A North East family confectionery firm has launched a new premium range after setting out on a mission to create sustainable, luxury chocolate.
Cramlington company Sweetdreams – famed for its Choc Nibbles – has launched Gozo using ethically sourced cocoa harvested in Colombia. The company, run by husband and wife team Matt and Cath Stephenson, said the launch represents the realisation of a dream to put everything they’ve learned about making chocolate into their own sustainably sourced range of chocolate, in a world of shrinking bars and squeezed purses.
The range for Gozo - the Colombian for ‘joy’ – comes in six 130g block chocolate bars made using single origin Cacao Fino de Aroma, sourced from Colombia via Luker Chocolate in flavours including milk chocolate, dark chocolate, whole fruit and nut, dark chocolate and raspberry, sea salted caramel crisp and a non-dairy oat milk alternative.
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Mr and Mrs Stephenson partnered with Luker Chocolate, a Colombian family-owned chocolate manufacturer, as part of a long-term vision to improve well-being, protect the environment, and increase the income of producers and communities, prioritising the protection of children, women and young people across Colombia. Through its partnership, Sweetdreams Ltd said it has helped to drive change in cocoa producing regions in Colombia by training local communities on ways to preserve and protect water sources and forests.
Mr Stephenson, managing director, said: “The Gozo range is absolutely zero compromise. We set out to create a range of chocolate with depth and distinction, and its substantial size is what really sets it apart. With each 130g bar you get a big, beautiful, and incredibly generous block of Fino de Aroma chocolate. In fact, the Gozo bar is almost double the weight of some competitor products. Gozo’s ethos is to bring joy by being generous – generous with ingredients, generous with size and generous with value.
“We insist on actual real ingredients, not just flavouring. Our salted caramel bar has actual salted caramel. Our dark chocolate with raspberries has real raspberry pieces. The fruit and nut bar has whole raisins and lovely big almonds. It’s a big bar with no e-numbers, no fillers, no palm oil, no short cuts, and no making do.
“Sustainability is fundamentally important to us and partnering with Luker Chocolate on its inspiring initiative, The Chocolate Dream, has been an amazing experience. We’re helping to transform the chocolate value chain from origin, and seeing tangible results within the communities in Colombia where our Gozo cocoa originates.”
Sweetdreams Ltd recently recruited new team members to grow the Gozo brand, including James Jeffery as head of sales and Hannah Bowrey as senior product and innovation manager.
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