Gloriously“green” chocolate

Phil Bushell, founder of Glorious Chocolate, shares his passion for handcrafted artisan confectionery using only sustainably sourced cocoa and the finest ingredients. Interview by Barbara Young.

Launched by cocoa connoisseur Phil Bushell and his dedicated team last year, Glorious Chocolate produces a distinctive range of chocolate bark made in Britain. Using sustainably sourced cocoa from West Africa and other natural ingredients, the chocolate is sold in plastic-free, compostable packaging.

For the aptly named Glorious Chocolate, putting people and the planet first is at the heart of its business.

“From the very beginning, we’ve focused on making a difference to the world in our choices, our products, and the relationships we nurture,” explains Phil, who set up his first business, a music shop, with his father in Grantham at the age of 18. “At Glorious, this is very important to us but equally important is what we leave out of our bark, as well as what we put in. All our ingredients are free from artificial ingredients. We also believe that you don’t have to use palm oil in chocolate.”

Phil, who previously launched an artisan brand of truffle-like fudge, admits that as a child growing up in the 1970s and 80s, he enjoyed many of the popular, commercially produced confectionery brands sold in shops and supermarkets at the time.

“On reflection, perhaps this also helped to inspire me to create something different to what we were all used to seeing on the shelves.”

Having produced and marketed a premium brand called Fudged Up,  Phil recalls wanting to explore branching out into craft chocolate: “I felt that although there is a lot of chocolate out there, much of it lacked the deep flavour profiles that people are looking for these days.”

Glorious Chocolate, which is sold at food event, farm shops and farmers’ markets throughout Lincolnshire, as well as online, currently offers a range of 18 different flavours, all with sumptuous sounding names ranging from ‘Richly Raspberry dark chocolate’ and ‘Majestic Mint dark chocolate’ to ‘Outrageous Orange and honeycomb’ and  ‘Café Noir coffee bean dark chocolate’.

“For me chocolate is an exciting confectionery to work with as it acts as a great bed for introducing exciting flavours and textures to make a fantastic sensory experience.

“We started with just six flavours last year and have been adding to these over the past 12 months or so. My passion is discovering new flavour combinations – one of our more unusual is a white chocolate toffee apple, which has a really fresh apple flavour with caramelised toffee pieces to add a delightful crunch.

“Currently, top of the popular flavour list is our Milk Chocolate with Caramel and Honeycomb pieces, followed by our new Dark Cherry and Dark Ginger.

“What makes Glorious Chocolate unique is taste, texture and our love of flavour. Our chocolate bark is different to a normal bar of chocolate, which is moulded in a plastic mould. It’s made in a large tray and worked into chocolate that is left to set and then broken into shards. This makes for a totally different taste experience as the flavours are more intense due to the thinness of the chocolate. We also include lots of other ingredients such as honeycomb, raspberries, mint sugar crystals, blackcurrants and cherries, which add a burst of flavour and great textures.”

Flavour processes
Phil says that like the rest of his team, he is constantly curious about new flavour combinations and formats and mulls over new flavours all the time, which maintains interest and keeps things fresh for his growing list of returning customers.

“Our flavours are deep and rich, and reach the parts that other chocolate doesn’t. For people who haven’t tried our chocolate before, it creates a whole new taste experience.

“A typical day at work would see us discussing and selecting which flavours we want to produce for that week. Not surprisingly, when we create a new flavour, there are inevitably lots of volunteers queuing up to be the first to try it!

“We then start with a particular type of chocolate, dark for example, and begin the chocolate and tempering process. Once ready, we add the ingredients to the tempered chocolate and then let it cool overnight. Each flavour is then broken into thin shards and packed into our plastic-free packaging, sealed and then decorated with a gift ribbon and label. In addition to the chocolate-making, we also ship out orders to our trade customers and process internet orders as well as planning which forthcoming events to exhibit at.”

Glorious Chocolate products are all handcrafted in small batches in their Grantham workshop, using locally or UK sourced ingredients where possible.

“Our raspberries are from a traditional family-run farm in Scotland and our English Honeycomb is from a small company in Shrewsbury. The flavours we use are 100% natural and our chocolate is palm oil free with no artificial additives. Everything we make is suitable for vegetarians and our dark chocolate bark range is vegan-friendly, too.”

Handcrafted vs commercial
Phil acknowledges that everyday commercially produced chocolate has its place and remains popular across the world. However, if you’re looking for something special and different, either as a gift or to treat yourself, by choosing a premium handcrafted chocolate you are not only supporting local independent producers but also taking an opportunity to enjoy a more intense taste experience.

“We love creating chocolate with flavours that are fresh, exciting and give you a ‘WOW’ the moment you take your first bite. It’s not about eating as much chocolate as you can, but more about enjoying that special moment.

“We have many different types of customers; those looking to treat themselves, or the family at a local farmers’ market or food festival, as well as those looking to buy a gift for a chocolate-lover or a special occasion. Our online gift boxes make wonderful presents, especially as our customers can choose which flavours they would like to add to their boxes and also include a personalised message to the recipient.”

Phil says he is also planning to bring out a range of hot chocolate early next year, as well as expanding into more shops and outlets across the country.

“For me, a successful business is more than simply creating a product for profit. Glorious Chocolate has purpose, soul and makes people feel good. That’s what drives me. That’s my enduring passion.”

For more information, visit gloriouschocolate.co.uk or follow Glorious Chocolate on social media
@ukgloriouschocolate

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