Welcome to the Loved by Cacao Podcast
A home for many voices of cacao from around the world.
Here we'll talk about how vast the world of cacao is.
Especially how Cacao is an incredible plant medicine for our times.
Hear stories from the people who love cacao with deep respect and learn how this sacred ancient medicine is changing their lives and weaving love from heart to heart.
We’ll delve into every aspect we can about cacao; the sacred, the history, the science, the mystery.
Mostly the story.
I hope you will join me. I look forward to sharing cacao with you.
27. From Chef to Cacao King, with Jeff of the Cacao Embassy
In this episode I had the opportunity to speak with Jeff from the Cacao embassy
He is Co-owner and operations architect at the Cacao Embassy in Christchurch New Zealand.
I had heard lots about the embassy and wanted to visit while on my NZ tour last year.
It was amazing to be welcomed in with open arms and to chat with Jeff about his shift into the world of cacao and all about the Cacao Embassy and so much more.
The Cacao Embassy was started by Oonagh of The Cacao Ambassador, and you can listen to her story in Episode6!
We talked about:
Their latest blend ‘Eiru’ & their process of making blends.
How Jeff got started working with cacao after his background as a chef.
His emotional reaction to his first cacao.
How he and his wife Ngawai began working with the Cacao Embassy
Being a man joining an all women business to learn about cacao.
Visiting the Solomon Islands
The disconnect between farming cacao and the use of cacao
The Cacao Ambassador bringing that connection back
Knowing where our food comes from
Connecting with the Solomon Islanders
Running the Cacao Embassy as a family
Getting Playful with Cacao
Men connecting with and healing with Cacao
The impact of working with cacao farmers
The Cacao Ambassador & The Cacao Embassy
How Jeff feels loved by Cacao
Contact the Cacao Embassy:
https://thecacaoembassy.nz/ (https://thecacaoembassy.nz/)
Instagram: thecacaoembassynz
Connect with Pania:
On instagram: lovedbycacao
Email: paniarobinson@gmail.com
16 May 2026
26. The Plants Are Helping Us Come Home to Our Light with Rachel Ellis
In this episode we get taken by Rachel into the plant realms, into the earth,into the fairy realms and into light and lumeria.
This is the second conversation in my 6 part Aotearoa tour series.
As soon as I touched down in the south island Te Wai Pounamu after being away for 2 years, my whole body and being relaxed, I breathed a sigh of relief and felt magnetised into the earth like my roots were pulled deeper and I could truly slow down.
This conversation feels like that relaxation and deep connection to nature. Because it’s the essence Rachel brings with her deep love and knowledge of the earth, plant wisdom, Te Rongoa Maori and so much more.
Rachel is a teacher, practitioner of angelic Reiki and Te Rongoa Māori, and she facilitates cacao circles.
I met up with Rachel in Blenheim and we shared cacao from Kakao drinking chocolate together in my motorhome parked up in her driveway.
Rachel shares a beautiful Karakia (prayer) at the beginning and Pania shares a cacao blessing.
We went on to talk about:
Connecting with trees
Cooking and eating cabbage tree
Building a connection of reciprocity with plants
Rachel’s early experiences with spirituality
Plants as an ally for her healing from burnout
Communication with plants
Relationship with the Kawakawa plant
Patupaiarehe the Fairy people of Aotearoa
Meeting Cacao & Rachel’s potent first experience
And all cacao showed her
Plants helping us to remember we are light beings
Why cacao is needed on Earth right now
Interdependence vs Independence
Working with the plant realm
Love for the cacao trees
Grief and Open hearts
Cacao connecting us with threads of light
Closing out with a meditation of connecting the threads of light between us.
1 May 2026
She’s in Her Pleasure Era, Serving Up Pure Pacific Cacao with Irma of Mamamuti Cacao
We have a firecracker of an episode today.
I can’t believe I’ve been sitting on this for so long because listening back through it I thought people need to hear this!
Irma has a real knack for making me laugh & feel so much joy while also talking about profound subjects and sharing from her deep well of knowledge.
I’m very happy you’ll get to hear her speak.
I got to sit in person with Irma of Mamamuti Cacao in Raglan last October and it was so much fun.
We had an amazing conversation and I think you’ll love this one.
Some of the things we talked about:
How Irma began her path with Cacao
How Mamamuti came into being and the meaning of the name
Irma’s upbringing in Africa
Her times dancing with the dark and how cacao has been her ally throughout.
Welcoming a pleasure era
How to move through shadow into pleasure
Flipping the Script on Perimenopause
Liberation from numbness and shame
Why Cacao helps us experience pleasure
How the very popular Mamamuti Vanilla Blend came into existence
Messages & Love from Cacao
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
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