There Goes The Chocolat

 

Some sad news today. British chocolate maker and cocoa grower, Hotel Chocolat, has been sold to Mars. The two founders say the buyout will allow them to expand the business internationally. Well, maybe. 

The company was founded in 1987 and has its own cocoa farm in St Lucia. They took an ethical approach to all aspects of the business, from farm to store. For a while it had a box of the month club which I subscribed to for a time. The quality of the chocolates they produced were, I think second to none. Yes, it was pricey, but what a treat. Chocolate like it was meant to be, full of high quality cocoa and flavour instead of milk fats and low grade cocoa.

Call me cynical, but I give it a year and watch the company's ethics and standards drop off a cliff. When you've got hordes of shareholders like Mars does, you don't give a stuff about ethics and quality. Just have a taste of the so-called chocolate that's being passed off in the supermarkets. 

Time to start looking for small, independent chocolate producers methinks!