SIMPLY CHOCOLATE IN THE FINAL STRETCH FOR PRESTIGIOUS FOOD AWARD
This year, a small, Copenhagen-based chocolate factory is a finalist at the prestigious Travel Retail Awards. With Hand Luggage, a chocolate bar developed for SAS, Simply Chocolate is going up against big, international brands – and it’s getting noticed.
Travel Retail Awards are awarded annually by international media company Travel Retail Business – this year the award show will be held on May 13. in Singapore. Simply Chocolate will be participating, hoping to bring home the award for best confectionary product of the year back to the factory in Copenhagen.
New name on the list of finalists
It’s usually mega brands such as Nestlé, Ferrero, M&M’s, Mars, and Lindt that take home the Travel Retail Award for best confectionary product of the year, but this year there is a new name on the list of finalists. Simply Chocolate, a small chocolate factory in Copenhagen, working with certified ingredients and turning out handmade delicacies.
How did it happen that TRA spotted Simply Chocolate’s SAS chocolate bar, Hand Luggage?
“I believe Travel Retail Awards took notice because Hand Luggage and Simply Chocolate is something new on the market — this is truly a new product and not just a variety of an old product, which the category can sometimes feel like. The original part of the product is without a doubt a deciding factor, Jacob Harbo, Travel Retail Manager at Simply Chocolate, explains.
Whether Simply Chocolate will actually bring home the award, he’s not sure:
“Obviously, it would be amazing, but it is a huge category with a lot of great brands, and it is only the first time we’re nominated. That in itself is something we are very proud of!”
A bar especially made for SAS
The finalist bar, Hand Luggage, is a luxury chocolate and protein bar that Simply Chocolated developed especially for SAS’s airborne menu. The handmade bar is gluten-free and full of dark chocolate, passionfruit and almonds.
“We’re proud that we got the task of creating a bar for Scandinavia’s own airline. This is Scandi cooperation at its best! SAS wanted to be able to offer their travelers a quality chocolate bar without causing problems for travelers suffering from nut allergies. Without hesitation, our development team went to work and the crunchy almonds became the solution. By combining chocolate and passionfruit with protein we have created a great snack that keeps you full during long flights – making Hand Luggage the essence of traveling,” says Niels Østenkær, CEO of Simply Chocolate.
Naturally, Niels Østenkær is thrilled of the added attention Hand Luggage is getting due to the Travel Retail Award nomination – and he sees is as a sign that TRA is recognizing the sustainability winds sweeping the world of chocolate.
Serious producers are sustainable
“The serious players in the industry know that we must work with sustainable produced ingredients if we wish to continue to be able to make chocolate products. This is why we at Simply Chocolate only use Cocoa Horizons-certified chocolate. But the local aspect also plays an important part – we produce all our chocolate bars by hand here at our small factory in Copenhagen, ensuring that we know exactly what goes into our bars,” Niels Østenkær says, hoping that the nomination will make other companies see the value in having a chocolate bar customized to match their brand.
For more information visit Travel Retail or contact:
Jacob Harbo Olsen
Travel Retail Manager
Jho@simplychocolate.dk
Tel: +45 6122 6898
Niels Østenkær
CEO
Niels@simplychocolate.dk
Tel: +45 4091 0035
It takes real passionate people to run the Simply Chocolate factory. It also takes lots of skills and our experienced employees knows exactly how to care for the chocolate in the best possible way.
WE NEED TO FEEL IT
A perfectly chewy inside in combination with a crisp and cracking layer of chocolate on the outside is not just a walk in the park. Take Grainy Sue as an example, if you add too much spelt it will get dry, if you add too many peanuts it will get too salty, so it needs constant care and a firm hand that knows exactly what it’s doing.
REAL INGREDIENTS
Our pots and casseroles are a bit bigger than your regular ones at home, but it is basically the same setup we use to start the journey of a chocolate bar. We do not want a lab with powders and liquids that no one can pronounce the names of. We want real ingredients and our caramel is made from honey, sugar and butter. That’s it.
November is a beautiful month. Even though the weather is getting colder, the sun is still out, and the colors of the fall are amazing. Fall is also the season when rain and darkness begin, and you start to prepare for the cozy staying-in evenings.
Let’s enjoy November at a slower pace and look for the best things to do. Because November is not just a dark month, it’s also candles, blankets, book reading, watching TV-series, hot cocoa and chocolate.
If you’re having trouble finding the same enthusiasm for the fall as us, here’s a list for you to find the beauty of November:
- Put on a jacket, find a cafe with a spot in the sun and enjoy a cup of coffee while listening to a podcast
- Find a drive-in cinema near you and watch a movie with a friend – remember to bring a blanket, hot drinks and lots of chocolate
- Take your time in the morning to bake waffles and enjoy an extra delicious breakfast
- Make a home-spa by taking a long bath adding relaxing music and scented candles. Take the time to fix nails and apply a soothing face mask. You will feel as good as new!
- Visit a museum
- Enjoy a day on the couch with your favorite book or a pile of magazines.
- Try a new indoor activity, like yoga or a dance class.
- Stay ahead of December and buy a Christmas calendar, a calendar candle, write a wish list and plan Christmas presents.
- And the most important: Be happy that the bikini season is now far away and that you can enjoy an extra piece of chocolate!
We all read a lot about wether chocolate is good or bad for you. We, off course, love chocolate and focus on the benefits of it. And yes, there IS in fact a lot of benefits!
Here’s five facts about chocolate – can naturally be read while eating chocolate.
NO1 – CHOCOLATE MAKES YOU HAPPY
Chocolate works antidepressant. It is the drug tryptophan, that helps your body create serotonin and endorphins, which are the body’s own “happiness pills”. So if you’re feeling sad you have more the reason to eat chocolate.
NO2 – CHOCOLATE GIVES YOU ENERGY
Chocolate is bursting with antioxidants and actually contains more antioxidants than blueberries. So there’s a good reason to pick up a piece of dark chocolate if you’re running low on energy. In fact, just a single piece of chocolate can give your body energy enough to run 150 meters.
NO3 – CHOCOLATE IS GOOD FOR YOU
Chocolate contains a lot of vitamins and minerals, including copper, magnesium, calcium and iron. They are all important if you want to stay strong and healthy. And it contains the substance theobromin that, as recent studies show, relieve cough. So, doctors’ orders, if you feel illness is on its way: eat chocolate!
NO4 – HAVING MEMORY-TROUBLE?
Eating chocolate improves memory and concentration. This is because of the flavonoids that increase blood flow to the brain for two or three hours after eating it.
NO5 – GET FIRM!
And then one to bring joy for both men and women. If you eat dark chocolate, you may find that your breasts become firmer. A small amount of dark chocolate a couple of times a week can have a beneficial effect on your breasts. Chocolate contains the breast strengthening stearic acid and oleic acid. Both substances are also good for your heart – bonus!