Sweetdreams aims to deliver chocolate joy with latest 'Gozo' premium confectionery

Matthew and Cath Stephenson with the new Gozo series. Pic: Sweetdreams

Posted: 6 June 2023

Related core topics: Business news, Cocoa & chocolate, Ingredients

Related topics: chocolate, Colombia, innovation, investment, premium brand, UK

Related people: Cath Stephenson, Matthew Stephenson

After successfully offering a sneak peak at Gulfood and ISM trade shows, Sweetdreams confectionery has offered a full launch to its new premium bar series, Gozo, through extending a sourcing relationship with Colombia's Luker Chocolate, writes Neill Barston.

As the British business noted, its latest line follows in the wake of notable investment in its packaging systems, which has enabled it to pursue an expanded portfolio, including extensions to its core Choc Nibbles lines.

According to the husband and wife team behind the firm, Matthew and Cath Stephenson, their latest project is culmination of a dream "to create a truly generous and sustainable bar of luxury chocolate" in a world of shrinking bars and squeezed purses.

Confectionery Production recently had the chance to sample the new Gozo series – meaning joy in Colombia, from where the cocoa is harvested courtesy of Luker Chocolate, which is set to play its part in this year's World Confectionery Conference taking place in Harrogate, Yorkshire on 5, October.

Last year, the company agreed a sourcing deal with Sweetdreams to enable a new Choc Nibbles bar series, with the company's latest Gozo offering being delivered in six new130g varieties using single origin Cacao Fino de Aroma, renowned for its rich, fruity taste. Its flavour options include milk chocolate, dark chocolate, whole fruit and nut, dark chocolate and raspberry, sea salted caramel crisp and a non-dairy oat milk alternative – retailing at £2.99 each.

Unlike most mainstream chocolate, Gozo cocoa beans are not intensively processed, mechanically or chemically, so retain all the natural flavours, aromas and character the cocoa butter brings to the chocolate

The company recently recruited new team members to grow the GOZO brand, including James Jeffery as Head of Sales and Hannah Bowrey as Senior Product and Innovation Manager.

Matt Stephenson, Managing Director of Sweetdreams Ltd, said: "The GOZO range is absolutely zero compromise. We set out to create a range of chocolate with depth and distinction, and its substantial size is what really sets it apart.

"With each 130g bar you get a big, beautiful, and incredibly generous block of Fino de Aroma chocolate. In fact, the GOZO bar is almost double the weight of some competitor products. GOZO's ethos is to bring joy by being generous – generous with ingredients, generous with size and generous with value.

"We insist on actual real ingredients, not just flavouring. Our salted caramel bar has actual salted caramel. Our dark chocolate with raspberries has real raspberry pieces. The fruit and nut bar has whole raisins and lovely big almonds. It's a big bar with no e-numbers, no fillers, no palm oil, no short cuts, and no making do.

"Sustainability is fundamentally important to us and partnering with Luker Chocolate on its inspiring initiative, The Chocolate Dream, has been an amazing experience. We’re helping to transform the chocolate value chain from origin, and seeing tangible results within the communities in Colombia where our GOZO cocoa originates".