Few foods are so loved, by so many people, in so many countries – as chocolate. Of course people have different preferences, the biggest being whether they choose white, milk or dark. There seems to be no limit on the variety of chocolates available, but there are noticeable trends that are being driven by changing consumer tastes. Beyers Chocolates unwraps a few major ideas on your behalf…
THE FRUITY CHOICE
There’s a huge surge in consumers wanting to taste real fruit in their chocolates. This is being driven by the demand for more natural flavours and colours, and the perception that healthier chocolates contain real fruit. While sweet fruit intuitively pairs well with chocolate, other less obvious choices are being tried – such as lemon.
VARIETY MATTERS
Consumers are naturally curious and will try just about any outrageous variation, and this has led to more interesting flavour combinations. Desserts are being combined with chocolates – think crème brûlée and cheesecake – while florals are also being explored. Nuts will always be popular, but there is a move away from the common hazelnut to more exotic choices like pistachios.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Since it has become more accepted that certain chocolates have real health benefits, it has boosted the global chocolate industry. Dark chocolate in particular is rich in antioxidants, leading some doctors to recommend that it gets eaten more regularly (now you have a medical excuse!) to help in the prevention and delay of diseases. This approval has customers buying more dark chocolate and actually feeling good about it.
IT’S IN THE INGREDIENTS
Chocolate is increasingly being regarded as an affordable, daily luxury, with consumers buying more hand-crafted, premium dark chocolate products. As the demand for fine chocolate continues to grow, so we see the rise in artisanal chocolate manufacturers. Similar to the wine industry, chocolate is also being ascribed “taste profiles”.
IMPORTANCE OF ORIGIN
Transparency is becoming more influential in a consumer’s decision to buy certain brands. They will look at the label to see what has been added in and what’s been left out. They want their chocolate to be made from sustainably sourced ingredients, which is why labels are starting to include explanations on the origins of ingredients.
At Beyers we’re passionate about all things chocolate and this includes giving our customers the inside scoop! We’re also quite a creative bunch and we spend a considerable amount of time ensuring that you get to taste the very latest chocolate trends from around the world.
