Will Torrent: “Chocolate is there to be explored”

A shocking statistic was released last year: it stated that we could run out of chocolate by 2020
Sustainability is becoming increasingly more important to the chocolate industry, and chocolate lovers and those who work in the industry need to embrace that and do more work in the farming communities. We have to invest time, effort, education and skills so that we have chocolate for years to come.

What’s amazing about chocolate is that it can change from bite to bite
It’s like a fine wine - in one mouthful you can have lots of different tastes and in the next you get another batch of flavours. In the same way as you can blend grapes from America, France and Australia to the same recipe and they will all taste completely different, chocolate from different regions can vary hugely in flavour - this really gets me excited about chocolate.

A lot of elements work together to create great chocolate
Everything that is built up around the product, like the design of the branding and the story behind it, is absolutely key as it’s all a part of the experience. Branding is what draws you in - I think we’re moving away from everything being brown, black, purple and gold into more exciting territory.

Some chocolate products can be a bit of a fad
Some just appear to be innovation just for the sake of it. If you’re creating a product for PR rather than for the enjoyment of the consumer, something’s not right and I wouldn’t be too keen to try it.

I’m a big believer in the classics; they’re classic for a reason!
Chocolate releases a lot of nostalgic memories and endorphins - it’s very evocative. Everyone can benefit from not being a chocolate snob - everything has its place, from an incredible single-estate chocolate bar to confectionery which can be bought in a petrol station.

Read the entire interview in our Confectionery Buyer supplement, included with the latest issue of Speciality Food