What is the future of chocolate in fine food retail?

Fine food shoppers are well versed in the language of chocolate. Descriptions of taste and terroir, discussion of ethics, and sustainability claims abound, but slowly but surely consumers are learning to see through the marketing mist to discover products that truly are high quality – and are willing to pay the right price for them.

“I think more and more people are understanding that quality and ethics cost money and accept that more expensive foods, less often, is better. But we still have a way to go,” says Jennifer Earle, consultant and chocolate expert. Indeed, while the audience for chocolate with real sustainability and artisan credentials is growing, mainstream chocolate brands still rule the roost in most households. Chocolate giants using similar language to the small-scale businesses making a tangible difference muddies the waters, but Speciality Food readers can play an important role here. “I think little pop up cards near the chocolate section explaining why craft chocolate costs at least double Tony’s and supermarket chocolate might help people understand it’s about a combination of doing right by the farmers, the environment and creating a much better flavour,” says Jennifer. “Perhaps hosting more tasting events with regular customers where they learn about the process, too.”

Making meaningful change

Of course, creating a product which truly stands out from the mainstream requires exceptional attention to detail and a very different approach. “We create award-winning bean-to-bar chocolate made from fully traceable single origin cocoa beans,” begins Jonathan Tilston, marketing manager at Suffolk-based family-run Tosier Chocolatemaker. “We use fine flavoured speciality beans with a direct trade model that ensures sustainability and positive outcomes for the small holder farmers and cooperatives we buy from.” Tosier’s products are minimally processed and manufactured entirely from scratch in sixty-four kilo micro-batches. Maintaining the innate quality of the chocolate is vital to Tosier’s work, and working within nature’s means translates into a built-in respect for this natural resource. “The natural goodness of the cocoa is retained by creating individual roasting profiles for each bean and its harvest. We only make a limited number of bars from each harvest as availability of these beans is finite and each harvest unique,” says Jonathan.

Education is a key part of Tosier’s work, and they also run a chocolate café and shop plus chocolate making workshops to help guide visitors towards making meaningful change when it comes to their chocolate consumption. “Chocolate is a finite food and it’s important that it’s enjoyed as such. The supply chain is completely misunderstood and many consumers don’t know how or where cocoa is grown, that it’s fermented and dried and they roasted,” he says. 

Large-scale chocolate brands are household names, indeed some have been so for generations, which means that it’s often a question of nostalgia when customers pick mainstream bars off the shelves. “Once consumers taste real chocolate as opposed to mainstream ultra-processed confectionery they can become really interested,” says Jonathan. “A good analogy is wine – currently consumers are sold a brand of chocolate with no reference to the origin of the bean, not even the county is mentioned let alone the farm of region – or the bean varietal. Imagine buying wine in the same way! The marketing of heritage brands has been so effective that consumers don’t even realise that this is a question they can ask. The more makers contextualise their chocolate the more interest there is.”

A future-proof approach

Inspired by chocolatiers in Brussels to make chocolates fresh, and by hand, Claire Burnet of Chococo is a pioneer in doing things differently. The Chococo team works with local products and makers such as Dorset Blue Vinny, Black Cow Vodka and The Watercress Company to produce fresh chocolates to be enjoyed within days of purchase, made using real ingredients and no additives, no preservatives, and no unnatural colours. 

“The industry has long been fixated on chocolate from Belgium and Switzerland, and everybody seemed to have forgotten that cocoa doesn’t grow in those countries. In fact, it is made using beans from multiple places including West Africa which comes with its own issues, and I didn’t want to work that way – I wanted to produce chocolate where we know the farmers are being paid a fair price and we can tell the story of the quality of the varietal of the cocoa where the beans were growing. We work with companies that are producing a finished product in the country of origin. They’ve added the value in their country, keeping more of the value chain in their country and supporting their local cocoa growing communities – they have a vested interest in being sustainable. We have direct relationships with these growers, without middle men.” Claire hopes this model – far from what we have come to accept as the norm – is the future for the chocolate sector.

Doing the right thing

Innovative and regularly award-winning producer of organic chocolate truffles and ice creams, Booja-Booja, is making certain that free-from and vegan chocolate is in no way inferior to conventional alternatives. In 2025 it may be a household name amongst discerning chocolate lovers, but it’s dedicated to doing things properly. “We are meticulous in sourcing our ingredients and only use the finest organic, natural products in our delicious treats. Our ingredients lists are short and easy to understand because we don’t use any artificial flavourings, preservatives or colours,” says Louise Collins, marketing co-ordinator.

“We put respect and kindness at the heart of everything we do and build relationships with our suppliers and customers founded on trust and cooperation. Every day, with every chocolate truffle we make, we show that it’s possible to create absolutely mouth-watering, delicious treats without the need for animal-derived ingredients such as dairy. There are lots of benefits to vegan production, both environmentally and in terms of animal welfare.”

More and more consumers are reading labels, checking ingredients and wanting to understand the health and environmental benefits of what they are eating, explains Louise. “This is especially true for consumers shopping in independent retailers; these shoppers are already making a conscious decision to shop with care, so they’re more likely to want to know the story behind their food or to choose products that are locally produced or organic or with other noteworthy characteristics.”

Meanwhile, bean-to-bar chocolatier based in Cornwall, Chocolarder, is bringing together the worlds of slow-crafted chocolate and food waste to provide vibrant bars that highlight the greatest challenges the food sector faces today – including food waste, as the range is flavoured using ingredients that would otherwise would have gone to waste such as hotel buffet croissants from The Watergate Bay Hotel, coffee grounds from Monmouth Coffee and fruit from Natoora. “Our process begins with sourcing rare, flavourful cacao varieties, often from agroforestry systems that support biodiversity,” begins Mike Longman, founder. “The current global chocolate industry faces critical issues: unsustainable farming practices, deforestation, exploitative labour conditions, and environmental degradation. Adopting ethical and sustainable practices isn’t just about doing the right thing – it’s about safeguarding the future of cacao farming and the planet.”

Bringing eco options to life

Norfolk-based chocolate makers Gnaw demonstrate that high quality, sustainably-produced chocolate products can be as fun as they are delicious and good for the planet. “The founders of Gnaw built the company in 2011 on the premise of there being one planet and it being incumbent on all of us to leave it in a better shape for our kids,” says managing director Mike Navarro. “Our factory is solar-powered and we’re converting that energy into making fantastic quality chocolate – and that’s where our flavour profiles and everything we’re trying to do to bring it to life comes into play.” With modern flavours such as Raspberry Mojito and New York Cheesecake in the vibrant (and freshly rebranded) bars, and the likes of Creme Brulee Hot Chocolate Soft Centre Hot Chocolate Spoon in the non-bar range, play is a key word here. Gnaw’s ethics might be serious, but their imagination makes the range anything but dull with indulgently nostalgic flavours transporting chocolate fans back to their childhoods. 

Sustainability is thoroughly embedded in the Gnaw range and this is instantly recognisable in their packaging, which proudly states it is compostable plus is made using vegetable inks. 70% of the business’s energy comes from its solar panelled roof, which means that production is somewhat seasonal as production slows during the darker months. “Ultimately we’re trying to draw less power from the grid,” says Mike. While ‘transparency’ is a bit of a buzzword in 2025, Gnaw makes a point of being genuinely, verifiably traceable: “We can tell you which farmers grew each bag of cocoa we use,” says Mike, an all-too-rare occurrence in today’s chocolate marketplace. 

With a number of chocolate makers passionate about producing ranges that are better for people and planet, there are plenty of quality options for Speciality Food readers to tuck into and for their customers to relish.

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