Quintessentially British

Julian Clarke, sales director for artisan chocolate brand Choc on Choc, tells Confectionery Production about his career to date and his current role.

What is your background?
I am a retail man through and through. I started out working as a buyer in the retail sector before moving into the confectionery industry as a sales manager. I’m a big fan of the sweeter side of retail, having worked for industry giants like Candyking and the House of Dorchester, flogging everything from penny sweets to luxury British chocolates. I’m thrilled to be working with one of the most innovative brands in the British chocolate industry right now.

What is your current role?
I’m focusing on developing new business relationships with retailers nationwide, by introducing them to the fantastic range of Choc on Choc products. Another key focus for me is to build on our existing client relationships in order to increase our trading, especially in the run up to key seasons such as Easter, although my overall aim is to increase trading all year round.

How has the confectionery sector changed over the past 10 years?
The industry has always been very dynamic with major branded players constantly innovating to attract new consumers and steal share from others. The level of promotional dealing has always been high in everyday confectionery, diluting retailer margins. It is the innovators within premium sectors, such as Choc on Choc, who carve their own niches in outlets that enable retailers to add genuine value for customers, through exciting products, at margin levels they would not be able to achieve from massive brands.

At what stage in its development have you joined Choc on Choc?
This is an exciting time for the business, as we are moving our sales strategy up a gear to take on more established brands and show national retailers the breadth of products that Choc on Choc has to offer. The company has experienced double digit growth during the past 11 years, which is very impressive and shows how much potential the brand has on a national scale. I can’t wait to tap into it and see the brand on every major retailers’ shelves.

How is the brand positioned within the marketplace?
It is an innovative brand within the chocolate industry, proud of its heritage and its creative, patented approach to chocolate design. As well as offering gift ranges, the brand is famed for providing a personalisation service that allows customers to create their own chocolate boxes, as well as building Willy Wonka-style creations for A-list clients including Nicholas Cage and Sting. Even members of the royal family have been known to place an order or two. Our wacky chocolatiers are our major point of difference as their intricate designs really set our ranges apart from those of other brands. We work hard to promote the brand where possible – co-founder, Flo Broughton, appeared on TV show Mary Berry Cooks. In an episode where chocolate was a key ingredient in one of her recipes, Mary Berry visited the Choc on Choc factory in Bath, where Flo gave her tips on how chocolate can be used to create everything from chocolate goodies for children to little works of art. We also enter relevant awards, and most recently Choc on Choc was shortlisted for the Smarta 100 Awards – an annual celebration of the most resourceful and inspiring small businesses in the UK.

What are the unique selling points of the brand?
Choc on Choc is an innovative chocolate brand, which is based at The Chocolate House, our chocolate workshop in the Bath countryside. We produce hand crafted chocolates using high quality white, milk and dark Belgian chocolate alongside our patented chocolate layering technique. This enables us to create intricate designs with a whimsical aesthetic. Our product ranges combine playful designs with deliciously creamy chocolate to create gifts for every occasion.

Who is your target consumer?
Our wide product range ensures we have something for everyone, from an adult with a sweet tooth to a child who wants to have some fun – I’m thinking of our Egg and Soldiers here! We also have a fairly broad price range, so consumers can choose to enjoy a small bar of Choc on Choc, or to purchase one of our personalised boxes as a gift for a friend or family member.

How does Choc on Choc address the increasingly important issues of provenance and fair trade in the sector?
Provenance is becoming increasingly important to consumers as they wish to understand where the products they are buying come from. We are very open about where our chocolate is made, in our factory in Bath, and hope this resonates with consumers wanting to invest in British brands.

What is your experience of the confectionery market in different countries?
With British provenance becoming of increasing interest to new money within export markets, the appeal for our products is growing exponentially. Having worked in the confectionery industry for a long period of time, I have extensive knowledge of the Scandinavian, US, Canadian and Irish markets, having traded with them all.

What countries does Choc on Choc currently export to and how does the list of best sellers vary in different markets?
Choc on Choc’s top five export markets are: Australia, the US, Italy, Japan and Qatar. We currently export gold chocolate camels to Qatar and lots of chocolate animals to Thailand. Italy love the teacups and cakes and quintessentially British items as does the US market. We are always looking to gain long terms relationships with new retailers outside of the UK, and this continues to be a core focus for our business.

What exhibitions will you be attending in 2015?
We are big advocates of meeting with new and existing trade partners at every opportunity, and will be exhibiting at Spring Fair in Birmingham from 1–5 February and at Top Drawer at Olympia London from 13-15 September. We shall also be visiting ISM in Germany this year with a view to potentially exhibiting for the first time in 2016.

Do you have a sweet tooth?
Of course, and I would say that all of my teeth are sweet.

What are your favourite types of confectionery?
Anything made from a high quality chocolate that looks as good as it tastes. I eat firstly with my eyes.

What do you predict will be the next big thing in confectionery?
Premium sharing has much scope, as consumers are always looking for indulgence but on a permissible scale. At Choc on Choc, customers already know that our chocolate is of the highest quality, and it is about bringing new innovation in design, and adding additional variants to our range that will enable our brand to become an even bigger player within the market, while maintaining our core values of being lovingly hand made and family owned.

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