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Recent reports about lead and cadmium in chocolate have raised questions about chocolate safety. In response, the Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) released a statement encouraging consumers to look at the broader scientific context rather than drawing conclusions from alarming headlines. Lead and cadmium are naturally occurring elements found in soil and, consequently, in many everyday foods. They can be present in grains, leafy vegetables, nuts, root vegetables and cacao. Their presence in food is not unique to chocolate. According to Keith Ayoob, a nutrition expert and member of the FCIA Board, food is generally a minor source of lead exposure, with chocolate representing an even smaller contribution. He also notes that dietary cadmium exposure comes from a variety of...

DWN has grown so much over the past few years, and a big part of that is because of you. We’d love to hear what you love about DWN, what keeps you coming back, and what you’d like to see from us in the future. We’ve put together a short survey and your feedback will help us make better decisions about the current lineup and what we offer next. Take the survey →It should only take a few minutes and we’d genuinely love to hear what you think!

We’re not the only ones making good things in Ontario.Alongside our own chocolate and confections, the DWN shop is home to a growing collection of products from other Ontario makers and producers — because we believe in giving good, local products a place on the shelf. Think small-batch, handmade, delicious and just plain good stuff from people who are making things right here in Ontario.pure Canadian maple syrup from Hutchinson Maple Syrupaddictive handmade granola from Muskoka Granola Co.small batch popcorn from Wild Kernelpure Canadian honey from the Heritage Bee Companylocally roasted nuts from Copperpot Nutsdelicious jam made in Baysville by Yummies in a Jarluscious tea blends from Sloane Teagreeting cards from Chu on This Studio and Halifax Paper Co.So when you shop at DWN, you’re not just...

DWN has always made single origin, high percentage chocolate bars for those people who want a more pure chocolate experience. Single origin refers to cacao beans grown in a single country, often from a specific farm or plantation. Similar to wine and coffee, cacao exhibits terroir based on where it is grown. Each cacao bean possesses a distinct personality, with variations between beans from different regions and growing seasons. Throughout the chocolate-making process, the aim is to bring out the unique and delightful characteristics that each cacao variety holds.Earlier this year DWN launched a 100% single origin bar using cocoa nibs from Flor de Límon, Ecuador. It contains just cocoa nibs and a small amount of cocoa butter for fluidity—no sugar, no added flavours, just chocolate. I’ll admit,...

This isn't the kind of photo content you normally expect from DWN, but it raises an interesting question: when is a chocolate bar not actually a chocolate bar? In the first blog post in this series, we explored how chocolate is legally defined in Canada. The key takeaway was that chocolate isn't just a flavour—it's a regulated standard. Products sold as chocolate must meet specific requirements for cocoa solids and cocoa butter. To see how this works in practice, I bought a few products off the shelf: IKEA Belöning, Cadbury Dairy Milk Mini Eggs, Nestlé Aero, Hershey's Milk Chocolate, Coffee Crisp, and Caramilk. The IKEA bar, Dairy Milk, Aero, and Hershey's are all labelled as chocolate because they meet the requirements to...