Once a chocolate bar only found in eco-stores and boutique chocolatiers, Tony’s Chocolonely has hit the mass market running and become a fast favourite among chocolate lovers. Its flavour has won fans over but the ethical mission and activism is where it really excels.
Tony’s has its very own flavour gurus to thank for the brand's success - they create new exciting chocolate bars every day. However, Tony’s chocolatier Bas Klarenbeek has shared that some ingredients are just not on the cards for the foreseeable future.
Bas, also known as Count Chocula, explained that some nuts cannot be included in Tony’s bars because of the brand’s commitment to ending modern slavery. He said: “Currently, we can't use some ingredients and also some nuts because we can't source them with our strong sourcing policy.”
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The Tony’s range does include hazelnut, pecan, and almond bars but fans of nuts like pistachios or cashews will not see these flavours from the chocolatier until things change in the industry. Tony's has a Beantracker to ensure they know exactly which farms in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire their cocoa beans are coming from - and the same applies to all ingredients included in the chocolate bars.
Bas said: “It's impossible to source [pistachios] 100% traceable without child labour or modern slavery.” He hopes that in the next few years more and more brands will join the Tony’s open chain movement, helping to stamp out unethical practices in food which would allow Tony's to expand their range.
He added that peanuts are also off limits for Tony’s at the moment, which is a flavour often requested by consumers. Although many nuts are Fairtrade certified, Tony’s works directly with suppliers to ensure there are no hidden exploitations or practices which is not possible for all ingredients yet.
This doesn't mean that experimenting with flavours is off limits though, Bas said: "We will not say that we can't do that or that will be not tasty enough. [We would] take the concept and change it or translate it into chocolate." So if it can be made with 100% traceable ethical ingredients, the limit is the chocolatier's imagination.
While this may temporarily inhibit Tony’s flavours, ending modern slavery in chocolate production is key to the brand’s identity. Bas explained: “We have to take responsibility for all the products we buy as a consumer, we take responsibility for everything that’s behind the product.”
Ben & Jerry’s is the latest to join Tony’s open chain sourcing, launching a collaboration range called Chocolatey Love-a-Fair which includes an ice cream as well as two new chocolate bars. Signing up for the open sourcing movement ensures that the ice cream manufacturer source all the ingredients ethically, not only nuts and sugar but cocoa too.
"It's amazing,” Bas said, "I hope that in the future people know more about products... and of course brands."
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