Roemah Kreasi Workshop Pushes Cocoa Downstreaming to Elevate SMEs
BPDP, the BLU under the Ministry of Finance, continues to strengthen promotional efforts for plantation commodities while encouraging the development of cocoa-based SMEs through the Roemah Kreasi – Nyokelat di Roemah workshop, held at BPDP’s Roemah UMKM in Jakarta on Tuesday, 19 May 2026. The activity, which adopts an educational and interactive concept, featured local chocolate business Cokelatin Signature through story-sharing sessions, chocolate tastings, and hands-on practice in preparing cocoa-based chocolate beverages.
The programme is part of BPDP’s mandate under Presidential Regulation No. 132 of 2024 on the Management of Plantation Funds. The regulation specifies that plantation funds support human resource development within plantations, research and development, plantation promotion, replanting, and plantation infrastructure.
Alongside this, BPDP continues to promote the strengthening of plantation commodities not only palm oil but also cocoa and coconuts, which hold significant potential for developing downstream, plantation-based industries. One approach is through promotional and educational activities that involve the community directly.
Helmi Muhansyah, Head of the Division of Community Cooperation and SMEs at BPDP, said BPDP is not only focused on fund management but also on human resource development and SME empowerment. “Sons and daughters of mothers and fathers who have completed high school have the opportunity to study through the palm scholarship programme. All costs are covered, including a monthly allowance,” he said. He noted that scholarship recipients are not limited to families of palm plantation owners but may also come from the families of palm industry workers, such as company drivers and other related roles.
Beyond scholarships, BPDP continues to promote growth of SMEs based on plantation commodities to increase product value and open new business opportunities. “We do not want this to be mere talk. We want it to be something tangible. Please make use of this opportunity to build networks and see what BPDP can support for SME development,” he added. He hoped the workshop would inspire students and young people to build businesses based on plantation commodities, including cocoa, coconuts, or palm oil.
The Roemah Kreasi – Nyokelat di Roemah workshop is designed as a public education platform to introduce the downstream process of cocoa through real-life experiences. Participants not only received material on the history and potential of Indonesian cocoa but also practiced hands-on preparation of cocoa-based drinks.
Nugroho Surosoputra, Co-Founder of Cokelatin Signature, explained that his business began from an interest in the enormous potential of Indonesian cocoa. “We have fallen in love with Indonesian chocolate and cocoa. Initially we focused on product development, then learned about cocoa from the raw material up,” he said. He noted that Indonesia was once the world’s third-largest cocoa producer and remains the largest producer in Asia, but the premium chocolate image has been more associated with European countries that do not produce as much cocoa.
“If you go abroad, chocolate products are the common thing. Yet Switzerland does not have many cacao plants,” he said. In the education session, Nugroho explained the history of cocoa from Theobroma cacao—the plant meaning ‘food of the gods’—and clarified the difference between cacao, koko, and chocolate, while introducing the three major cocoa varieties: criollo, forastero, and trinitario. He noted that the criollo variety, also known as Java Criollo, is a premium cocoa with high quality and very limited quantity. “Criollo is the most aromatic, the most fragrant, and the highest quality,” he remarked. He argued that Indonesia has great potential for developing fine-flavour cocoa through good post-harvest processing, especially fermentation and drying: “Indonesia’s advantage is that we have cocoa varieties that, when processed well, can become fine-flavour cocoa.”
In addition to the educational sessions, participants were invited to practise making cocoa-based drinks in collaboration with Cokelatin Signature founder Irena Surosoputra and Shana, who specialises in mixology. The two beverage menus introduced included Earl Grey Criollo Chocolate, Pistachio Criollo Chocolate, and Granola. For the first menu, participants explored the pairing of Earl Grey tea with criollo chocolate, which has a strong flavour profile. “The pairing is soothing, with both chocolate and tea present. It could be an attractive menu for a beverage business,” Shana commented. In the following session, participants created Pistachio Criollo Chocolate inspired by the Dubai chocolate trend and pistachios that are currently popular. Attendees practised techniques such as decorating the rim of glasses with pistachio paste and cacao nibs, producing a layered drink with a colour gradient, and using edible flowers as garnishes.