A sustainable chocolate company from Cork has won a prestigious award from the Irish Food Writers’ Guild (IFWG) for its ethical practices.
Exploding Tree chocolates’ products show that is totally possible to produce chocolates that are both delicious and meet high ethical standards.
The Clonakilty based company is run by Canadian Allison Roberts, who makes sure their products are made in an honest and ethical way.
Roberts said: “Our main mission was to help people connect with chocolate on a new level.”
The company uses 100% fair-trade cocoa beans from Ghana and coconut sugar also used as a natural sweetener.
They make their products in small batches and wrap them by hand into 100% biodegradable, low-carbon packaging.
They then transport them to local shops and wholefood stores either by post or by bike as Roberts and her team don’t drive cars.
Exploding Tree won the 2020 Environmental Award from the IFWG for achieving standards of excellence in sustainability.
Guild chair Kristin Jensen said: “In addition to taste, quality and continually achieving standards of excellence, sustainability is a crucial determinant when it comes to nominating and voting for our winners.
“And while the issue of sustainability has only really dominated the headlines in recent years, it has always been an integral part of our awards process. Over the course of the IFWG Awards’ 26-year history, we have consistently looked to reward those operating sustainable businesses, so this is not just a passing trend.”
Exploding Tree products include a range of chocolates and truffles and they offer three or six month subscriptions.
They offer a range of flavours including chai and chilli, salt and seaweed and garden mint.
Click here for more about Exploding Tree
Click here for more about the IFWG
Written by Michael Kehoe @michaelcalling