Sweetdreams strengthen partnership with ethical cocoa supplier Luker

Posted on 7th April 2022

It’s been a productive period for our team at Sweetdreams and despite a very challenging climate through the pandemic, we have continued to grow. Investing in the improvement of our processes and products.

As we embark on the next chapter of our business, our partnership with Colombian based ethical cocoa supplier Luker chocolate grows from strength to strength.

With quality cocoa and sustainable practices at the heart of the business, the collaboration brings with it the opportunity. To create superior and uniquely flavoured confectionery and to support local communities too. This is something that we are incredibly passionate about and the reason why we switched 100% of our panned product range to Luker in January 2021.

Luker : Our in-house chocolate

With investment in infrastructure and the new chocolate depositing manufacturing line, it facilitated diversification of the business offering. To evolve, extend reach and enable the company to compete in the premium chocolate confectionery market. We exclusively use Luker milk, dark, white and oatmilk chocolate for all our products.

At Sweetdreams we pride ourselves on creating high quality confectionery products for all our customers. You might know us for our chocolate coated nuts, fruit and fudge products, our much loved Choc Nibbles brand or the bespoke work we deliver for clients helping them to develop their own unique confectionery products.  Our full panning operation offers endless possibilities in coated products. Selecting high-quality ingredients is a vital component of our business, helping us create great tasting confectionery that consumers love.

ICCO guaranteed quality chocolate

And it’s one of the reasons why we are delighted to partner with Luker. When it comes to quality and flavour, they certainly don’t disappoint. With only 8% of the world’s cocoa yield awarded the prestigious single origin Cacao Fino de Aroma classification by the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) (That’s an Oscar of the chocolate world to you and I!!), Luker are quite simply the cream of the crop. The accreditation defines not just the cocoa’s unique flavour but a guarantee of the quality of the ingredients that create chocolate that is… quite literally out of this world.

Luker’s Chocolate Dream

But accolades aside, the business are known for much more than their products and processes. It’s an emphasis on not just what they make, but how they make it. Family owned, the company has more than a century of tradition with a deep rooted, ethical and sustainable commitment to supporting their communities. Working with local farmers in Colombia, Luker prides itself on its commercial partnerships with over 50 farmers associations. This in turn benefit more than 7,500 Colombian families. Impressive stuff from a company driven by the purpose of transforming the world through chocolate; where cocoa is the foundation and opportunity the outcome.

That’s chocolate with a conscience alright and why we at Sweetdreams are honoured to be in partnership.

Matthew Stephenson, Managing Director, Sweetdreams Ltd said;

“It was a long-held ambition of ours to work with the team at Luker. It’s hard not to admire what they stand for and what they have achieved over the years and we are very proud they have welcomed us to the family and recognised us as a business who share their values.

We know our customers will be delighted with the news too with many of them keen for us to be supplied by Luker. It goes without saying that the quality and flavour of the product is outstanding – as a single source, fine cacao, it’s easily the best tasting chocolate on the market that can be sourced at scale. Then you take into consideration the positive social impact and sustainability elements of the business which is just remarkable on every level.”

Plans for the future

And with the future looking sweet for Sweetdreams there are more ambitious plans for the business.  As the popularity of their panned product range continues to go from strength to strength, and the chocolate bar depositing line capacity is filling up with white label and disruptive brands, there are further plans to diversify into new export markets and increase capital spend on product innovation.

Matthew Stephenson, Managing Director, Sweetdreams Ltd added

“We are incredibly proud, in what has been a tough few years, to be where we are today. As Sweetdreams continues to grow and with turnover and profitability increasing, we are delighted to be embarking on this next chapter with Luker. Our commitment always being to deliver outstanding quality products for our customers or as some might say chocolate with a conscience!”

For more information about Sweetdreams contact:  

info@sweetdreamsconfectionery.com

01670 738435