Chocolates for the Big Boys and Girls – the Adults

Think about all the adverts the public sees for chocolate. TV ads, billboards, signage in the local supermarket – most seem to be geared towards the younger generations, our children. The vast majority of chocolates seem to be branded for less-sophisticated taste buds and, while they may be delicious, they aren’t always what we adults want from our sweet treats.

The thing is wholesale chocolate suppliers shouldn’t place all their eggs in one basket. True, most of the trade may come from the younger generation, but with increasing awareness of adult tastes and preferences, catering to the "grown up" palate can be a very profitable area of business.

Liqueurs and More Liqueurs – chocolates filled with wine, whiskey, cognac, vodka, tequila, rum, whiskey, cherry brandy or any other alcoholic filling – have been with us for years. I can still remember as a kid my dad giving me one and watching my face when I took a bite out of what I thought was a regular chocolate.

Today, wholesale chocolate suppliers often stock an amazing range of specialised liqueur chocolates with some amazing fillings. They can come moulded as small chocolate bottles like the amazing liqueurs made by Danish company Anton Berg or in standard chocolate moulds. What’s important is, of course, the filling. Be warned: eat a few of these exquisite adult chocolates and you may need to get a taxi home.

But adult chocolates don’t end with liqueurs. Anton Berg and other chocolate manufacturers also make some innovative cocktail chocolates. Mojito, Cosmopolitan, Pina Colada, Pomegranate Cosmo, Peach Bellini, Margarita and Strawberry Daiquiri are just some of the cocktail chocolates available.

But for those of us who want something a little less "spirited", there are more and more speciality chocolates being produced with flavours and fillings that are geared for the older palate – marzipan, exotic fruit fillings, unconventional flavours (even Marmite!)

After Dinner Mints

These refreshing morsels are another great favourite with adults. They came in all shapes and sizes from wafer-thin, chocolate coated pieces, to mint flavoured crunchy chocolate bon-bons. Now kids like mint – when it’s in chewing gum. But, for the most part, the creamy mint paste just doesn’t appeal to them – especially when it’s coated with fine grade bittersweet chocolate.

Keeping Up with Demand

Wholesale chocolate suppliers have to stay ahead of trends and demands. It’s a constant battle to provide the chocolate-loving public with a new and interesting combinations of taste and texture. Luckily, chocolate manufacturers are well aware of the potential involved in the adult market and bring out new lines and combinations all the time.

Yet another source for adult chocolates are the many boutique chocolate manufacturers that have sprung up across the country. The Grown Up Chocolate Company in Essex, for example, offers a range of handmade chocolate bar creations such as a caramelised wafer praline topped with creamy white chocolate fudge and biscuit pearls, all encased in smooth white chocolate. They also sell boxed chocolates such as their "Yummy Scrummy Chocolate Bite" – just the name gets your mouth watering.

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.