Friars Blog

27/09/2021

What is Palm Oil and why are People Avoiding it? | Friars Chocolate

A new consumer trend which is becoming more and more popular as 2021 progresses is the awareness of palm oil, something that is now encouraging more and more shoppers to check if their products contain palm oil before they buy it. So, what exactly is it that is driving this new found palm oil woke-ness?  Palm Oil Basics In essence, palm oil is an edible vegetable based oil which comes from the fruit of oil palm trees. Manufacturing the oil can have two end products, crude palm oil from the... Read More

31/08/2021

What is the Difference between a Chocolate and a Truffle | Friars

Chocolate and truffles, we love to eat them both, but do we really know what makes them different from each other? Some might say it doesn’t matter, given that both are equally delicious and that’s all that matters right? Well, they could be correct, however we’re here now and we’re eager to share some knowledge with you, so, if you want to find out more about the differences between chocolates and truffles, then read on. Otherwise why not skip to the good bit and explore our truffle collections? A key... Read More

24/08/2021
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Committed to Making our Vegan Chocolates Soya Free | Friars Vegan Chocolate

At Friars, when it comes to looking at chocolate for people with special diets, we’re always researching pioneering techniques to help to ensure our chocolate treats are more accessible to more people. Starting with our Kakoa Vegan Chocolate collections (previously called Vegan Chocolatier) we’ve improved and enhanced recipes to ensure our products are better for you, and better for the planet. That’s why we’re one of the first chocolate manufacturers to create ‘soya free’ chocolates that have been designed for people on soya free diets. Moreover, by swapping out soya... Read More

30/07/2021
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Tipsy Treats to Enjoy this Summer | Friars

At Friars we know just how well chocolate and delicious alcoholic drinks can be paired. That’s why this summer we’ve stocked an extensive range of tipsy treats for you to discover and enjoy. Whether it’s our own wines or spirits distilled locally to our store, we’ve got a range of drinks on offer that are perfect for enjoying at summer BBQ’s, during your summer holidays or even to be given as gifts. Take a look at some of the best alcoholic drinks available to purchase from our web store this... Read More

26/07/2021
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Best Vegan Chocolate Flavours for Summer 2021 | Friars

Chocolate lovers all unite knowing that chocolate isn’t just for Christmas and in fact the warmer summer months are often the best time to enjoy chocolate. Why? Because chocolate is fabulous, whatever the weather! Our Kakoa Vegan Chocolate Range has been lovingly created to make getting hold of luxury vegan chocolates easier than ever before. We use quality plant based ingredients such as Oat Milk to craft our vegan chocolate truffles to ensure that they leave as little a mark on our beautiful planet as possible. Our packaging is even... Read More

02/07/2021
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British Chocolatiers Setting Trends in 2021 | Friars

Throughout our growth and expansion here at Friars, we’re always focused on ensuring that the quality of our products (chocolates and sweets) is as good as it can be, that taste is the very top of it’s game and that our products are made using sustainable processes, to help us ensure the longevity of our planet. Because let’s face it, no planet means no customers, and that’s bad for business! We’re passionate about ensuring that our operations are as eco-friendly as possible, that’s why we source low carbon ingredients and... Read More

25/06/2021
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How we reduce air miles with our Vegan Oat Milk | Friars

One of the major problems with finding cruelty free alternatives to ingredients such as milk is that often, producing the alternatives can be quite harmful to the environment. Whether it’s using Almonds grown internationally, or other products that require a lot of processing with water, sometimes vegan food manufacturers can end up contributing to an overly large carbon output, which as we know can be harmful to our planet.  At Friars, when we first designed our Kakoa Vegan Chocolate range we wanted to produce a product that was as eco-conscious... Read More

28/05/2021

How Chocolate can help Predict Changes in Consumer Behaviour

Chocolate is often recognised as a very powerful tool in marketing and consumer psychology. From the early days of TV advertising specifically, chocolate has been used to portray feelings of sheer decadence, almost sinful luxury which brings consumers back to their favourite chocolate brands time and time again. It’s thanks to the connotations of chocolate (and the fact that chocolate is simply delicious) that many marketers and market analysts use chocolate sales data in order to predict upcoming market trends for the confectionary industry, and beyond.  Whilst the concept is... Read More

21/05/2021
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Show your Dad you love him this Father’s Day | Friars

Father’s Day is fast approaching in the UK. Sunday the 20th of June, get that date in your diary and don’t miss the perfect opportunity to show your Dad’s, Step Dads or those Father figures in your life that you love and appreciate them this Father’s Day! Did you know that Father’s Day began in the early 20th century as a result of the commercial success of Mother’s Day. It is said that the first Father’s Day celebrations began in Spokane in Washington, USA in 1910 and since then has... Read More

29/04/2021
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2021 See’s Huge Surge in Demand for Vegan Chocolate

Through 2021 and the end of 2020 during the festive season. Chocolate makers such as ourselves have seen a huge demand for vegan and plant based chocolates, as more and more people choose to switch over to living a more balanced and conscious lifestyle. Vegan chocolates are all about ensuring that luxury items can be produced in a cruelty free manner without the use of animal products, in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way – that’s why our vegan chocolates are produced to very high standards and specifications, using responsibly... Read More