Learning that the French government has classified chocolate shops as essential retail has finally spurred me into action to discuss how we buy our chocolate in the UK.
Currently most chocolate is bought from supermarkets, independent retailers and convenience stores with online coming up fast. UK supermarkets have done a fantastic job in improving the quality of their own-label selections, both in terms of eating quality and sustainability. However with Thornton’s chocolate shops gone there are now relatively few dedicated chocolate retailers, meaning that interesting new chocolate brands are under-represented on our high streets. Why is this?
When I helped launch Green & Black’s in 1991 we needed all the retail space we could get. In terms of specialist chocolate shops the best one was Chantal Coady’s pioneering Rococo which opened on the Kings Road in 1983 and is still going today, albeit now without Chantal’s involvement. There were the daunting retail monoliths of Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Harrods. And there was Thornton’s, which even then was not a quality-orientated retailer: Hotel Chocolat would not launch until 2004. So I got very excited when I found a tiny chocolate shop called Theobroma in an obscure part of Wimbledon town centre. Their key business was selling fresh cream truffles but they were persuaded to stock Green & Black’s and since I lived round the corner I personally delivered their stock. Sales were strong.
So why is there not a Theobroma on every high street ? Certainly in London there are some wonderful chocolate shops but Melt, Artisan du Chocolat, Paul A Young, William Curley and Pierre Marcolini are relentlessly upmarket. Hotel Chocolat has over 100 stores in the UK, but only sells its own chocolates. What all these stores have in common is that they only stock their own branded chocolates. Where are the retail outlets for the explosion of new chocolate manufacturers that have recently launched in the UK? I am thinking about the likes of Bullion (Sheffield), Dormouse (Manchester) and Cocoa Works (York). These fine manufacturers retail from their production sites but their chocolates are otherwise hard to find in “bricks and mortar” retail outlets.
Many small chocolate producers sell online and through Ocado. James Cadbury has done this very effectively with Love Cocoa and many other smaller producers have followed suit. Special mention here for Cocoa Runners who curate a brilliant selection of chocolates from around the world and Chocaletta, an online retailer which only sells the more ethical chocolate brands. The challenge here is that online retailing does not allow for “try before you buy” or impulse purchasing. Other smaller producers such as Montezuma’s and Willie’s have been able to establish a niche within the more quality orientated UK supermarkets, with all the financial and logistical challenges that this necessitates.
I am reminded of how craft beer took the UK market by storm and spawned specialist retail outlets such as We Brought Beer and The Beer Boutique. Sadly these have now closed as supermarkets met the demand for craft beer whilst many of the more successful independent brewers were taken over by much larger mainstream players. As a result craft beer has now become firmly established as a sector, as shown by the continued success of Brewdog. Could the same thing happen to artisan chocolate?
The pandemic has wreaked havoc on our high streets which will not come back as before. There will undoubtedly be many vacant retail premises, which may prompt both landlords and local authorities to take a more realistic approach to rent and rates. With the emphasis of staying local and shopping local it is possible that neighbourhoods can be re-established and specialist independent retailers could flourish. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a shop on your high street selling a wide selection of interesting chocolates, offering regular tastings with knowledgeable staff who can point you towards something that you’ll love? Maybe with a chocolate-orientated café attached? Like a good wine shop, but with chocolate?
So…more choice, smaller brands and on a high street near you. Yes please !
(The photograph is of de Rosier, my local chocolate shop)