Whitakers Chocolates, the UK’s largest distributor of personalised chocolates, has become even stronger after picking up a newly-awarded certification to manufacture chocolate that’s approved by Fairtrade, sustainable farming programme UTZ, and the Rainforest Alliance.
Having worked closely with their suppliers in order to obtain the coveted accreditations, the North-Yorkshire based company are now one of the very few manufacturers in the UK who are approved by UTZ, Fairtrade and the Rainforest Alliance.
This will allow Whitakers to be able to compete in a market t hat is starting to become increasingly focused on the ethical side of things for the chocolate industry, and of course for their end-users.
Ian Webster, the sales manager for Whitakers Chocolates, highlighted just how crucial it is for the company to have these accreditations, and can now operate much better as a result.
“This is an incredibly important milestone for the company,” Webster said. “We identified the rising demand for ethically produced chocolate some time ago and we have worked hard to meet the stringent requirements set.
“We can now provide a more extensive range for our multiple retailer customers specifically for their branded products as well as under the Whitakers brand. We’re also developing our export business and these accreditations will broaden our opportunities in international markets.”
The Rainforest Alliance goes out of its way to use environmental regulations in order to minimise the impact of farming on the natural world, while Fairtrade try to work towards putting an end to exploitation of cocoa farms, by ensuring a fair minimum buying price is in place.
Meanwhile, UTZ is the biggest programme for sustainable farming of cocoa and coffee on the planet, and also educates farmers on how they can improve their crop yield, teach them good farm management, and nudge them towards using more efficient farming techniques and practices.
Adding to his comments, Webster said that they are very proud to be involved in the chocolate movement, and it was integral that people are rewarded fairly.
“Chocolate is undoubtedly one of the world’s favourite foods and we’re proud to be part of the movement ensuring cocoa farming remains sustainable and the people involved are rewarded fairly for their produce,” Webster said.
Every week, Whitakers Chocolates supply 10 million chocolates to hotels, retailers and restaurants across the globe, with it all being manufactured from their Skipton HQ.
