Milk Chocolate: As Popular as Ever

Despite being a relatively new player on the wholesale chocolate scene, milk chocolate is a clear favourite when it comes to consumers of confectionery. Quite how much more popular this kind of delectable indulgence is than other kinds is definitely up for discussion.

Britons Love Chocolate

The people of Great Britain have always loved chocolate and, the popularity of this sweet treat is certainly not waning if the reported annual wholesale chocolate sales figures are accurate. Currently the British population consumes approximately 660,900 tonnes annually, with every individual responsible for around 11kg each. The figures definitely speak for themselves. Not only do Britons eat lots of the silky smooth goodness in its many guises, but they seem to prefer the milk variety above all the rest.

It is surprising that milk chocolate is as popular as it is when you consider that it only came made an appearance 140 years ago. Chocolate in other forms has been around for 4,000 years, so what is it about the sweeter, milkier variety that caused it to make such a huge impact on the international confectionery market?

Most wholesale chocolate suppliers are very up to date with trends in flavours and types of confectionery and all will tell you that milk chocolate far exceeds any other type in terms of sales.

The Evolution of This Delicious Food

Interestingly, chocolate was originally consumed in a liquid form and mainly by the Europeans and the Mesoamericans. It was not until 1847 that it became more like the solid bar we know and love today. Joseph Fry created the bar, which he concocted from cocoa powder, cocoa butter and, of course, sugar. The transformation caused a revolution and, despite being rougher and much less sweet than what we delight in today, chocolate began to make its mark.

The Addition of Milk

The Swiss are famous the world over as artisan chocolate producers and so it is little surprise that it was a Swiss manufacturer named Daniel Peter who created a recipe that included milk. The formula took a while to perfect, mainly because milk contains water in large amounts, which, if not dealt with correctly can cause the mixture to seize. Peter’s pursuit of his delicious dream paid off when Henri Nestle tweaked the recipe, by adding powdered milk and making milk chocolate a viable product. Of course Henri Nestle is the founder of the food and drink company of the same name that is well recognised today.

Milk Chocolate Today

This type of chocolate can be produced with different percentages of cocoa content. The standard percentage is 40%, although for a richer and deeper taste, look out for a higher cocoa content, such as 54%. Milk chocolate is the ideal vessel for carrying different flavours, and wholesale chocolate suppliers will usually stock a large range of this kind of confectionery from different manufacturers. This in turn provides retailers with a huge choice of all kinds of original variations on this classic favourite.

Angelina Moufftard works for HF Chocolates, wholesale chocolate suppliers to the retail trade and others who wish to purchase wholesale quantities. Renowned since 1957, we've sourced the best suppliers from France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Belgium, the USA and UK. Our great tasting and beautifully packaged products also represent excellent value for money.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.