Karine Laudort Well, I thought the day would never come! Every year on July 7th is World Chocolate Day when you can indulge in your favourite chocolates without feeling guilty about it. However, one of the main reasons why the day is celebrated is to commemorate Europe’s introduction to chocolate in the 1550s.
However, one of my favourite things about the day is that it is also a chance to try out a new chocolate brand. There are so many brands out there nowadays, that it can be quite tricky to find the right one. From chocolate brands that are reducing carbon footprint to ones that are gluten-free and vegan, the market nowadays is packed full of amazing brands doing amazing things. To celebrate World Chocolate Day, I have a list of the top 10 Chocolate brands you need to try and I’ve got some sensational brands that are bound to make your mouth water!
1. Tony’s Chocoloney
What better way to kick off World Chocolate Week than with the brand that is 100% slave free and provides farmers with long-term commitment and fair living wages. Surely, this should be the norm right? But unfortunately, cocoa slaves are still out there and Tony’s Chocoloney’s is here to change that.
Tony’s Chocoloney has just released 2 brilliant new flavours of their iconic chocolate bar; Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie and Milk Pecan Caramel. Both are exclusive to independent, non-grocery retailers and Tony’s Chocoloney’s online store. Both bars are fairtrade certified, plastic-free and in recyclable packaging so you don’t have to worry about your rubbish ending up in landfills.
These two new delicious flavours are the perfect way to kick off World Chocolate Day. Why don’t you head to your local WHSmith’s, Oxfam and Selfridges to see if there are any left on the shelves? I’d be quick- These chocolate flavours are un-bar-ievable!
2. Oh So! Good Chocolate
One thing that really gets on my nerve about chocolate is the fact you can’t indulge in it too much without compromising your health. However, Oh So chocolate has a range of wonderful gut-friendly chocolate bars that are as low as 75 calories in each bar as well as being completely nut-free!
These chocolate bars from Oh So are Oh So Delicious and guess what… they are plant-based bars, that are free from dairy and gluten, and even have reduced sugar! With food products that have no dairy and reduced sugar, sometimes they can not really have much flavour but these bars are one way to sharpen my sweet tooth without risking my health.
In an array of awesome flavours such as Orange, Dark Raspberry and the more typical milk and dark chocolates, there are so many to choose from and to make it even easier for you, you can get 7 daily bars for £4.99! For World Chocolate Day, why not try this gut-friendly chocolate? Your tummy will thank you!
3. NOMO
Another great chocolate brand is NOMO Chocolate which is all about creating products that everyone can enjoy. It is the no1 Vegan and Free-from chocolate brand and all of its products are suitable for dairy, egg, gluten, peanut and tree nut allergy sufferers! So, you do not have to worry about finding a bar of chocolate suited to your needs as it is right here in front of you!
They have a selection of 5 fantastic flavours for you to choose from; Caramel, Hazelnut (YES auto-correct, hazel-not), Creamy, Caramel & Sea salt, Orange and Fruit & Crunch. Not to forget that they are all about sustainability so they use a plant-based milk powder substitute, their cocoa is Rainforest Alliance Certified and they use no palm oil within their products.
If you are looking for a chocolate that is super scrumptious, sustainable and vegan, NOMO chocolates are the ones for you!
4. Ritter Sport
Now this chocolate brand has come out with a range of some very exciting chocolate flavours. Inspired by travels to different countries, if you are looking to take your tastebuds on a journey abroad, Ritter Sport has released 3 brand new flavours as part of their limited edition range that will do just that.
The 3 new flavours based on destinations are White Mango Passionfruit, Salted Caramel and Cherry & Almond. Each bar is compiled carefully of unique flavour pairings that will take you off your feet and into a different country. With 100% natural ingredients also, these bars help to better the environment so what’s not to love?
The White Mango Passionfruit is based in Costa Rica, with a delicious fruity mango and passionfruit wrapped in creamy white chocolate, if you are looking to take an excursion to a tropical paradise, this one is for you.
The Cherry Blossom and Almond flavour is inspired by Japan and its iconic cherry blossoms called Sakura. The delicious bar has delicious cherry cream and chopped almonds coated with smooth milk chocolate- A rather mouthwatering pairing to say the least!
Lastly, the Salted Caramel is based in South West America with its delicious salted caramel crisps and crunchy caramel pieces delved in milk chocolate. This chocolate bar is so delicious and is perfect if you are looking for something to simmer your sweet tooth!
5. Just Spices
What better way to celebrate World Chocolate Day than to get in the kitchen and make your own! This DIY Chocolate Kit from Just Spices is the perfect way to get creative and try something new. If you haven’t made your own chocolate before or if you are looking to experiment, this kit is perfect to get everyone involved!
Whether you have an excitable child at home this World Chocolate Day or you are looking for something to gift a chocolate lover, the DIY Chocolate Kit has everything you need to have the best World Chocolate Day EVER!
6. Original Beans
Are you looking for a chocolate that is reducing your carbon footprint by the minute? You have found them!
Original Beans chocolate focuses on a 100% regenerative future with its One Bar One Tree programme – replanting 1,657,032 cacao trees in 2021 and preserving nature. It protects the climate and older forests with 27, 908 football pitches of land protected last year alone, and 14,467 tons of CO2 drawn down. It also fights poverty providing 5,272 farmers in 2021 with a viable, sustainable farming option by paying them 1.78x the fairtrade price.
This chocolate is not only environmentally friendly but it is also ‘Climate-positive’, meaning that their chocolate positively impacts the earth around us. They have an awesome range of chocolate bar flavourings; Sweet & Spicy, Vegan Milk, and Strong, to mention a few. Their bars are jam-packed full of yummy goodness that is good for your tastebuds and the world around you.
If you are looking to try a new, ecological chocolate brand, Original Beans is the one for you!
7. Yumbles
If you are looking for a chocolate delight that isn’t the usual, the online artisan food market, Yumbles, has an incredible selection of consciously delicious all-natural chocolate goodies from some of the best small-batch producers in the UK!
This Chocolate truffle selection box by Costello and Hellerstein is one way to make your chocolate dreams come true. The luxury handmade truffle box is beautifully packed in a gorgeous box and is packed full of 4 decadent types of flavour; Sea Salt Caramel, Raspberry & Coconut, Hazelnut Praline and Dark Chocolate Orange.
The truffles are trans-fats free, gluten, egg and wheat-free, vegetarian, free from artificial ingredients and ethnically sourced so why not spoil yourself this World Chocolate Day and try some of these luxury truffles that are covered by a mouthwatering chocolate shell? You will not regret it!
8. People’s Captain
If you are a beer, coffee and chocolate lover, perhaps you are looking for something that brings the best of both worlds? Look no further as this gift set from People’s Captain is the ultimate treat to celebrate World Chocolate Day. People’s Captain has joined forces with Easy Jose and Tony’s Chocoloney to bring you this awesome collaboration that merges those 3 worlds into one!
The Latte Latte Love Special gift set contains 2 bottles of People’s Captain “Latte Latte Love”, a 250g bag of Easy Jose Mayni Coffee, 2 bars of Tony’s Chocoloney and 1 People’s Captain Tubo Glass. If you are anything like me, someone who loves to try new things, this gift set is perfect!
People’s Captain beer is made from chocolate coffee milk stout made with the finest Easy Jose Coffee and Cacao nibs to provide a velvety-smooth beer packed full of flavour. The coffee from Easy Jose directly supports the community to protect the rainforests and also provides them with a fair living wage, plus it is the perfect pick-me-up for when you are tired! Lastly, the Tony’s Chocoloney chocolate bar is super creamy and pairs well with the beer and coffee but also, the brand strives for 100% slave-free chocolate for everyone!
This set makes for the perfect gift for a loved one! However, if you are looking to spoil yourself this Chocolate Day, then this should definitely be on your list.
9. Fatso
If you are always on the lookout for new things to try or you’re just an avid dark choc fan, then the newly released Fatso chocolate bars are the ones to tickle your tastebuds. Fatso has released 2 delicious flavours; “Morn’n Glory” Cornflake, Toast and Marmalade and “Home Run” Salted Pretzel, Whole Almond and Honeycomb.
Whilst these two flavours are unusual, their story behind why they started the company isn’t. At Fatso, they believe more matters and not just in their chocolate. Having partnered up with chocolate supplier, Luker, who is 100% ethically driven and works closely with a network of farmers, alliances and communities to improve social welfare, biodiversity and farming practices, Fatso take pride in the work they put into the local communities and that is reflected in their passion to transform Columbian people’s lives and likelihoods as well as providing us with unique but tasty chocolate.
The two new flavours entail delicious dark chocolate and a combination of different delicacies, paying homage to their favourite baseball snack and breakfast medley. If you are after a chocolate bar that is unique, delicious but also ethical, Fatso have a small but interesting range of chocolates that are perfect for you!
10. Willie’s Cacao
Last but not least, Willie’s Cacao has a wonderful Discovery tasting box entailing a range of different milk and dark chocolate bars that you will love! Made with single estate cacao of the world and 100% natural ingredients, Willie’s Cacao prides itself in creating chocolate bars that taste delicious and are fair to the farmers who harvest the cacao. Willie’s buys their cacao directly from the farmers and never pays less than $500 a tonne over world cocoa prices.
This discovery box from Willie’s Cacao is a great way to step into the world of Willies and try a selection of different chocolates you may not have particularly looked at before. With 10 unique chocolate bars included in the letterbox gift; 4 single estate bars, 2 flavoured bars, 2 single estate milk bars and 2 of his Japanese-inspired Magnificent Creations.
If you are anything like me, who struggles to find chocolates that you enjoy, Willie’s Cacao Discovery Box has everything you need to step into the adventure!
Whatever you are doing this World Chocolate Day, let’s use this day not only to celebrate chocolate but to also raise awareness of ethical practices in the cacao industry. There ought to be fair and equal living wages provided for farmers as well as a safe environment for them to work in. Not to forget deforestation and palm oil use; There are many steps which we need to take to make sure we protect the environment and the workers. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy World Chocolate Day!
