James Cadbury, founder of Love Cocoa and great-great-great grandson of John Cadbury, has launched a new chocolate brand specialising in dairy-free vegan chocolate.
Named HiP (Happiness in Plants), the brand seeks to create vegan chocolate in "contemporary flavours and standout packaging." Recipes will use single-origin cocoa and bars will be packaged in plastic-free, fully recyclable outers.
HiP claims it will launch the "UK's first oat milk chocolate range" in December, although many bean-to-bar makers in the UK have been making oat milk chocolate for a while now.
The brand will initially launch four varieties - Smooth & Creamy; Cookies & Cream; Salted Caramel; and Salty Pretzel - ahead of Veganuary in January 2021. These 70g bars will retail for £2.50 each.
The brand hopes the vivid packaging will appeal to consumers aged 20 to 50 years as well as flexitarians looking for a plant-based alternative to commercial chocolate.
HiP claims producing oat milk has minimal environmental impact compared to traditional dairy milk. James Cadbury concedes that its production involved a steep learning curve to create a reliable, consistent, and flavoursome alternative to dairy milk.
"Plant-based milk chocolate flavours and packaging are often bland and we think we’ve come up with a winning combination that will be hard to beat."
James Cadbury
According to James Cadbury, the HiP bars will initially be produced in the same facility as the Love Cocoa chocolates, so the bars will carry warnings that they are produced in a factory that handles milk products. He told me he plans to secure "a separate unit" in due course so as to "guarantee no cross-contamination in the future".
HiP hopes to launch in shops in December 2020. It has already agreed distribution deals with a UAE supermarket and Scandinavian health store retailer.
Which of HiP's vegan chocolate bars are you most eager to try? Let me know in the comments below.
