Chocolate Buyer 2025

19 specialityfoodmagazine.com INDULGENCE alternatives and those driven by taste and indulgence. “For artisan products, I think most people are still looking to ‘hit the spot’ because they want that indulgence, and they consider these as special treats rather than something they eat regularly, so they want to enjoy that experience. Often, they don’t want to compromise if they are looking for that occasional treat. But obviously some people have switched to plant-based/vegan diets or aim for a reduced-sugar/ alternative sugar in their daily diet, and they are on the lookout for these more specialised products – for them it’s less about the health but more about not violating their lifestyle choice. Some will compromise on the taste aspect for a while but they are always on the lookout for the better products.” He, too, has noticed a trend for higher percentage cocoa as a way to reduce sugar intake. Alongside rising health considerations, the desire to buy sustainable products includes confectionery and chocolate. “We get less people asking about this side of things than around low sugar,” says Bridger. “But we still get one or two people a week coming in and talking to us about supply chains.” Chau agrees, saying provenance has become increasingly important in artisan chocolate. “Now a lot more customers are more informed, some of the buzzwords are no longer sufficient. Consumers want to know where the ingredients are from, so to differentiate themselves from competitors, producers are starting to be more specific and transparent.” Future With changes already afoot, could we see confectionery and chocolate change beyond recognition, with indulgent treats replaced by healthy, sustainable snacks? “Artisan confectionery has been on a steady rise over the last decade, and the demand for speciality chocolate is now as high as ever,” says Andreas Diakou, founder of The Fine Harvest. “Consumers continue to indulge in multisensorial chocolate experiences, and look towards discovering new flavours with multiple textures.” In his view, while discerning customers are willing to spend mean they have to taste any less delicious. “For us, it was really important that gluten-free didn’t mean it didn’t taste as good. I think with the rise of beautiful, delicious vegan treats, people haven’t lowered their expectations. So we still have to focus on quality and taste.” While the cost-of-living crisis means people might have less disposable income to spend on treats, the desire for indulgence isn’t going anywhere in Ginday’s mind. “There’s a real desire for treating, and I don’t think that’s going to change. I think people will still want to treat, they might just do it fewer times.” Chau too has noticed a rise in vegan and alternative products, but sees a difference between consumers looking for ‘healthier’ THE UK CHOCOLATE MARKET WILL BE WORTH 16.2BN US DOLLARS BY 2030 MORDOR INTELLIGENCE a little more for quality and variation, innovation is necessary to attract new customers, which includes embracing the ongoing trend towards functional foods. “Combining tasty chocolate and healthy ingredients with an associated benefit will help brands remain current in a crowded marketplace,” he adds. “Furthermore, a continued move towards sustainability will mean consumers will be ever more conscious about how their purchasing choices are impacting the environment, making this a key overall factor for the long term success of artisan confectionery producers.” Jennifer Earle, founder of Chocolate Ecstasy Tours, agrees. “From a premium category perspective I expect prices to rise and businesses to offer more high quality, high percentage bars, and bars with more unusual ingredients – both indulgent and ‘healthy’ – to be added,” she says. “Premium companies will need these offerings to truly showcase the quality of their chocolate and what they can do for a less-price-sensitive audience.”