LONDON CHOCOLATE FORUM 2026
NEW SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE LCF 2026
From the rise of Nicaragua as a fine-flavour cocoa origin to the growing impact of GLP-1 treatments on chocolate consumption, two new keynote speakers will bring fresh insight to the London Chocolate Forum 2026.
T
he speaker line-up for the 2026 London Chocolate Forum continues to grow, with two new voices bringing fresh perspectives on cocoa sourcing, consumer behaviour and the future of chocolate. Taking place at the iconic Hippodrome
Casino on 5 October 2026, the forum will welcome Jonas Rosales of Islands Chocolate and Semilla Escuela de Cacao, alongside leading nutrition expert Charlotte Radcliffe of The Nutrition Consultant Ltd.
Charlotte Radcliffe Director, The Nutrition Consultant
Jonas Rosales
Cocoa Sourcing and Sustainability at Islands Chocolate, and European Partnerships for Semilla Escuela de Cacao in Nicaragua
Jonas Rosales is a Cocoa Sourcing and Sustainability Manager at Islands Chocolate, London, and part of the team at Semilla Escuela in Nicaragua. With roots in Venezuela and sourcing experience across multiple origins, he works at the intersection of fine flavour cocoa, sustainability, and supply chain transparency.’
Keynote Summary: Insights on Central American cacao and chocolate with a focus on Nicaragua
Nicaragua has quietly become one of fine-flavour cocoa’s most compelling frontiers. Drawing on three years of direct sourcing relationships with cooperatives and producers across the country, Jonas will explore what makes this origin so unique: its history, its people, and the developments in farming, processing, and sustainability that are reshaping its place in the global cocoa conversation. He’ll close with the signals worth watching as the region continues to evolve.
Charlotte Radcliffe is the Director of The Nutrition Consultant Ltd., and a multi-award-winning registered nutritionist with over 20 years’ experience supporting leading food brands across the UK and internationally. Working across retail, hospitality, and manufacturing, Charlotte helps businesses translate nutrition science into practical, commercially workable strategies - bridging the gap between research, regulation and real-world consumer behaviour. A trusted voice in evidence-based nutrition, Charlotte regularly
contributes insights across media and industry platforms, bringing clarity to complex topics and challenging nutrition misinformation. Alongside her industry work, Charlotte supports families with
realistic, everyday nutrition guidance and advises youth athletes, clubs and academies on sports nutrition, delivering practical programmes and tailored guidance that fits real life. At the heart of Charlotte’s work is a clear ethos: nutrition advice - whether for industry or individuals - should be grounded in science and aligned with both human and planetary health.
Keynote summary: The GLP-1 Effect on Chocolate Demand, Formats and Marketing
GLP-1 weight-loss treatments are rapidly shifting from a clinical intervention to a mainstream consumer trend, with real-world implications for how, when and why people buy and enjoy chocolate.
NICARAGUA HAS QUIETLY BECOME ONE OF FINE-FLAVOUR COCOA’S MOST COMPELLING FRONTIERS
In this talk, I’ll share a nutrition and consumer behaviour perspective on GLP-1 treatments. We’ll explore how purchasing habits and treat occasions may evolve, what that could mean across different formats and price points, and the key watch-outs and opportunities for manufacturers. We’ll also discuss practical considerations for product and portfolio strategy, alongside the marketing, claims and regulatory guardrails for communicating quality and reformulation credibly and compliantly. Attendees will leave with a clear, evidence-informed overview of GLP-1s and a practical understanding of how their adoption could influence chocolate innovation, positioning and growth.
Book your early-bird tickets for the London Chocolate Forum 2026 now by visiting https://londonchocolateforum. com/ or by scanning the QR code.
10 • KENNEDY’S CONFECTION • MAY 2026
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