The first World Vegan Chocolate Day (WVCD) launched to celebrate all things vegan chocolate.
Spearheaded by Vegan Willy Wonka Adrian Ling, the event has been created to celebrate vegan chocolate in all its forms and highlight vegan chocolate has something to offer everyone, from white to dark high cocoa chocolate, from ice cream to vegan chocolate cakes, from premium bars to everyday snacks.
There is a chocolate celebratory day in July, but Adrian felt that vegan chocolate deserved to have its own day as the category has expanded into a significant sector of the market.
Adrian comments ‘we wish to celebrate all the positive things about chocolate in all its forms, but quite obviously we are promoting that chocolate is fantastic without the dairy. Falling at the end of Veganuary makes this day an extra celebration of all things vegan.
But Ling sees that WVCD should go a little further and promote the idea that not only should all things vegan chocolate be celebrated, but that compassion for animals, concern for the environment and all the elements that motivate growth in vegan, also encompasses and values those people and communities that produce the cocoa.
Ling continues ‘We want celebrate and enjoy cocoa but not at the cost of farmers. It seems a no brainer that we should recognize the value of farmers wellbeing, so we are promoting the idea that vegan chocolate should be made from cocoa grown within one of the number of certifications which promote, encourage and certify rights and benefits to the farmers such as the Rainforest Alliance or Organic certification, but there are others.
A number of companies have already signed up to the idea of promoting World Vegan Chocolate Day. Plamil Foods, Winning Ways and Jeavons are promoting the day.
The premium organic chocolate company Seed and Bean are also jumping on board with world vegan chocolate day by announcing three new lines of Rice Milk Chocolate. Seed & Beans’ Oliver Shorts stated, ‘We’ve been developing a range of truly delicious milk free chocolate which will hit the shelves on March 1st. Offering this to our consumers was really important as the demand for Vegan product continues to grow’.
Adrian ends, ‘as more companies getting on board with their own activities, we see this day is going to be a great annual event
Media contact
Roshini Bains,
Editor, International Confectionery
Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922
Email: [email protected]
