Syovata Edari, the founder of the international award-winning CocoVaa Chocolatier on Madison’s East Side, has been named one of the 2024 semifinalists for “Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker” for the 2024 James Beard Foundation Awards.
“It’s a big deal. It’s very prestigious and it’s very nice to be seen,” Edari tells Madison365.
The James Beard Foundation Awards, established in 1990 and first awarded in 1991, are among the nation’s most prestigious culinary honors recognizing a variety of chefs, restaurateurs, beverage professionals, bakers and beyond. The Foundation announced the list of awardees on Wednesday.
The Madison area saw two other businesses as semifinalists for a 2024 James Beard Award including Sean Pharr of the eastside restaurant Mint Mark and near westside cafe Pasture & Plenty. The semifinalists for the Midwest category represent a variety of states including Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
“I’ve always known about James Beard because they’re big stuff. We all know who they are. I didn’t think I’d be on the list though. I was surprised to hear that I was,” Edari says. “It’s quite the honor.”
The James Beard Awards have been called “the Oscars of the food world” and they are among the highest honors in the culinary world.
“It’s been a lot of hard work and many, many hours in the kitchen. I hope with this award that I can inspire other entrepreneurs of color and women entrepreneurs. These awards and recognitions are also for them,” Edari says.
It’s been quite the journey for Edari from a small family business to an international award-winning fine chocolate company. CocoVaa has won several dozen awards all over the world including 29 awards in the London-based Academy of Chocolate Awards (AoC), the world’s longest-running and most prestigious fine chocolate competition.
“My chocolate has been getting around the world. Beyonce’s mom [Tina Knowles] had it last year. All those people I met in Hollywood have my chocolate,” Edari smiles. “It’s been a big benefit that my chocolate has been getting more exposure and I’m meeting so many new people. [French chef, television personality and author] Jacques Pepin is somebody that I got to know personally last year and I’ve been plugged into his chef network. To me, he’s one of the best chefs in the world.”
Edari started CocoVaa in 2014 and moved into The Marling building on East Washington Ave. in 2018 where she has seen her following continue to grow. Edari says that she now can “reach about 6,000-8,000 people a year with my business.”
“So that’s me putting my creations in the mouths of thousands of people … as mostly a one-woman operation, that’s pretty remarkable,” she says. “And that reach is power. I think when you have a small business, you don’t really see that … all you see is hardship and struggle. I think it’s important to focus on the positive things because so often we just focus on the negative.”
As an African American woman in an overwhelmingly white field, Edari has been a trailblazer. She would love to see more diversity.
“There’s very little diversity in that gourmet food culture and fine food culture. So many of these ingredients we work with come from over-exploited countries or formerly colonized countries. Cacao for instance, only grows within 10 to 20 degrees from the equator,” Edari says. “So why don’t we see more people of color on the manufacturing artisan side? You don’t really see a lot of Black people in this industry. So one of the things that I plan on doing is passing my skills on to the people that we don’t normally see in the industry.
“I actually really applaud the James Beard [Foundation] for finally starting to see some of us that have not been seen because we’re still undercapitalized,” she adds.
Finalists for the 2024 James Beard Foundation Awards will be announced Wednesday, April 3, and awards will be presented to the winners at a gala ceremony on June 10 in Chicago.
“I appreciate all of the people who have supported me over the years and all of my customers of CocoVaa. They are what keeps me going,” Edari says. “I think it’s important when we get these accolades to remember that we’ve been built by our local communities first to launch on our larger platform. We’re super thankful for that … the people that come in every weekend, our regulars. I love them. We have super fans here who built this business.”
