Luxury chocolatier launches ‘free from’ range
Cirillo, a Northern Irish luxury chocolatier, has launched a range of gluten free chocolates for people with coeliac disease. In addition to being gluten free, the chocolates are free from wheat and eggs. The company’s dark chocolate is also dairy-free.
The range includes cappuccino bar, milk chocolate, plain, marshmallow, bresilienne (sugar coated toasted hazelnut pieces) or chunky hazelnut pieces. Dairy free dark chocolate comes plain or with fruit and nuts.
Cirillo, based at Lurgan in County Armagh, was formed by Caroline McArdle last December and launched its first luxury chocolates in May.
The artisan business also produces wedding favours, unique gluten free birthday and Christmas products and bespoke chocolate cups and truffles on request. In the pipeline is a range of truffles for retail.
McArdle, a graphic designer, decided to start making chocolates and desserts when their son was diagnosed with coeliac disease. She was keen that he should be able to enjoy chocolate like his friends and classmates.
She began researching and developing her own recipes particularly for chocolate. The end result is a range of chocolates from quality ingredients including cocoa sourced directly from farms in Ghana.
“I looked at chocolates currently available in confectioners and supermarkets and found that they all contained gluten. It seemed to me that the only course was to start creating my own recipes using ingredients I could trust. I also consulted leading chocolatiers about how to develop a range of luxury products.
“A key feature of our products is that we don’t use any processed ingredients. The chocolates are lovingly handmade in small batches to recipes I have developed and are fully tested as being gluten free by an accredited laboratory.
“What this means is that chocolate lovers can count on the products being completely gluten free and on the provenance of all the ingredients. We have total control over the sourcing of ingredients and the entire production process.
“We’ve created a range of luxury chocolates that everyone, especially coeliacs and those with other allergies, can now enjoy.”
The company has test marketed the range at food fairs and farmers’ markets and received very positive feedback. The e-commerce facility on the company’s website, in addition, has already attracted enquiries from coeliac sufferers in Britain.
