Descendant of John Cadbury and founder of British chocolate specialist, Love Cocoa, James Cadbury, is on the verge of launching his new venture – the UK’s first oat milk chocolate range. The great-great-great-grandson of John Cadbury – who founded the business back in 1824 – speaks with FoodIngredientsFirst about how he’s taking the same ethical and sustainable approach to chocolate making as his well-known philanthropist ancestor who pioneered sustainable practices and business methods to form Cadbury almost two centuries ago. 

Also motivated by his own dairy-free journey, James and his company have created a creamy plant-powered chocolate using a “secret recipe” that he can’t disclose – but which utilizes “completely different production techniques” to formulate HiP (Happiness in Plants).

“The inspiration was through my personal experience as I have been cutting down on dairy. However, I couldnt find anything on the market that tasted like a creamy milk chocolate bar so I decided to create something. Oat milk is the fast-growing milk alternative in the UK and worldwide, so it was the obvious choice to use a milk that consumers like, and are demanding,” he explains. 

“We’ve been working on this for nearly a year to get the combinations just right. We think we have nailed it and the feedback has been amazing so far from everyone who has tried it.”

Plant-powered chocolate 
James believes HiP is “set to storm the confectionery market” with its four-strong line-up: Smooth & Creamy, cookies & Cream, Salted Caramel and Salty Pretzel flavors retailing at £2.50/70g bar (US$3.22). They will be unveiled in December. 

HiP’s unique brand proposition is designed to make consumers sit up and take notice, taking full advantage of the storytelling trend wher brands “win with words” to pass on creative and interesting narratives to consumers, in line with Innova Market Insights’ Top Trend for 2020. 

These often play into the sustainability credentials to reinforce trust and transparency in a brand’s product and appeal to the ethically-minded and environmentally-conscious consumers of today. 

Sustainably-sourced single origin chocolate 
The range is handmade in the UK using sustainably-sourced single-origin cocoa with completely plastic-free packaging. 

Featuring distinctive, contemporary designs targeted at the younger spectrum of the market (consumers aged 20 to 50 years), the NPD aims to deliver both on taste and appearance.

“It’s crucial when creating a new brand to be the driver of change. Consumers want sustainably-sourced cocoa that is slave-free and to know that farmers are paid fairly. Being plastic-free is also really important for the brand as we do not want our chocolate wrappers ending up in the oceans and landfills,” James continues. 

The HiP launch also taps into the increasing flexitarian trend, which sees traditional meat and dairy eaters make a conscious effort to reduce their intake of animal products. 

Alongside this, consumer demand continues to grow for plant-based, sustainable brands. Producing oat milk has minimal environmental impact versus traditional dairy milk.

“We’ve seen a wave of products that mimic the taste and structure of meat and dairy products in recent years. The launch of HiP and our new oat milk chocolate bars will stretch the confectionery category, driving increased excitement and engagement. I believe these innovative, first-to-market products will deliver great-tasting oat milk chocolate to younger consumers who are looking for compelling dairy-free/vegan alternatives,” adds James. 

“There is a huge demand for alternatives however there are only a few players. We feel with our exciting flavors and fun branding we can turn milk chocolate alternatives mainstream and compete against large industry players. We have had lots of conversations with large retailers and will be announcing stockists in the next few months,” he concludes.

The HiP launch also aims to be in time for Veganuary 2021, with a UAE supermarket and Scandinavian health store retailer already signed up.

Looking back at Cadbury
Cadbury, wholly owned by Mondelēz International since 2010, is the second-largest confectionery brand in the world after Mars. Established in Birmingham, England, by John Cadbury who initially sold tea, coffee and drinking chocolate. He was a Quaker and was known for efforts to improve workers’ living conditions and used a higher proportion of milk in recipes than rivals of the day. By 1831 John Cadbury had become a manufacturer of cocoa and chocolate and passed the business to his sons, George and Richard, in 1861. Fast forward to 1905 when the first Dairy Milk was launched.