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...
Summer is finally here, and with it comes a few returning favourites, a fresh new look, and some additions to our chocolate lineup.s'mores season is back Our s'mores kit has returned for the summer. Packed with everything you need for campfires, cottage weekends, backyard gatherings, or an evening around the fire pit. new look for peach raspberry fizz One of our most popular seasonal bars is back. The peach raspberry fizz bar combines bright fruit flavours with popping candy for a bar that's playful and unmistakably summer. This year it returns with a brand-new label featuring Lake Simcoe, celebrating the place we call home. meet strawberry rose blush If you've been looking for something a little unexpected, the strawberry rose blush bar is for you. Sweet strawberries and creamy...
This is the second newsletter in our Chocolate 101 series. Last time, we explored what legally qualifies as chocolate in Canada. This time, we're looking at the two most common ways chocolate is classified: type and percentage. The first classification is chocolate type. While there are endless flavour combinations and inclusions, nearly all chocolate falls into one of three categories: The second classification is chocolate percentage. Chocolate percentage refers to the amount of cocoa ingredients—cocoa solids and cocoa butter—in a chocolate product, expressed as a percentage of the total recipe. For example, a 70% dark chocolate bar means that 70% of the bar is made up of cocoa ingredients, while the remaining 30% is typically sugar and, in some cases,...
Last month, I found myself explaining the legal definition of chocolate more times than I expected, so I thought this might be a good opportunity to return to the basics. I had one customer send me a video of a large truffle producer that uses vegetable fats blended into the filling to keep it soft, smooth, and shelf-stable. I also met an entrepreneur who was surprised to learn that the melting wafers they were buying from Bulk Barn are not legally considered chocolate in Canada, but confectionery coatings.And then there was a conversation with a reporter from a major Canadian network, where I had to explain that some of the country’s most recognizable “chocolate bars” are, by legal definition, actually candy bars. In Canada,...
It may have snowed a bit this past Saturday, but the budding branches are a sure sign that spring is just around the corner — and so is Mother’s Day. While we wait for the new season’s harvest in Simcoe County, we’ve crafted our In Bloom collection using flavours preserved from last year: a lavender-infused caramel with flowers from Greenwood Hill Farm, Canadian freeze-dried strawberries, dried mint from Foggy River Farm, and local honey.If you’re hoping to give Mom a moment to slow down and savour, let us help you create something personal — think cozy mugs, small-batch tea, golden jars of honey, locally made jam, and of course, chocolate.Pop in and we’ll help you put something together she’ll love. 💛
