Caroline’s tasty treats for Valentine’s Day

A successful artisan chocolatier, Caroline has developed Cobden and Brown, her small business in Moira, by coming up with original and delicious treats for romantics…and others!

“I’ve been busier than ever this year with orders from delis and smaller shops for my luxury boxes of truffles, chocolate hearts and other sweets,” Caroline says. “It appears that the Covid-19 lockdown and home working have led to increased demand for premium treats and especially those from a local artisan producer. Business was also immensely encouraging over Christmas. Our website has also been very busy with orders for my nine-strong range of handmade chocolate bars.”

Caroline, a graphic designer who turned a search for gluten-free chocolates for her son into a successful small business in 2011, explains: “I decided to start making my own chocolates and desserts when my son was diagnosed with coeliac disease. I was keen he should be able to enjoy chocolate like his friends.

“So, I looked at chocolates then available in confectioners and supermarkets and found that they all contained gluten. It seemed to me that the only course was to start creating recipes for my own chocolates using ingredients I could trust. I also consulted leading chocolatiers about how to develop a range of luxury products. I then started making my own chocolate treats free from gluten, wheat and eggs.”

She also produced dairy-free dark chocolates. A key feature of Caroline’s chocolates is the absence of any processed ingredients.

“My chocolates are all handmade in small batches to recipes I have developed. This means that chocolate lovers can count on the quality and provenance of all the ingredients in my chocolates. I have total control over the sourcing of ingredients, especially premium cacao, and the entire production process.”

She’s already gearing up for Easter, another busy season for the industry.

“I’ve started handcrafting a host of eggs, other seasonal treats and packaging gift boxes of my luxury truffles for customers here and around the Dublin area,” she continues. “While Iam very keen to grow existing business in the Republic and also in Britain, a market I have supplied products to in the past, Covid-19 has, of course, restricted travel. I’ll exploit opportunities I’ve spotted in both markets after lockdown.”

Caroline has crafted success in what is an intensely competitive industry by focusing on creativity, versatility and customer service.

“It’s a tough market dominated by longer established brands with huge budgets. The only way I could hope to compete was to move up-market for niche retailers keen on different and handcrafted chocolates that combined rich flavours and outstanding taste.”

Her awareness of health concerns from her gluten-free treats is also reflected in the recent successful launch of two drinking chocolates.

“I launched two drinking chocolates from premium cacao towards the end of last year,” she explains. “One of the chocolates is made from 60 percent dark chocolate, the other is a low sugar milk version. People are increasingly demanding healthier products that offer reduced sugar. Cacao is sugar-free and natural. There’s also been a growth in darker chocolate products which are also perceived as being healthy.”

Research, she continues, showed dark chocolate to be rich in nutrients and one of the best sources of antioxidants that can boost health.

“In addition, my drinking chocolates are made entirely from quality cacao sourced from small growers in Ecuador and Ghana and not powder which is the case in some other products,” adds Caroline. “There’s been a surge in sales of the drinks over the winter because of the awful weather and, I believe, from a developing trend towards local food treats due to lockdown fatigue.”

The company also benefited from the growth in the popularity among consumers of delis and other specialist food stores, including farmshops, here as shoppers have opted for local produce offering authenticity, provenance and safety. Many of these retailers now include Cobden and Brown chocolates in their seasonal hampers.

“My small business has been built on the support and loyalty from these shops and especially from recommendations from their staff to customers. I have really appreciated this support since the launch of my bars and other products,” Caroline says.

While her business is growing steadily, Caroline shares the concern of other smaller food companies here over Brexit. “All my cacao from growers in countries such as Ecuador in South America comes via Europe, and it’s not entirely clear how Brexit and the Irish Sea border will affect this vital business for me in both short and long terms. I’ve been doing everything possible to find out just what this could mean to my artisan enterprise and what I need to do to address any threats,” adds Caroline.

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