Scyphus

Scyphus UK, or Leslie Carr personally, are not into chocolate making, selling or promoting, they are a Printed Paper Cups manufacturer and as such have interests in the UK Food, Beverages and Food Service and Packaging Industry in General. Branded Paper Cups are not directly related with Chocolates, but being from the beverage packaging industry, here is what Scyphus has to say about the ChocFest.

Leicestershire’s ChocFest welcome chocolate lovers to mark end of year festivities

Chocolate is a food that most people are passionate about. Synonym of indulgence, it has become a staple of celebrations. As the end of year festivities are approaching at large strides, the 2^nd annual ChocFest will be held in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire on the 18^th to the 19^th of November 2017. It promises to please chocoholics with a national celebration of the much-loved chocolate, a leading product in the hot beverages market that is currently morphing. The event is being supported by Leicester-based Cocoa Amore, an award-winning chocolatier. Places are available upon booking.

A discovery of the UK’s best chocolate artisans

The ChocFest is an event for all lovers of chocolate, young and less young. Professional chocolatiers and artisan chocolate makers will be providing a variety of offerings and visitors will be able to sample chocolate in all its forms. Apart from the tutored tastings, there will be an enriching programme of talks and workshops. Visitors will equally have the chance to learn the history of chocolate as well as techniques to make their own chocolate, just in time for Christmas.

Chocolate will definitely be at the heart of all creations with exhibitors offering cakes, pies, crepes, brownies, tarts, doughnuts, macarons, marshmallows, and biscuits just to name a few desserts. Visitors will equally have the chance to taste unusual foods like chocolate pizzas and kebabs. To pair with the desserts, other stands will be offering wine, beer, spiced cider, and champagne.

2018 will also be satisfying for chocolate connoisseurs. A Speciality Chocolate Trail will be organised on 2 to 4 September 2018 at Olympia London. About 50 fine and artisan chocolate producers will be participating, showcasing luxury and gourmet chocolate.

Worldwide, the chocolate market is being revamped. Unique and exotic flavours are being paired with chocolate to present the most unexpected creations. For instance, certain preposterous combinations include adding finely chopped capers, fried green tomato, curry-toasted coconut ganache, or yuzu to chocolate bars. Another chocolatier has ventured by replacing 70% of sugar in chocolate with mushrooms; raw chocolate was inoculated with fungus and then left to ferment and dry. 

The United Kingdom is an avid consumer of chocolate

British consumers spend about £115 per person yearly on chocolate. This positions the United Kingdom on the top of the list of main consumers of chocolate in Europe. In 2015, it occupied the third position and sales in the confectionary industry, with the chocolate segment being the most prominent one, is expected to increase at 8.9% between 2015 and 2019. It is the 7^th biggest importer of cocoa beans in Europe, with 99% of all cocoa beans being imported from the Ivory Coast and Ghana.

For years, the British chocolate market was dominated by low quality mass-produced items. Plain milk chocolate is still among the favourite products but dark chocolate is becoming increasingly popular. 73% of the people of the United Kingdom prefer plain milk chocolate while 5% of the people claim to never eat chocolate, according to a survey by Mintel.

However, there is a shift in the market with British consumers becoming more conscious of speciality chocolate, willing to pay more for higher quality. This permutation was reflected through the establishment of specialised chocolate shops, and promotion of chocolatiers and chocolate events in the United Kingdom. The high-end chocolate market is equally grabbing a considerable slice of the market, offering single-origin chocolates and developing direct trade relationships with suppliers in producing countries.

British consumers demand fair trade and organic cocoa products

The United Kingdom gives much importance to fair trade. Certification schemes are adopted by both mainstream retailers and niche chocolate shops, but are less common for products offered by small artisanal chocolate makers. In 2014, the United Kingdom was the largest consumer of Fairtrade cocoa products worldwide. Sustainability labels such as the Rainforest Alliance and UTZ are equally popping up rather rapidly. Certain brands, such as Nestle, has the goal to sell 100% sustainable cocoa in the country. Even if the United Kingdom has not set a deadline for 100% sustainable cocoa (like the Netherlands which has pledged 100% certified sustainable cocoa by 2025), the trend towards sustainable cocoa products is expected to soar over the next years.

British consumers are furthermore seeking organic cocoa products and organic certified chocolate is on the rise. Consumers are increasingly demanding transparency in the supply chain, wanting to know the origin of the cocoa beans and who earns what in the supply chain, according to the CBI report 2016.  Several private labels are emerging on the market, focusing on premium, higher-quality dark chocolate. This shift in demand is largely attributed to the health benefits of chocolate with higher cocoa content. Fine flavour chocolate and specialty categories are witnessing rise in sales.

The UK hot chocolate market is in full expansion

After tea and coffee, hot chocolate is the most consumed hot beverage among the consumers in the United Kingdom. A report published by Kerry in the beginning of the year unveils a shift in the behaviour of British consumers as the latter are more enthusiastic to stray away from tea and coffee anchored since long in the culture, and explore new alternatives. Certain consumers are expressing caffeine fatigue and willingness to adopt new flavours without any compromise, preferring premium indulgent hot chocolate rather than low calorie and healthier alternatives with low sugar. Indeed, in 2016, 57% of the people surveyed were consuming more hot chocolate compared to the previous year and it is expected that coffee alternatives will grow by 13% by 2019.

The survey also stressed the fact that 58% of hot chocolate purchases are made spontaneously, flavour being a key purchase motivator. Key factors encouraging the consumption of hot chocolate are weather, seasonality, and price point. Another survey by Mintel underline that 74% of British consumers buy hot beverages out-of-home. The consumption of premium hot chocolate is following a similar trend as premium coffee with 27% of those consuming hot chocolate visiting specialist hot chocolate shops.