A Willy Wonka-esque ‘Figs in Blankets’ plant-based chocolate bar combining sweet figs with a salty vegan bacon seasoning and oat milk chocolate has been created just in time for Christmas.
The novel chocolatey invention has been created by sustainable, small British business H!P, and is available to buy exclusively on Amazon for £3.50 in support of The King’s Trust (formerly The Prince’s Trust). It is the brainchild of illustrator Louise Coutinho, 27, who submitted her idea in a search for the UK’s next chocolatier in a creative initiative with The King’s Trust and Amazon.
In a competition to raise the (chocolate) bar, Amazon and The King’s Trust invited Trust-supported young people to invent unique flavour combinations for the festive season. Entries were judged by experts, including product inventor and celebrity chef Levi Roots, and H!P founder James Cadbury (the great great great grandson of John Cadbury). The wonder and delight of “Figs in Blankets” captured the panel of experts’ imaginations and claimed Louise the top spot. While there was only to be one winner, contenders also included Christmas crackers like a Nut Roast; Naughty or Spice, and a zesty take on a festive classic; Stollen Your Heart.
“At H!P, our mission is to prove that eating plant-based chocolate doesn’t mean compromising on great taste, so we jumped at the chance to bring an imaginative new flavour to life with Amazon”, said James Cadbury, founder of H!P and judge on the competition panel. “While the prospect of mixing figs with plant-based bacon flavouring raised a few eyebrows initially, it was clear after the first taste-test that we’d hit the sweet spot. I can’t wait to hear people’s reactions to the flavour-combo and raise money to support young people through The King’s Trust while we’re at it”.
“As a lover of bold flavours, I was really impressed by the unique pairing of the salty bacon style flavouring with sweet, fragrant figs” said Levi Roots, celebrity chef and competition judge. “I’ve been a proud supporter of The King’s Trust for over 15 years, so I took great pride in joining the judging panel – it combines my love of food with supporting young people; two things very close to my heart.”
Chocolate Prodigy
The creative genius behind Figs in Blankets is Louise Coutinho, a 27-year-old illustrator living in London. Louise took inspiration from perennial festive favourite “pigs in blankets” and got creative with it for her entry.
As part of her prize, Louise participated in the design process for the bar’s packaging. H!P’s design team shared insights into their iconic, eye-catching style, and Louise surprised the team with her own ideas. Her signature smiley illustration was also selected for the faces of the figs on H!P’s Figs in Blankets wrapper, marking a special addition to her art portfolio.
Louise Coutinho said: “It’s a dream come true; not only was my chocolate bar creation selected by the judges as the winner, but I also got to attend a design tutorial with the H!P team who decided to include my signature smiley face design on the packaging. I think it suits the figs perfectly!”
Raising the (Chocolate) Bar Competition
The search for the next flavour magician formed part of Amazon’s work with The King’s Trust as a founding partner of its Strengthening Diversity Fund, to which Amazon has pledged £1 million over four years.
The whimsical Figs in Blankets bar is supporting The King’s Trust, formally known as The Prince’s Trust. A percentage of the purchase price from the Figs in Blankets chocolate bar sales will go directly to The King’s Trust to support young people across the UK to unlock their potential and shape brighter futures.
Sylvia Lowe, Director of Brand and Marketing at The King’s Trust added, “The unique and creative flavour combinations submitted by our talented Trust-supported young people were truly inspiring. Amazon, the founding partner in our Strengthening Diversity Fund, approached us with this challenge for our young people to get their teeth (and taste-buds!) into. The competition aligns with The King’s Trust’s work of empowering young people to harness their creativity, build confidence and open doors to new opportunities. Louise impressed us with her inventive ‘Figs in Blankets’ flavour and brought her illustrative talents to the project, demonstrating her incredible imagination and versatility. It’s fantastic to see H!P bring her vision to life. Funds raised from this chocolate bar will help more young people transform their lives – making it a meaningful and impactful treat for the festive season.”
James Bate, Director of EU & UK Grocery, commented: “We’re proud of our long-standing partnership with The King’s Trust, which supports enterprising inventors like Louise, and helps young people develop vital skills through initiatives like ‘Amazon for Schools’. It’s fitting that we’ve been able to inspire young people to start thinking of new product ideas, and made one a reality by teaming up with brilliant British business H!P – one of over 100,000 small businesses selling their products on Amazon.”
Where to buy Figs in Blankets
The limited edition Figs in Blankets chocolate bar is available exclusively on Amazon for £3.50, with a percentage of the purchase price from sales going directly to The King’s Trust, with convenient, fast delivery options available.
Figs in Blankets is one of many items available from small British businesses on Amazon whether you’re looking for a novel gift, festive food or something a little different for a loved one. More than half of all physical product sales on the Amazon store in the UK are from independent selling partners, most of whom are small and medium-sized businesses. Many of these are also featured on Amazon’s Christmas Gift Finder which has everything from foodie treats to the hottest toys of the season helping customers discover new products.
