How much do you really know about chocolate?
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With chocolate being named the nation’s favourite sweet treat (75%), dessert experts at Pots & Co have conducted a survey to discover just how much Brits actually know about their favourite sweet treat.
Surprisingly, 69% of the nation has no idea how chocolate is made, despite 64% of adults eating chocolate at least once a week and 10% doing so every single day.
Although 31% realise it’s made by fermenting cacao beans, 58% have no idea where cacao comes from and 4% of Brits think the beans are all ‘grown in the Cadbury’s factory’.
The younger generation appeared to be the least knowledgeable about the treat, with 22% of Gen Z and Millennials thinking chocolate was actually discovered by Captain Cadbury.
On average, in fact, Brits are still unsure as to when chocolate was even invented, with only 5% answering correctly: between 5,000 and 7,000 years ago. The study also found that 45% didn’t know that the scientific name for cacao trees means ‘food of the god’, taken from its original name Theobroma cacao.
The research then went on to find that 28 percent think Belgium makes for the best chocolate, followed by Switzerland (26%), England (13%) and Colombia (12%).
Because of this, luxury dessert experts Pots & Co are using Easter as an opportunity to separate fact from fiction and share some must-know titbits on the nation’s favourite treat.
Fraser Thomson, Co-CEO of Pots & Co and Michelin-trained Chef comments: “We have always known how much the UK loves chocolate – our Chocolate & Salted Caramel Ganache & little pots of 70% Chocolate are amongst our biggest sellers. But it is surprising that over half of the UK population still assumes that Belgian or Swiss chocolate is the best chocolate. In actual fact, Belgian chocolate usually has multiple sources of cocoa – often Guana & Ivory Coast. In reality, the world’s finest chocolate is made from ‘Fino de Aroma’ Cacao and ours is only sourced from one place: Colombia.
“When we first started Pots & Co we travelled high and low to source the best chocolate. We landed in Necoclí where we found the world’s finest cacao ‘Fino de Aroma’. This cacao is sustainably crafted on the ethical cocoa farm – Luker Chocolate and is turned into the most delicious, sustainably crafted and single-origin chocolate. It is for this reason that our handmade desserts taste so good – and every Michelin-trained chef knows that you can only create a great dish by using the finest ingredients.”
The research also revealed that Brits do really care about where their chocolate comes from, with 66% stating that they want to know that the chocolate they consume is ethically sourced.
Mauricio Salazar, Head Cocoa Grower at Pots & Co’s chocolate supplier Luker Chocolate comments: “When it comes to chocolate, everyone has different opinions on what makes for the best tasting chocolate – it comes down to personal preference. However, it’s important to consider the provenance, how ethical the farming is, and where it is grown as that will affect the taste.
“Here at Luker Chocolate in Colombia we only produce Fino de Aroma cacao, which is classified by the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO), to be the top 8% of cocoa in the world. It stands out for its exquisite aroma and fruity, floral and herbaceous flavour with notes of malt and walnut. It’s all thanks to the climate conditions, the composition of the soil, the region in which it grows and how the farmer works the land and crop.
“For us, that’s what makes for great-tasting chocolate and puts ours in the top 8% in the world.”
The Pots & Co. range includes indulgent and rich flavour combinations, including Lemon & Lime Posset, Salted Caramel and Chocolate Ganache, Summer Berries and Mascarpone Cream plus their little pots of 70% chocolate ganache. It also extends to plant-based flavours such as Passion Fruit & Banana Posset and Salted Caramel and Chocolate Ganache – both winners of Great Taste awards.
Find Pots & Co in leading supermarkets nationwide for your next indulgent sweet treat.
For further information on where Pots & Co source their chocolate, please visit: https://www.potsandco.com/chocolate-with-integrity
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