For Ashwathy Sanil Kumar and Tan Si Quan Maureen, working at Mr. Bucket Chocolaterie (Cacao Social Pte Ltd.) is about more than creating a memorable chocolate experience. As Guest Experience Manager and Brand & Community Manager respectively, the two co-lead the guest experience, from the moment someone walks through the door to how the team is trained and the stories shared about every chocolate.

As a Company of Good - 2 Hearts, Mr Bucket puts Corporate Purpose into practice through the way it approaches its business and the people connected to it. For the team, doing good is part of the work itself, rather than something separate from it.

Seeing a Different Side of Business

It did not take long for Ashwathy to notice that Mr. Bucket had a different way of doing things from places she had worked before. Much of this comes from founder Jerome’s belief in questioning the norm and finding creative ways to solve problems.

“The way decisions are made here is different — people-first, rather than simply metrics-first,” she says. She also came to understand how the company’s approach to sourcing cacao could make a meaningful difference to farmers and their communities. For Ashwathy, this was reassuring. It showed her that hospitality, doing good and running a business did not have to be separate priorities.

This philosophy has also shaped how Ashwathy and Maureen see their own roles. Beyond managing the day-to-day challenges of hospitality, they see an opportunity to change how people think about chocolate, cacao and the people behind what they consume.
 

Changing the Story Behind Chocolate

Changing the way people see chocolate starts with giving them a closer look at what goes into it.

At Mr. Bucket, this happens through experiences such as the Bean to Table programme, where guests learn where cacao comes from, what sustainable Asian cacao sourcing involves, and the work that goes into turning a bean into chocolate. The daily chocolate tours and tastings offer another opportunity to bring guests closer to the craft behind what they eat.

These experiences also give Ashwathy and Maureen a chance to share stories that guests may not otherwise hear.

“We have the privilege of being at the forefront of that story,” Ashwathy says. “We hear about the farms across Asia, the farmers and their realities, and the work that goes into every bean long before it reaches us.”

The stories often change how guests look at chocolate. Many arrive thinking that chocolate-making is a relatively simple, mechanised process, only to discover the many hands-on steps involved, from fermenting and roasting the beans to conching and tempering. They leave with a greater appreciation of chocolate as a craft, much like how people think about specialty coffee or wine.

That shift in perspective reflects what Maureen sees as a bigger role for hospitality.

Putting People First, From the Inside Out

That same philosophy extends to how Mr. Bucket supports its own people, starting with how new team members are trained. Rather than relying on a generic onboarding script, the front-of-house training is built around putting people first, with staff working through real role-play scenarios so they feel prepared to handle different situations, rather than simply being told what to do. It is a small but intentional difference that reflects the belief that employees should be equipped and supported, not just instructed.

That sense of care extends beyond the team as well. Through partnerships with community organisations such as St. Andrew’s, Mr. Bucket staff run hands-on sessions including chocolate decorating and baking with elderly residents. These sessions give the team an opportunity to share their skills while creating moments of connection for people who may not otherwise have many opportunities for this kind of engagement.

As Ashwathy explains, “It’s a recurring way for our craft to become a source of connection,” giving the team a different perspective on their work and showing how chocolate-making can reach beyond hospitality into genuine community care.

Making Chocolate Means More

At Mr. Bucket, chocolate is more than something to be made and enjoyed. It is a way to connect people to the farmers, craft and communities behind every bean, and to invite them to see familiar things differently. Through the experiences they create and the stories they share, Ashwathy and Maureen hope each guest leaves with more than a taste of chocolate, but a deeper appreciation of the people and purpose behind it.

It is this everyday approach to doing good that sits at the heart of Company of Good, recognising that meaningful impact can begin with the choices a business makes, from how it sources its ingredients and supports its people to how it shares its skills and builds connections with the community. At Mr. Bucket, it all comes together one chocolate experience at a time.

Read more #StoriesofGood here : COG 10 A Decade of Doing Good