On the go with Chef Matt: The adventure begins

One thing about Chef Matt Beaudin: he’s not just any chef. He’s a storyteller. He’s part culinary MacGyver, part global explorer, part campfire lore. He’ll leave the comfort of stainless steel kitchens to trek deep into the Ghanaian jungle, sharing meals with cocoa farmers and negotiating with men wielding beer bottles on a plastic-strewn beach. In short, he’s the real deal, which is exactly why we’re excited to kick off this series with him.

This is the first chapter of “On the go with Chef Matt,” where we follow him as he trades back-of-house kitchens for bamboo huts and white glove service for real dirt under his fingernails. His mission? To see how food connects us all and how SSA can continue to raise the bar for our partners and for the world. 

All aboard for chapter one. 

A taste of the jungle

When The Florida Aquarium asked about launching their own chocolate bar, Matt didn’t just send a proposal. He wanted to make something that mattered, not just a product but a story. “We wanted to get as far into the jungle as we could,” he says, describing how he flew to Ghana to meet the people behind the cocoa beans. He didn’t find a pretty postcard. He found beaches buried in plastic waste, and farmers who had yet to savor the fruits of SSA's partnership with TCHO Chocolate. 

While there, Matt and TCHO's Chief Chocolate Maker Brad Kintzer shared TCHO's "Culture Shock" - a custom chocolate bar created for SSA Partner, the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP). Infused with Pop Rocks for a fun jolt, he was thankful to be able to see in person as they experienced the bars for the first time. “It was like giving a car builder their first drive in the finished BMW,” he says. The chocolate cracked and fizzed in their mouths, and their laughter was the best review he’s ever gotten. That’s the connection he wants in everything he does: food that’s more than flavor, food that brings people together and reminds them of their worth.

That same spirit of connection brought to life the collaboration between SSA, The Florida Aquarium, and TCHO, a craft chocolate maker known for ethical sourcing and award-winning flavors. Together with Matt helping guide the experience, they created a new custom bar called Dark and Zesty. It launched on World Chocolate Day, July 7, and is available exclusively at the Aquarium and online at TCHO.com.

Made with rich dark chocolate and finished with a bright burst of orange, the bar was crafted to reflect the Aquarium’s dynamic energy and coastal roots. From the cocoa farms of Ghana to each guest’s experience in Tampa, it’s not just another piece of candy. It’s a reminder that even something as simple as a chocolate bar can serve as a storyteller for something deeper.  And for Matt, that’s the point. Chocolate, like all food, should do more than taste good. It should make you feel something.

“This bar is more than chocolate,” Matt says. “It’s a collaboration rooted in purpose; from the cocoa farms in Ghana to the Aquarium in Florida. Together with TCHO and The Florida Aquarium, we’re proving that ingredients can inspire conservation, and flavor can drive impact.”

“We’ve been really proud of the work we’ve done with Chef Matt,” says Brad from TCHO. “Their dedication to conservation efforts aligns so well with our philosophy on sourcing ethically grown cacao, it’s become a no-brainer to continue exploring the world’s flavors together one delicious chocolate bar at a time.”

From the kitchen to the stars

While Matt’s ideas usually start in the kitchen, they rarely end there. Opportunities for sustainability are everywhere. “As an industry, we underutilize so much,” he says. “I see it as a challenge, a chance to create.” In Monterey, he turned salmon skin into dog treats and fish bones into fertilizer for local farms. Even seaweed, despite his allergy, became a spicy hot sauce that supports kelp harvesters in Alaska. “I’m not a huge seaweed fan,” he says, with a laugh. “But I’ll try anything if it means making something that matters.”

Get your hands dirty

Matt’s approach is simple: get in there and do the work. He’s not interested in just talking about sustainability. He wants to be out in the fields, in the kitchens, and alongside the people who make the food. In Monterey, he led SSA in partnering with Seafood Watch to become the inaugural and home-based restaurant for the renewed restaurant program. That didn’t happen because someone put together a fancy slideshow. It happened because he was there, listening and learning, and working with the people who know the land and the water best.

He’s learned to embrace the messy parts of the work, the parts that don’t always have a neat ending. “I’m not here for quick wins,” he says. “I’m here to make sure every fish, every farmer, and every cacao bean has a place at the table.”

Always looking for what’s next

Matt’s stories don’t end with Ghana or Monterey Bay. He’s always looking for the next chance to put his values into action. Right now, he’s working with Barnacles, a company based out of Alaska, that makes chili crisps, hot sauces, and salsas, collaborating with them to rethink how together they can package their products plastic-free. “When you’re working with people who care about what they’re making, it’s not just about the ingredients,” he says. “It’s about asking how we can do better together.”

Stay tuned for chapter two 

Chef Matt is a natural storyteller, and we’re lucky to have a front-row seat to his ideas in action. To him, innovation isn’t about keeping secrets or protecting your turf. It’s about sharing what you learn and helping others do the same. “We share our secrets because we believe that raising the level of water around us will raise all the ships, you know, and that that makes the world a better place,” he says. “And it brings the industry up.”

Where will he go next? Stay tuned. Chapter two is already in the works.