How healthier indulgence is bringing shoppers together

“Savouring with sharing has all sorts of other social benefits; you’ll not only discover all sorts of flavours when discussing them but it provides a great means to bond, discover all sorts of unexpected facets of your partner and it’s a great entry point to all sorts of other discussions, says Spencer Hyman of Cocoa Runners.

Amping up the better-for-you delight

Bringing people together over premium chocolate and confectionery is one of the great joys of life, and can be replicated in a myriad of ways – good news indeed for creative and modern fine food retailers. 

Consider the chocolate board; very similar to the cheese boards we all know and love but instead of cheese you’re relishing a carefully curated raft of delicious chocolates. Theme them if you wish – a tour of your favourite craft dark chocolates from around the world could work well.

To feed a crowd, suggest party-hosting customers serve premium chocolate and confectionery instead of a conventional dessert – what better way to end an event than with a dose of polyphenols?

“By savouring and sharing craft chocolate, and in particular focusing on its amazing flavours, we believe that consumers not just have more fun, but will gravitate to bars that are healthier for them. Flavour in chocolate is a proxy for great farming and crafting, and that means more polyphenols, theobromine, magnesium and all the other great stuff,” says Spencer. “Savouring also stops you scoffing and slows you down (so ‘less is more’).” 

How To sell healthier indulgence

Talk percentages: While a high cocoa percentage doesn’t automatically equal a healthy choice, put simply the more cocoa solids are in a bar the less space there is for sugar. Many shoppers may balk at the thought of an 80%+ chocolate bar, but there are plenty of makers who have got the sweet/bitter balance just right.

Fibre’s trending: It’s a little-known fact that good quality dark chocolate contains reasonably high levels of fibre: around 5.5g per 50g for bars with 70-85% cocoa. An attractive proposition for the shoppers actively seeking out food with health benefits, and fibre is a hot topic right now. 

Polyphenols: This is a well-known term in red wine circles as well as for blueberry fans, but did you know that dark chocolate contains polyphenols too? There are heaps of health claims around polyphenols that it’s worth reading up on, but this is another tick box for healthy shoppers worth drawing attention to.