Consumer demand for high-quality premium chocolate accelerates
Premium craft, bean-to-bar chocolate brand, Firetree, is launching its best-selling, award-winning, single-estate Firetree Soloman Islands, Guadalcanal 100% Cocoa Bar (70g, RRP £4.25) into Tesco stores this month. It will be the first time that Tesco has had a 100 percent chocolate on shelf.
The unique and complex flavours of Firetree’s Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal 100% Cocoa are developed through long, slow whole bean roasting. This process removes bitterness to reveal a deeply complex flavour and the cocoa bean’s natural taste notes of rich cocoa, sticky date, mellow black tea and red fruit.
The launch comes as the chocolate category begins to mirror the premiumisation seen in coffee, olive oil, craft beer and even breakfast cereals such as granola, where quality ingredients, single origin sourcing, taste and health have driven sustained growth.
Firetree’s Solomon Island, Guadalcanal 100% Cocoa’s arrival in the UK’s largest grocery retailers puts premium and ethical indulgence firmly within reach of the mainstream shopper. Crafted in the UK from cocoa sourced from small farm-holdings through their chosen cooperatives and agri-centres on remote volcanic islands around the world, Firetree Chocolate offers a bold alternative to mass-market chocolate.
Linked to this premiumisation is the rapid rise in demand for higher percentage cocoa chocolate. One in four consumers from a recent Firetree survey is actively choosing chocolate with a higher cocoa percentage compared with a year ago. This was the most significant year-on-year consumer behaviour change reported in chocolate consumption and aligns with wider market growth in chocolate above 80 percent cocoa.
Although 100 percent cocoa products typically account for around three to five percent of premium chocolate sales, demand is rising fast. The key driver behind this shift is consumers cutting down on sugar for general health or specific dietary reasons, with wider conversations around sugar reduction, weight management and healthier indulgence contributing significantly to demand for high cocoa chocolate.
David Zulman, Managing Director of Firetree Chocolate, said: “We are delighted to be extending the 100 percent, single-estate cocoa experience to a new tribe of chocolate lovers in Tesco. Over the past year we have seen growing interest in 100 percent cocoa, a small but fast-growing segment of the market. When you source exceptional beans and whole roast them low and slow, the result is a 100 percent cocoa that is rich and layered, punchy but never bitter.
“Our 100 percent products are consistently among our bestsellers through our own online shop, especially with consumers seeking no-added-sugar options. It is a space we are proud to lead and one we believe will continue to grow as health-conscious indulgence becomes the norm.”
Firetree is also set to launch three new Tanzanian-origin chocolate bars into its range in October, including the brand’s first 90 percent cocoa bar, made from beans sourced from the Kilombero Valley in the heart of Tanzania.
The UK chocolate market is forecast to reach £16.2 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5.4% from 2025, with premium chocolate alone expected to generate £2.8 billion by 2029. This growth is driven by rising demand for ethical sourcing, gifting formats, and high-cocoa products – trends that Firetree is well positioned to lead.
Designed for discerning chocolate lovers, Firetree’s products contain no additives or flavourings, and many are naturally dairy-free, vegan, and certified Kosher and Halal – appealing to a wide range of dietary preferences.
Firetree Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal 100% Cocoa Bar (70g, RRP £4.25)
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