Food Thoughts invested in new product development thanks to threat of expulsion by major UK supermarket
When a major UK supermarket threatened to remove Food Thoughts Organic Cocoa Powder from its shelves, the owners unearthed unwavering brand loyalty from all sectors of society that prompted them to diversify and create new Fairtrade chocolate products for baking.
The ethically sourced cocoa brand has been selling in the UK for more than 25 years and is the nation’s oldest fairly traded product of its kind. Thanks to the run-in with one of the big four supermarkets, they now sell a range of high-quality ethically sourced cocoa products and have recently introduced Chocolate Coated Roasted Cacao Nibs to the range.
“Food Thoughts was part of Product Chain, a company I bought into. It was this sleepy little brand that was doing nicely, but when a major supermarket wanted to kick it out, it got my attention and I realised what an amazing brand it was. We discovered that it was delivering in terms of quality (we use the top 8% of cocoa beans in the world) sustainability and ethics. It is one of the oldest Fairtrade cocoa brands in the UK,” says Food Thoughts CEO Fiona Esom.
Now, in addition to their famous Organic Cocoa Powder, Food Thoughts produces Organic Cacao Powder, Luxury White Chocolate Chips, Luxury Dark Chocolate Chips, Roasted Cacao Nibs and most recently, the brand has launched Chocolate Coated Roasted Cacao Nibs.
“Food Thoughts Chocolate Coated Roasted Cacao Nibs are only available online at the moment - they are completely and utterly addictive. All cacao nibs are not created equal. Ours are roasted, which deepens the flavour. You get a crunch and then a fantastic chocolate taste. They’re very sophisticated and we found that people with nut allergies were buying our Cacao Nibs to give their bakes some crunch.
“Our timing with these new products has been impeccable because nobody knew that home baking was going to be as exciting as it is now, post lockdown. Our sales went up tremendously during lockdown and our brand loyalty has shown us that we can be bigger, better and stronger, “ says Fiona.
Food Thoughts uses cocoa beans farmed in Colombia and the Dominican Republic. Powders are supplied by Pronatec YACAO - these are organically cultivated and fairly traded and farmed in the Dominican Republic. The chips are supplied by Luker chocolate, a co-operative that has provided new roads, aqueducts training, a community centre and other initiatives for growers.