Tony’s Chocolate Love A-Fair

It’s been a long time since I have written about anything Tony’s related here, but the company have recently launched two new chocolate bars in collaboration with Ben and Jerry’s. Ben and Jerry’s have released two new ice creams too. Both companies take ethics seriously so it’s been fantastic to see them come together for this collaboration. The collab has been cleverly named Tony’s Chocolate Love A-Fair and all of the products are easy to find in supermarkets across the UK.

“United by a shared passion for social justice”

I was given a ticket to the Chocolate Love A-Fair and was thrilled to be a little part of the celebration of this collaboration. The event was wonderfully organised so that each group of people visiting was given a short talk outlining Tony’s mission. 

While the shocking reality of modern slavery and child labour in the chocolate industry isn’t new to me, having someone stand in front of me and explain the stats really brought it home. Tony’s report an alarming 30,000 cases of modern slavery and 1.56 million cases of child labour in the chocolate industry in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

Tony’s mission ensures that these issues will be tackled, and Tony’s are working hard to encourage others in the chocolate industry to meet Tony’s standards which include:

• Purchasing only traceable cocoa beans
• Paying a higher price for cocoa beans
• Partnering with strong farmers
• Long-term commitments
• Focus on improved productivity & quality

While the Tony’s mission is undoubtedly making a difference to those in the chocolate production process, for big changes to happen, more companies in the industry need to stand together with Tony’s. This is a situation where the more companies to come on board to make a conscious effort to improve the industry standards, the bigger the impact will be. 

You only have to set foot in a UK supermarket to see that the shops are starting their big push towards Easter. Chocolate is being presented to consumers at every available opportunity, and it often comes with low, low prices attached. Who are the workers behind those low prices? Have they been paid fairly? Do they have good working conditions? Are they children?

Now we are in the midst of a cost of living crisis, many of us don’t have much of a choice as to what we buy. If we want chocolate, we buy whatever has the cheaper price tag. However, if you find yourself in a position where you fancy a bar of chocolate and have the means to choose which bar you buy, make a conscious purchasing decision. There is more power in your purchasing decisions than you might think. 

Tony’s Chocolate Love A-Fair Event

The Chocolate Love A-Fair event was fantastic fun. After learning all about Tony’s mission and how Tony’s and Ben and Jerry’s have come together, there were plenty of games to play and chocolate (and ice cream) to eat. 

There were ample opportunities to sample all of the new products that have come from this collaboration, and while I have enjoyed every single one of them, the white strawberry cheesecake is my definite favourite. As someone who has travelled to the Netherlands with an empty backpack just to stock up on Tony’s white chocolate (which isn’t currently available in the UK), I’m always excited to see white chocolate variations pop up in the UK market!

I really am thrilled to have visited this event and celebrated the coming together of two great brands. Well done Tony’s.