4 Reasons I Love nono Cocoa Chocolates

Key Summary

I recently discovered nono cocoa chocolates and fell in love! There are 4 reasons I’m a huge fan: delicious taste, free from, healthy and ethical. These chocolates are seriously tasty and so pretty! Unlike many free from alternatives, they actually taste better than most supermarket chocolates. They come in a variety of inspired flavours and pretty designs. nono cocoa chocolate is made in a special facility, it’s vegan and free from the 14 most common allergens. They’re also healthy as they contain nutritious ingredients not usually found in chocolate. Finally, nono cocoa is an ethical cooperative business, providing employment to the most vulnerable in society.

My Thoughts on nono Cocoa Chocolate

Firstly, this is not a sponsored or advert post. I saw a tweet from nono cocoa asking for taste testers. I received 8 free chocolates in return for confidential, honest feedback sent directly to team nono. That’s it! I thought these chocolates were really special though, which is my motivation for this post. I’ve had coeliac and multiple allergies for ~20 years so I’ve been along for the whole free from ride. The early days of next to nothing and then unpalatable alternatives with horrendous price tags. Now, there are specialist mass manufacturers, supermarket-own ranges and artisans. nono cocoa are artisans and they don’t just make chocolates, there’s a whole range of goodies.

Beautiful chocolates which taste delicious

The first thing you notice about these chocolates is how pretty they are! They have delightful shapes e.g. flowers, tea cups, leaves, hearts and stars, with colourful decorations. Each one is a generous size and the boxes have a good range of flavours. Flavours include fruit, coffee, coconut, caramel, spice (e.g. ginger or apple cinnamon) and even a nut and alcohol free marzipan. I found the flavours a little unusual at first but very moreish. I don’t like overly sweet chocolate so these are perfect for me. Some of the flavours are instant favourites: rose truffle, the citrus fruit ones, ‘marzipan’ and fudge. There is also a good range of textures, from creams to crunches. It’s clear team nono have worked very hard to perfect their recipes and re-create many of the flavours of traditional chocolates.

Vegan and Free From

nono cocoa chocolates are naturally vegan and made in a specialist allergen-free facility. They are free from the 14 most common allergens: celery, gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites. Additionally, they are also free from nuts, yeast, artificial colouring and preservatives. I am guilty on occasion of having a ‘may contain…’ chocolate and not fully enjoying it because at the back of my mind I know I’m taking a risk. The chocolates from nono cocoa are pure pleasure with no risk of cross-contamination.

Healthy and Functional

Can chocolate be good for you? Cocoa contains antioxidants, flavanols and polyphenols which have well established health benefits. nono cocoa goes one further, their chocolates are a functional food. Functional foods give additional or enhanced benefits beyond their basic nutritional value. In the case of nono cocoa these benefits include added antioxidants, calcium and probiotics. Check out nono cocoa’s best selling box with 16 different chocolates and their advent calendar which featured in the Independent.

Ethical Cooperative Empowering the Disadvantaged

rosegold reports works with products and services which offer high quality, value for money and who operate ethically and sustainably. nono cocoa is a perfect example of these qualities. nono is an ethical cooperative focusing on empowering the most disadvantaged in our society. Team nono offers employment to people with disabilities including autism, epilepsy and mental health disorders. Many people disadvantaged in this way, have difficulty accessing employment. They do not want to depend on benefits or charity. By offering employment opportunities, nono cocoa empowers these people in their journey to becoming financially independent.

About nono Cocoa chocolate

nono cocoa was founded in 2018 as is part of the functional foods company. The company was started by Aless as a way to help her son Ethan who has autism, coeliac, allergies and epilepsy to get necessary nutrition. The name nono comes from Ethan’s response to conventional foods which made him sick: “no, no”. Ethan is now know as nono boy and inspires both the chocolates flavours and their sensory presentation. Their story is truly inspiring and shows how a person can overcome challenging circumstances to help themselves and others. You can read more about their journey here. #teamnono have won a variety of prestigious awards including recognition at: National Business Women’s Awards, National Diversity Awards and Acquisition International Business Excellence Awards and Free From Food Awards.