FROM THE EDITOR


Confection Kennedy’s


EDITORIAL Editor


Kiran Grewal


kgrewal@kennedys.co.uk Features Editor


Suzanne Callander scallander@kennedys.co.uk


Production & Design Marc Miller


ADVERTISING


Business Development Manager


Gary Smythson


gsmythson@kennedys.co.uk 01622 699183


Subscriptions Manager Nic Wood


nic.wood@c-cms.com EVENTS


Gary Smythson


gsmythson@kennedys.co.uk 01622 699183


ACCOUNTS accounts@datateam.co.uk EDITOR’S LETTER I


am writing this month’s letter from Toronto, although by the time you read it I will be back in England and, I have to admit, quite excited to return. There is a lot happening in the Kennedy’s calendar over the coming months, with PPMA and the London Chocolate Forum 2026 both approaching, and plenty of conversations already building around them. On page 10, we also announce further speakers for the London Chocolate Forum 2026. With the event getting closer, I really am looking forward to seeing these conversations develop in person and meeting all of our wonderful delegates. We’re delighted to welcome back Wow Cacao as an exhibitor this year – if that’s not a sign of the usefulness of having the entire value chain of chocolate in one room…I’m not sure what is!


Confectionery is a global industry, but the way it develops is often deeply regional. Toronto’s chocolate community, for example, has its own character, with businesses such as Soma Chocolate and As We Do Chocolate demonstrating how sourcing, craftsmanship and a strong sense of provenance can become central to a brand’s identity. Speaking with businesses in different markets gives us a better sense of where ideas are coming from, and perhaps more importantly, where they might go next. Keep an eye out in our next edition for a cover story with As We Do Chocolate for our unique insights that you won’t find anywhere else.


The consumer side of the industry is changing just as quickly. I was particularly interested in the National Confectioners Association’s use of the term ‘Summerween’ to describe the increasingly blurred boundaries around Halloween and seasonal confectionery. It sounds playful, but there is a serious point underneath it. Consumers are creating their own occasions and finding new reasons to engage with confectionery, meaning the traditional calendar is becoming less useful as a guide to when and why products are purchased.


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Kennedy’s Confection ISSN 1474-3841


Set up in 1890, Kennedy’s Confection is the longest– established magazine in the trade and is distributed


exclusively worldwide to manufacturers of chocolate, sugar confectionery and bakery products.


Kennedy’s Publications


Part of the Datateam Media Group Media Director Paul Ryder


Registered in England No. 1771113. Entire contents © 2026 Kennedy’s Publications, part of the Datateam Media Group. Material may not be


reproduced in any form without the publisher’s written approval.


For details on reprints and permissions, contact the director of Kennedy’s


Kiran


Kiran Grewal, Editor kgrewal@kennedys.co.uk


JULY 2026 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • 3


Our feature on fermented ingredients begins on page 14, looking at how fermentation is moving into ingredient development as manufacturers search for greater functionality, efficiency and resilience. On page 20, we examine robotics for handling delicate products, where the challenge is to automate, but with the hygiene, accuracy and care that confectionery demands. Our Data-Driven Manufacturing feature on page 26 considers what manufacturers can actually do with the enormous amount of information now being generated across production lines. And on page 32, we look at hybrid packaging materials and the increasingly difficult balance between simpler, recyclable structures and the barriers, seals and shelf life confectionery products still require.


I hope you enjoy this issue and, as always, find something useful within it.


Finally, a small correction from our May issue: the machine pictured in ‘Syntegon’s vision for a factory of the future’ was a Schubert TLM and was not connected to the strategy discussed in the article. We apologise for the mix-up and thank our readers for their understanding.


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