Single-serve raw chocolate brand Little Love comes to Europe
Its Little Love range of three vegan 25 g raw chocolate bars launched this week uses unroasted organic cocoa from Ecuador.
‘Little sister’ brand
Valerie van Dijck, brand manager at Love Chock, told ConfectioneryNews: "We see on-the-go, smaller portion products are really a trend and we want to target a new group of people - people that want a better-for-you chocolate in smaller portion size.”
Brand owner Love Chock began selling organic raw chocolate in larger formats from 2009 under its namesake brand.
“It was sold in organic shops for a really niche market, so we thought launching a new brand - the little sister of Love Chock,” said van Dijck.
"The ingredients are the same. The beans are also from Ecuador, the sugar used is also coconut blossom sugar, but we use different recipes.
“Little Love is a bit smoother, one more process is added, and it's a bit sweeter."
3rd place at ISM New Product Showcase
Love Chock exhibited for the first time at confectionery trade fair ISM this week as it looks to secure distribution outside organic stores.
Its Little Love brand came third place at the ISM trade fair's New Product Showcase award, beating off competition from more than 130 products.
Coconut bloom sugar and cocoa sourcing
Little Love’s lactose-free bars come in biodegradable packaging and will retail for around €1.79 ($2.23) each.
Little Love range
- Creamy Lucuma 25 g (70%)
- Dark Baobab 25 g (85% cocoa)
- Dark Cherry & Almond 25 g (85% cocoa)
The range uses unroasted organic Arriba Nacional cocoa beans, sourced directly from a cooperative in Ecuador.
Each bar contains no more than 5 g of coconut bloom sugar per bar.
"It has a low glycemic index, not like refined sugar," said van Dijck.
"If you look at the out-of-home market in Holland you see only unhealthy bars, so I hope this will be a good addition to the category."
Beyond its home market, Love Chock also sees potential in the UK, Germany and Scandinavia for Little Love.
Love Chock operates its own factory close to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and has an office in Amsterdam with around 10 to 15 people.
