From a Lost Package to a Lasting Bond: My Journey to Chocoa

My journey to Chocoa started with a lost package. In 2014, a courier’s tiny label mixup sent my chocolates to the wrong city—costing me the chance to represent Chockriti at a prestigious Euro-India event and deeply disappointing a respected international customer. But what began as a shipping disaster became a story of a missed debut, a heartfelt apology, and a relationship built on honesty, integrity, and trust.

Indian Flavors Bound for a Euro-India Trade Event

Ten years ago, in 2014, I got an unexpected but exciting order on my website for 50 artisanal Chockriti chocolate bars infused with our Indian flavors. That's when I first learned of Carolina Lubbars of the International Chocoa Chocolate festival. She was to visit India for a prestigious CII Euro-India trade event at Shiv Niwas Palace in Udaipur.

Just before leaving for a pre-planned yoga and silence retreat in Bangalore, I handmade and shipped the bars. The flavors asked were Flowers of India, Banaras Paan, Kaaju Kulfi, and Sandalwood. My heart was full, imagining these chocolates representing India at such a high-level global event.

But them things didn't go as planned

From Silence to Chaos

While at the ashram in Bangalore, immersed in silence, I saw a dreaded "no delivery" notification on my phone. I broke the silence immediately and called Bluedart. It turned out they had accidentally switched my Bangalore-bound retreat package with the Udaipur conference shipment. Both parcels were now lost in transit.

Both Carolina & I were devastated. She did not have any chocolates to present at the conference. She feared she was cheated in India; however, when I told her I would refund all her payment, including express shipping, she said to send a similar value chocolates for CII after the event for a thank you note gesture to them, which I did after I got back to Delhi.

Message from my peer, Nitin Chordia

When a year later I got a message from my peer Nitin Chordia that he would be flying to Amsterdam for the Chocoa conference, I immediately messaged him that I would like to send him a box of chocolates for Carolina. He agreed—and even shared a photo of her receiving it. This was my way of saying I was truly sorry but I wanted to meet her myself someday.

Review at the Amsterdam Chocoa 2015

Visiting my brother in Finland and meeting Balus.

In 2022, six years later, I got an opportunity to travel to Finland around the same dates as Chocoa 2022. There I met Andal Babu & husband of Cocoa Town with my family, old chocolate peers from New York, who were also going to the conference. My family, who were hesitant to let me travel to Amsterdam alone, were now supportive.

In Finland, the Babus and I checked out the famous chocolate factories in like Goodio and Fazer where they were supplying their chocolate-making machines.

Chocoa 2022: The face to face meeting finally!

A few days later, we all travelled to Amsterdam for the three-day conference. Here I finally met Carolina (pic 1, 10) & handed a bar of Chockriti chocolates in person :)