Are You Nuts about Fruit & Nut Chocolate?

Hands up: who wouldn’t love to demolish a bar of Fruit & Nut chocolate? It’s one of the British public’s all-time favourite sweet treats. In fact, that combination of crunchy nuts with their earthy taste and soft, creamy chocolate is a match made in heaven.

Healthier and Tastier

Over the past few years, we have been increasingly concerned with having a healthy lifestyle. A large part of that concern reflects on our daily diet. Increasing numbers of people are looking to adopt a healthy and nutritious diet but without compromising on taste and quality.

Nuts and chocolate have both had their turn in the nutritional spotlight. In fact both dark chocolate and nuts are considered by many to be "super foods". When chocolate is combined with nuts that are rich in fibre, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids we have what could possibly be the ultimate healthy food treat – one that is tasty and fulfils our craving for something sweet on the one hand, but is also nutritious, full of energy and healthy on the other.

Wholesale chocolate manufacturers and suppliers are aware of this trend and have been developing many new varieties of confectionery that contains nuts and chocolate. Today, on supermarket shelves across the UK, alongside all-time favourites like almonds and hazelnuts, you can find an amazing variety of new and exotic nut and chocolate combinations. Delicious chocolates filled with pecan mousse, creamy white chocolate with green pistachio nuts, semi-sweet chocolate with caramel, macadamia nuts, and salt.

The Price Must Be Right

Unfortunately, both nuts and raw cacao are expensive. In fact, thanks to the "discovery" of chocolate by emerging markets in the Far East, chocolate prices are expected to skyrocket.

Other factors that influence the price of raw materials (and ultimately the price of your favourite chocolate bar) include the price of the various types of nuts. Generally, peanuts are the cheapest with the luxurious macadamia nut being by far the most expensive.

Wholesale chocolate manufacturers and suppliers also have to deal with fluctuating prices caused by climatic conditions. Good weather means a good crop and lower prices. Bad weather… Well, you can see where this is going.

California, for example, is responsible for supply more than 80% of the world’s almonds. But a recent dry spell has resulted in a series of poor crops and higher prices. The same is happening in Turkey which supplies some 70% of the world’s hazelnuts.

Fluctuating and rising prices are reflected along the "food chain", all the way down to the consumer. That’s why, alongside many new and exciting chocolate combinations, wholesale chocolate manufacturers are constantly examining new recipes to produce healthy, tasty confectionery that can be produced at a reasonable cost.

Angelina Moufftard works for hf Chocolates, established wholesale chocolate suppliers with decades of experience supplying sweets and high-end chocolates to retailers across the UK. Working with the most dedicated suppliers from France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Belgium, the USA and the UK, hf Chocolates' great tasting and beautifully packaged products add panache to any sweet display.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.