As a retailer, it’s always good to support new and emerging companies venturing into the wholesale confectionery market. When their products are new, exciting and delicious, it can make commercial sense too.
Here are four wholesale confectionery companies which have caught our eye because they are doing something different, and that difference tastes (and sells!) well.
Kooky Chocolate From Coco Pzazz
Set in the beautiful Montgomeryshire hills, this small chocolatier prides itself on hand-pouring all of its products in what it describes as a “made, not manufactured” approach.
But Coco Pzazz does not let its intimate, artisan status detract from its flavours. In fact, this small chocolatier is all about packing a big punch into its delicate, luxury chocolates. Expect taste sensations when you try their delicious chocolate drops, with flavour combinations like white chocolate with Bucks Fizz, dark chocolate with Aztec Spices and smooth milk chocolate with Lapsang Souchong.
Of course, all these flavour bursts need some packaging with serious impact to set them off, and Coco Pzazz doesn’t disappoint with its colourful, modern designs. This is a truly contemporary chocolatier.
Fun Flavours at Gnaw
Brightening up the world of wholesale confectionery are the fun flavours offered by the ‘Gnawfolk’ chocolatier, Gnaw. This young company, started in 2011, has introduced a variety of delicious flavours to the rarefied world of hand-crafted artisan chocolate. Expect luxury chocolate with flavours including Rocky Road, Fudge Crunch and Peanut Butter.
But what really caught our attention is the gorgeous squirrel which appears on all Gnaw’s packaging. That’s because Gnaw is a supporter of the local Norfolk charity Pensthorpe Conservation Trust and its work to protect the beautiful, endangered red squirrel.
Eye-popping Popcorn at Joe and Seph’s
The family-run popcorn company Joe and Seph’s has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2010, coinciding with the popcorn explosion which has taken place in the confectionery market in recent years.
But Joe and Seph’s is pushing the boundaries of this growing sector, putting itself at the very cutting edge of popcorn making in the UK thanks to its imaginative ‘flavour-sequencing’ process.
The process has allowed the company to be much more imaginative with its flavours than many of its competitors. Catering to both the sweet and savoury popcorn market, Joe and Seph’s offer a range of off-the-wall flavours from Goats Cheese and Black Pepper, to Caramel Macchiato and Whisky, and even Gin and Tonic.
Mighty Fine Honeycomb from Mighty Fine
Mighty Fine began life in Camden Market selling honeycomb products from a small outlet. As the products grew in popularity, the founders relaunched Mighty Fine as a wholesale confectionery company to enable them to expand their reach.
Again, this company is one which believes in giving back, and in Mighty Fine’s case the thing they are giving back to the bees. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of each of their products go to the Friends of the Honey Bee campaign.
It can be hard as a retailer to keep up with all the new products and companies in the confectionery market, but when they’re products are as good as those listed here, keeping up is well worth the effort.
Angelina Moufftard works for hf Chocolates, established wholesale confectionery suppliers with decades of experience supplying sweets and high-end chocolates to retailers across the UK. Working with the most dedicated suppliers from France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Belgium, the USA and the UK, hf Chocolates' great tasting and beautifully packaged products add panache to any sweet display.