9 minute read
The FOUNDER: Carole Armitage of 80Noir
Carole is a renowned chocolatier with 35 years of experience. Her multi-award winning, bespoke recipe of 80.3% dark chocolate offers a rich flavour profile without the usual bitterness. 80Noir Ultra is palm oil free, gluten free, and keto friendly, catering to various dietary preferences. In addition to its amazing flavour, this chocolate also provides wellness benefits, helping to reduce anxiety and boost energy.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START 80Noir Ultra?
From the age of 8, chocolate has always been my go-to tonic. I was diagnosed with low blood sugar levels and low blood pressure. This means when I am overwhelmed or stressed, I tend to collapse and faint. I was told hot chocolate was the best way to help manage this, due to the sugar content. As such I have always seen chocolate as my medicine, an elixir to my health and wellbeing.
After starting with hot chocolate, I quickly realised that I didn’t like the high sugar content or the grainy texture of milk chocolate powdered drink. It didn’t make me feel good within myself, so I started making my drink with dark chocolate. It was better, but I always wanted a more flavourful option. This led me to search for a great hot chocolate, which in turn led me to travel the world in search of the perfect cup. Through this journey, I learned so much more about how different cultures and environments affect chocolate, while also refining my taste buds.
Ultimately, this search led me to create my own dark chocolate. Having spent 35 years refining my taste buds, I knew I wanted something low in sugar, high in nutritional benefits, without any bitterness, and made in perfect daily doses so that it could become a positive part of our daily lifestyle.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT YOUR BRAND AND PRODUCT RANGE?
Our chocolate is an 80.3% dark chocolate without the bitterness, so it bridges the gap between milk chocolate and dark chocolate.
We have made it in daily doses, so it contains 90% less sugar than any hot chocolate on the market and only 20% of your daily recommended amount of chocolate. Additionally, it is naturally packed with nutritional benefits for the mind and body. All our products are gluten-free, palm oil-free, and veganfriendly.
Our chocolate is designed to revolutionise the way we look at our mental and physical well-being.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST PRODUCT YOU DEVELOPED?
The first product created was the dark chocolate recipe itself, allowing me to set the scene for how I wanted the product and brand to stand out as the new luxurious and nutritious dark chocolate drink/bar on the market.
WHAT DOES THE CURRENT PRODUCT RANGE LOOK LIKE?
This Autumn, we have some exciting changes. We are introducing our irresistibly rich and decadent Dark Chocolate Collection, where you can treat yourself to a luxurious indulgence that not only tastes divine but also boasts numerous health benefits. Our focus this season is on creating beautiful gift sets to give everyone the opportunity to embrace the truly divine greatness of dark chocolate, whether that’s for themselves or gifting to loved ones.
We will also expand this further into our other product offerings, which include our porridge mixes, spice bundles, and training bars, all of which promote wellbeing and provide mind-body benefits.
WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED?
One of the biggest challenges is funding, raising capital to grow the business and marketing. These two aspects are interconnected for a product-based business. Another challenge is re-imagining the perception of chocolate and demonstrating how dark chocolate can improve our mental and physical wellbeing and fitness performance. So many people are preconditioned to believe that chocolate is a guilty treat and an indulgence, and there is such a sliding scale of quality in chocolate. It is hard to change people’s minds.
HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THOSE ROADBLOCKS AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THEM?
I think with each challenge, the biggest learning curve is to not to take it all personally, it can be very easy to lose it all when things don’t go your way, so taking a step back and realising this is not personal is a great way to keep moving forward.
Another is being able to break down the challenges into bite size manageable pieces, in terms of changing the perception of chocolate, dealing with everything one thing at a time, re-educating the facts, showing the research, and proof that backs it up, and patiently trusting that with time and consistently, people will change, and they do.
When it comes to investment, that is a continuous challenge that is still ongoing. Looking at innovative ways to network and change the chocolate landscape is crucial to make it a lucrative proposition. I always look to the positive and learn from every knock back so that I can adapt and change tactic.
Regarding investment, it remains an ongoing challenge. Exploring innovative ways to network and change the chocolate landscape is crucial to make it a lucrative proposition. I always look for the positives and learn from every setback, so that I can to adapt and change tactics when needed.
YOU SOFT-LAUNCHED IN JANUARY 2019 AND WENT FULL-TIME IN OCTOBER 2020... IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK AND DETERMINATION TO SUSTAIN A START-UP. HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED AND FOCUSED?
I try to look after myself as best as possible. The first thing I always do is start my mornings with a dark chocolate shot. I sometimes add in some of my spices to mix it up, but then I spend 5 minutes reflecting on the day ahead. Occasionally, I will do 20-30 minutes of exercise. I always strive to look at the positive and take time out when I feel overwhelmed. It doesn’t always work, but I think it’s important to recognise the symptoms and try my best to take one step at a time and reach out to people to connect and ask for help.
CAN YOU SHARE SOME OF YOUR SUCCESSES SO FAR? 3-4 YEARS IN, HOW HAS THE BUSINESS EVOLVED OVER THAT TIME?
I think the biggest successes are the support and community that has come from building the brand and seeing the brand grow.
We have also been fortunate to work with the likes of Virgin Atlantic, Strava, British Red Cross and the Samaritans, and our ambassadors are a collection of athletes who are Team GB, Olympians and ex-footballers.
We have also been featured in Forbes for the No. 2 healthy vegan drink and snack of 2021, as well as winning multiple Great Taste Awards for many years. And most recently, we were featured in Bloomberg discussing the benefits of our dark chocolate.
We have also collaborated with so many great small businesses to combine our resources and support each other’s growth, so there are many possibilities on the horizon.
WHAT ASPECTS OF THE JOB DO YOU ENJOY MOST?
I love being the creative visualiser. I love creating new recipes, new flavour profiles. I have always had a creative streak and it’s how I brought the company into fruition. I can see where the company wants to go and how it wants to grow and take the world by storm. There are so many avenues I can see the business growing into, and its exciting to know the possibilities that are available.
YOU ATTENDED GULFOOD EXHIBITION LAST YEAR. WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FOR YOU?
Yes, I attended the exhibition. It was a fabulous eye-opener to what is possible in the UAE area and meeting so many amazing collaborators and new businesses. I think the biggest takeaway is that there is real potential to move the business into the global markets, especially the GCC, due to its rapid growth in the chocolate market.
COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL MARKETS WHERE 80NOIR PRODUCTS ARE SOLD AND HOW IT HAS BEEN RECEIVED GLOBALLY?
We recently took 80Noir Ultra to Australia and are seeing how that plays out with the winter cycle, so we can potentially have all year-round sales. It’s been slow progress to get into different markets due to the different legislations. However, we are looking at what comes next and how we can position ourselves effectively to maximise our exposure in the UAE.
I know this seems alien since we are a British company, you might assume Europe would be easier. However, with Brexit, its added a new layer of difficulty that we don’t have when looking for international exposure.
WHAT COMES NEXT, IN TERMS OF EXPANSION / DEVELOPMENT?
We are in talks with a very prestigious company in Asia to distribute over there and in addition, we are looking at how we can enter the GCC market. I believe our chocolate would complement the market out there very well.
Demand for chocolate in GCC markets has been growing rapidly, at around 12% CAGR. And that’s why when I was speaking to the Trade Commissioner at the Gulfood show, I mentioned how interested I was in looking for ways to move our chocolate into this market. I think there is certainly potential for 80Noir Ultra to be seen and promoted in the Arabian Gulf.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER ENTREPRENEURS STARTING OUT IN THEIR JOURNEY OR CONSIDERING A SIMILAR VENTURE?
If you have passion and drive, go for it. There is never a good time to start, and providing you can take the knocks and falls in your stride, you will see progress. The only other thing I would say is, ask for help. There are so many people out there with skillsets that can help you. All you need to do is ask and most people will try to help. And never be scared of not knowing everything, as that’s where you learn the most.
