INTERVIEW


sustainability, Johnny brings deep knowledge of fermentation, and they both recognised a critical issue in the chocolate industry If you’re working in chocolate today,


anywhere in the world, your business is essentially in constant crisis. Conventional chocolate relies on cocoa, which only grows in a narrow band around the equator. The vast majority of the world’s cocoa comes from West Africa, with some from Central America. But climate change is severely impacting the cocoa plant, yields are falling as temperatures rise. Unfortunately, that’s not likely to improve in the short or medium term. So, with the climate heating up, cocoa


plants are suffering, and yields are dropping. That has a knock-on effect on availability and pricing. Chocolate companies globally are facing pressure, they’re either raising prices, shrinking product sizes, or both. This is something you’ll see frequently in the news — “shrinkflation” is a regular topic. It was KitKats in The Grocer this week. On top of that, cocoa doesn’t have great


sustainability credentials. A vast amount of rainforest — particularly in West Africa — has been cleared in the past 20 to 30 years. In fact, about 80% of the West African rainforest has been lost since 1990. And there are around 1.5 million child labourers involved in cocoa production in Africa. So chocolate has both commercial and


environmental challenges. Prices are rising, supply is decreasing, and there are serious social and sustainability concerns. Yet chocolate consumption is rising, not just in traditional markets like Europe and North America, but also in emerging markets like India, where growing affluence and infrastructure improvements (like chillers) are increasing demand. This is why Win-Win exists: to bridge the


gap between rising demand and declining, problematic supply. We’re not here to stop the cocoa trade, there will always be a place for high-quality, premium cocoa. But most of the chocolate applications globally could be made with Win-Win’s solution — and in many cases, people might even prefer it. Especially when they learn that our product involves minimal deforestation, minimal child labour, 82% fewer carbon emissions, and 80% less water usage.


Can you talk me through the fermentation process? What kind of taste profile it has and what responses have you had from


consumers and chefs alike? MG: That’s the key question — it’s what sets Win-Win apart. In fact, our fermentation process is so unique we have two patents on it. I can’t share all the details, but the basics are this: conventional chocolate


IF YOU’RE WORKING IN CHOCOLATE TODAY, ANYWHERE IN THE


WORLD, YOUR BUSINESS IS ESSENTIALLY IN CONSTANT CRISIS


What kind of responses were you getting at iba? I know that there were people trying samples — what


did you hear? MG: The response has been fantastic. On the first day, we were telling people that it was a cocoa-free alternative, and you could see their curiosity and scepticism. But by the second day, we stopped saying that up front and just let people taste it. The results were incredible. When people know it’s cocoa-free, they usually go through a few stages. First, curiosity — often with some doubt. They try it, and at first there’s this pause. Then a smile breaks out. Sometimes they even laugh. “Oh my goodness — if you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known,” is a common reaction That’s exactly what we aim for. Of course,


making involves fermenting cocoa beans in the sun, which creates those classic chocolate flavours We’ve developed a very specific


fermentation process that uses other ingredients — cereals and legumes that are abundant around the world — to generate the same flavour compounds you get from cocoa. We’re not touching cacao at all With the help of our brilliant team of


scientists, we’ve figured out how to use ingredients like rice or barley to produce that familiar chocolatey taste. Then we combine that with the typical ingredients found in chocolate, resulting in a cocoa-free chocolate alternative that looks, tastes, and performs like the real thing.


every chocolate tastes slightly different, whether it’s made with cacao or not, but most people absolutely love it and respond very positively.


And what challenges have you faced in getting retailers, manufacturers, or even consumers, would you say,


to embrace cocoa-free chocolate? MG: The main challenge is consumer understanding. Retailers and manufacturers ultimately want to know if their customers will pick it up from the shelf. So taste is crucial and we spend a lot of time sampling and testing. Legislation is another issue. In most countries, something must contain cocoa to


JULY 2025 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • 13


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