Dove® Chocolate Cocoa Farmers Market Brings Chocolate-Making Journey To Life

Proceeds from Los Angeles Pop-Up to Benefit Women in Cocoa Farming Communities

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Jun 26, 2018, 08:00 ET

LOS ANGELES, June 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DOVE^® Chocolate is hosting the first-ever Cocoa Farmers Market at Santa Monica Place in Los Angeles, an interactive experience detailing the chocolate-making journey from bean to bar. As part of the two-day event on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 26-27, 2018, DOVE^®Chocolate is partnering with actress, Minka Kelly, as the official market curator for today's kick-off.

Through a series of bespoke experiences, the DOVE^® Chocolate Cocoa Farmers Market tells the story of sourcing the highest quality cocoa beans from around the world while working with expert artisans to craft those beans into silky smooth chocolate. Attendees can sample a variety of delicious products from DOVE^® Chocolate, Mars Ice Cream and DOVE^® Signature from THE COCOA EXCHANGE™. The market is open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST.

"As a food lover and cook, I'm curious about how my favorite foods are sourced," says Kelly. "I was fortunate to travel with DOVE^® Chocolate to Ecuador last year to see how they source the world's best cocoa beans, and meet passionate farmers who opened their farms and homes to share their craft with me. Now, as the curator of the Cocoa Farmers Market, I'm able to share more about my experiences with this special partnership."

Attendees will also learn about the DOVE^® Chocolate partnership with CARE^®, a humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. The partnership empowers women in the cocoa-growing communities of Cote d'Ivoire, where 40 percent of the world's cocoa is sourced. Consumers will have another opportunity to join this effort from July 22 – August 18, 2018, when they can purchase specially marked packages of DOVE^® Chocolate at CVS Pharmacy locations. $1.00 from each purchase will be donated to CARE^®.

"We're looking forward to hosting fans of DOVE^® Chocolate at the Cocoa Farmers Market, and couldn't be more thrilled to have Minka Kelly officially open it with us," says Leslie Philipsen, Brand Director, DOVE^® Chocolate. "Through her support and our partnership with CARE^®, we want fans to understand that every time they unwrap a DOVE^® Chocolate PROMISES^®, they can trust it has been crafted in a sustainable and responsible way."

About DOVE^® Chocolate
From bean to bar, Mars Wrigley Confectionery takes great care to maintain the highest standards of quality when crafting DOVE^® Chocolate. It all starts with only the best cacao beans, which are tested by experts for quality and flavor. The beans are then taken through special roasting and grinding techniques – a process rooted in European tradition - to create the signature silky smooth texture and great taste of DOVE^® Chocolate. Finally, the perfect combination of chocolate liquor and 100 percent pure cocoa butter are added to create a balanced taste that's not too sweet, nor too bitter. For more information about DOVE^® Chocolate, visit www.dovechocolate.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Mars, Incorporated
Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With almost $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world's best-loved brands: M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY^®, DOVE^®, PEDIGREE^®, ROYAL CANIN^®, WHISKAS^®, EXTRA^®, ORBIT^®, 5™, SKITTLES^®, UNCLE BEN'S^®, MARS DRINKS and COCOAVIA^®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD^® Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl^®, VCA^® and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire its more than 100,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

About CARE^®Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package^®, CARE^® is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE^® places special focus on working alongside women and girls because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. That's why women and girls are at the heart of CARE^®'s community-based efforts to improve education and health, create economic opportunity, respond to emergencies and confront hunger. Last year CARE^® worked in 94 countries and reached 80 million people. To learn more, visit www.care.org.

SOURCE Mars, Incorporated