Scoop Empire is celebrating ten long and proud years of storytelling and the people we have worked with along the way. From the heart of the Middle East and North Africa, our stories have started conversations, provided the region’s perspective on the world today, and promoted the region as a must-visit destination to the wider world. For a one-of-a-kind celebration, Scoop Empire is proudly embarking on a new partnership with Mōko, one of the best and finest homegrown artisanal chocolatiers and confectioners in the region. Mōko and Scoop Empire are a match made in heaven, both homegrown ventures celebrating the modern and the traditional with flavours and articles, respectively, that encompass and celebrate the richness and flavours of the region and beyond.
Mōko’s story is one of passion and dedication to the art of chocolate, pastries, and now also ice cream. The master chocolatier and confectioner produces a whole range of must-try chocolates and chocolate-covered goodies among other delicacies that can be found in every Gourmet store as well as at Mōko’s branches at Arkan Plaza in Egypt’s Sheikh Zayed and now on Egypt’s North Coast at Diplo. Mahmoud Barakat, the Egyptian entrepreneur and brains behind Mōko, spoke to Scoop Empire about his journey and how Mōko came to be one of the best, if not the best, chocolatiers and confectioners in the country. Musing on how far this homegrown brand has come along the years, Barakat told us, “the story of Mōko started with a vision that there can be a state-of-the-art artisanal chocolatier that is homegrown, which breathes new life into an industry filled with opportunities in Egypt”. He added, “we are a brand that is based on the finer things in life, focusing on the good side of indulgence, paying meticulous attention to detail, and using boundless imagination and an ability to put personalization at the forefront”, and we couldn’t agree more.
This year has seen numerous exciting arrivals to Egypt’s North Coast, from John Legend to elegant Lebanese restaurants, but what got us most excited and our tummies rumbling was Mōko’s arrival to Diplo. With Mōko’s unbeatable selection of fine chocolates now on the North Coast, Barakat excitedly told us how we can all now “visit family and friends in Sahel with a great unmatched gift of a box of chocolates”. The fun and flair of Mōko is a perfect match for Egypt’s North Coast, or as Barakat put it, it “fits our identity of being vibrant, playful, and creative”, and we here at Scoop Empire can’t wait to stop by and stock up on some indulgent goodies this Sahel season.
On top of Mōko’s exciting announcement of its new branch in Diplo bringing the finest of confectionary to Egypt’s North Coast, Mōko and Scoop Empire have also embarked on an exciting new collaboration celebrating Scoop Empire’s first ten years. We here at Scoop Empire and our friends at Mōko thought that there could be no more perfect way to celebrate Scoop’s first ten years of storytelling than by creating Scoop’s very own special scoop of ice cream. And who better to collaborate with than Mōko? As homegrown ventures, both with a dedication to spreading joy and telling stories in their own way, we couldn’t imagine a better partner. With Scoop Empire’s vibrant bright blue colour and Mōko’s expertise in all things ice cream, along with a shared commitment to being fun, light-hearted, and different; a new flavour was born. The characteristically named and brightly coloured A Scoop by Scoop Empire is a limited-edition flavour only available at Diplo, just in time for those hot summer days sitting on the beach, and it’s the best birthday present we could wish for.
The Scoop by Scoop Empire is a tribute to what we’re all about, from sparking conversations in a colourful way to reporting all the new and tasty things happening within the region. Speaking about the collaboration between Mōko and Scoop Empire, Barakat stated that its simply a “no-brainer that Scoop Empire creates a scoop for its ten-year anniversary. The idea came to us in one of our brainstorming sessions, and we instantly knew that this is it“. However, with Mōko’s commitment to producing only the best products for its valued customers, Barakat told us that it was “challenging to find the perfect texture, colour, and visual identity”, but they certainly found it in the end, and we here at Scoop Empire couldn’t be happier or prouder. The managing partner of Scoop Empire, Sherry El Kilany, reiterated her delight about this partnership, saying, “We were really happy to do it with Mōko as they are just like Scoop, paying attention to the quality of their work and are highly selective of whoever they associate with. I’m overjoyed that, after Scoop’s ten years in existence, we can now actualize our Scoop flavour!”. Hinting at more exciting things to come, the head of content at Scoop Empire and managing partner, Sabrina Khalil, also spoke about how this partnership “is simply the first in a line of more collaborations and programs to raise awareness about specific topics”.
Another important shared value of Scoop Empire and Mōko, and another reason why Mōko is the perfect partner to celebrate our ten-year birthday with, is our commitment to give back to the wider community. To give a helping hand to others, a portion of the proceeds from the sales of every scoop of A Scoop by Scoop Empire sold will be donated to Al Nas Children’s Hospital, considered the largest medical center of excellence in Africa and the Middle East specializing in treating children suffering from congenital heart defects. Al Nas Hospital provides its services 100% free of charge for all patients and every A Scoop by Scoop Empire sold will help them continue their invaluable and life-saving work. As Scoop Empire turns ten and Mōko excitingly expands ever further into the Egyptian market, we thought giving back to the community was the perfect way to remind ourselves of what we’re all about and what we can achieve over the next ten years!
A Scoop by Scoop Empire is only the newest of Mōko’s long list of playful creations and forward-thinking flavours it has brought to Egypt. The homegrown chocolatier and confectioner was the first in Egypt to offer customized chocolate bars, created instantly in the store, and as Barakat proudly told us, “we were also the first to offer local flavours such as tahina and halawa chocolates and create fusions with wasabi, tonka, and matcha, adding more playfulness and quirkiness to our range”.
In another exciting announcement, Mōko is unveiling a new forward-thinking range of goodies inspired by the seasons for summer 2022. Their new Summer Fusion menu of delectable goodies are as unusual as they are delicious. Pushing boundaries as always, Barakat described how the idea behind Mōko’s Summer Fusion range is that “our taste buds can be as exciting and wild as they wish to be” . Picture this, a wasabi gelato brioche sandwich or waffle with rich caramel sauce. How can something so weird, sound so good right? These exciting and brave combinations of flavours hitting the shelves this summer aim to “bring something different to the table and the way to do this is to go about things differently”, but they ain’t staying on the table long if I’m around!
Mōko’s desire to be at the cutting edge of exciting new flavours is matched by its distinctive branding, making Mōko a truly world-class brand. Reflecting the many other exciting new brands coming out of the region that are at the forefront of a new wave of Middle Eastern ventures, Barakat told us, “We place a lot of importance on experimental marketing, our vibrant colour palette and contemporary visual language are reflective of the brand’s artistic essence. We created an aesthetic that perfectly encapsulates our product’s unique, experiential, playful, and refined nature.” Mōko’s distinctive branding is equally matched by its catchy and memorable name. In a nod and in dedication to Barakat’s father who believed the letter m to bring good luck and a play on the word choco, the name Mōko was born.
Right from the start, Mōko redefined what it means to be a chocolatier in Egypt: high-quality artisanal chocolate with a unique name, a unique identity, beautiful packaging, a diverse product range, and a visual language that tells stories of joy and happiness. Barakat went on to explain that, “the success of this cohesive brand identity stems from a creative artisan product. Everything about Mōko is different; it is bold and it immediately grabs attention. We are constantly pushing the envelope of what should or can be done. We’re always trying out new flavours and ideas that push the limits and break boundaries on chocolates and pastries”.
Like cookies and cream, peanut butter and jelly, or Mōko’s addictive new wasabi and caramel combination, Scoop Empire and Mōko are a perfect match. We here at Scoop like to think of ourselves as part of a new generation of Egyptian ventures that promote the best of the Middle East and North Africa and we relish the opportunity to promote and celebrate other new Egyptian enterprises, like Mōko, shaking up the scene. As leaders in both Egypt’s new digital media landscape and confectionary scene, Scoop Empire and Mōko believe that socially responsible local enterprises that put Egypt and the wider region on the map should be the face of the country’s emerging economy. Or as Kareem El Nagdy, partner and creative director at Scoop Empire, succinctly put it, “homegrown brands are the backbone of any healthy economy and the driving force behind a strong competitive landscape in the market”.
As we here at Scoop Empire gear up to celebrate turning ten years old, we’ve been looking back at how far we’ve come. In a dense and crowded media market, we’ve spent ten long years working hard to do things differently. By giving the region’s much-needed perspective on the each day’s events, which is often missing from international news media, we have strove to tell new and eye-opening stories, spark difficult conversations, and challenge negative assumptions and stereotypes of our diverse and beautiful region. We would like to raise a toast with our A Scoop by Scoop Empire in one hand and thank all our readers, partners, and employees over the last ten years that have made it all possible. We have been your go-to for all things Middle East for the last ten years, and we can’t wait to see what the next ten years will bring!
