Group, and TCHO Chocolate was founded on shared values and a desire to do things differently. The journey began in Ghana, where the team explored cacao forests, engaged with researchers and local farmers, and actively participated in the cacao harvest.
“We wanted to get as far into the jungle as we could,” says Matthew Beaudin, corporate director of culinary and sustainability innovation at SSA Group, who flew to Ghana to meet the people behind the cocoa beans. He didn’t find a pretty postcard. Instead, he discovered beaches covered in plastic waste and farmers who had yet to taste the benefits of SSA’s partnership with TCHO Chocolate.
Together with TCHO’s chief chocolate maker, Brad Kintzer, he shared TCHO’s Culture Shock, a custom Pop Rocks-infused chocolate bar created for SSA Partner, the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP). “It was like giving a car builder their first drive in the finished BMW,” he says, adding that chocolate cracked and fizzed in their mouths, and their laughter was the best review he’s had.
The work continued in TCHO’s Flavor Lab in Berkeley, California, where flavour science merged with direct-trade ethics, creativity, and purpose. With The Florida Aquarium, the team created a smooth dark chocolate with a vibrant orange finish, embodying Florida’s citrus spirit.
See also: Empowering experiences: SSA’s vision for the future of attractions
Supporting conservation
Beaudin believes that chocolate, like all food, should do more than taste good. It should make you feel something: “This bar is more than chocolate. It’s a collaboration rooted in purpose; from the cocoa farms in Ghana to the Aquarium in Florida. Together with TCHO and The Florida Aquarium, we’re proving that ingredients can inspire conservation, and flavor can drive impact.”
Dark & Zesty is now available at TCHO.com and The Florida Aquarium. A portion of the proceeds helps fund conservation projects such as coral restoration and marine wildlife rehabilitation.
“This is conservation through food,” says Roger Germann, president and CEO of The Florida Aquarium. “By teaming up with like-minded innovators, we’ve crafted something that’s more than just a treat—it’s a flavorful celebration of purpose, planet, and passion. This truly is a taste of Florida—bright and full of purpose.”
“For Dark & Zesty, Florida citrus was our absolute inspiration! Beyond the flavor, we’ve been proud to collaborate on this bar with The Florida Aquarium and the SSA Group,” says Kintzer.
“Their dedication to marine wildlife stewardship and education is world class, and it fits right in with our passion to innovate in cocoa agricultural sustainability through our TCHO Source program. And to support their vital conservation efforts, we’re proud to donate 10% of Dark & Zesty sales from TCHO.com directly to The Florida Aquarium.”
Last month, SSA Group was announced as the new retail partner of the Field Museum, a world-leading natural history museum in Chicago, US. This collaboration will enable the creation of a bold, new retail experience that fully aligns with the Field Museum’s aim to connect us all to the natural world and human story
