Indulging in Exotic Luxury: The Rise of Middle Eastern-Style Chocolates

Chocolate lovers are always on the lookout for something a little different, something new. And right now, it's all about Middle Eastern-inspired indulgence. 

Whether it's an infusion of rosewater, pistachio, tahini, dates, cardamom, or saffron, the Middle Eastern twist is making its way into everything from gourmet truffles to everyday chocolate bars.

A Sweet Tradition Meets Modern Luxury

The Middle East has a rich history of using dates, nuts, and spices in desserts, think baklava, ma’amoul, and halva. 

Today, those same ingredients are being elevated and reimagined in artisanal chocolate creations.

From luxury brands in Beirut and Dubai to boutique chocolatiers in London and Paris, the combination of fine chocolate and regional flavours is proving irresistible. 

Picture a dark chocolate ganache infused with orange blossom, or a creamy milk chocolate bar topped with crushed pistachios and a whisper of rose.

Why the Buzz?

These chocolates don’t just taste delicious. They also tell a story. They offer:

Exotic Flavour Profiles: A refreshing break from traditional European-style fillings.

Healthier Additions: Many use natural sweeteners like dates and incorporate ingredients like sesame or nuts, which are nutrient-rich.

Artisanal Appeal: Often handmade or small batch prepared, with luxurious packaging to match.

Cultural Connection: A way to enjoy flavours from across the globe in a familiar, beloved format.

Perfect for Gifting (or Treating Yourself)

Middle Eastern-style chocolates make beautiful gifts. They’re elegant, unexpected, and memorable, so are ideal for birthdays, wedding favours, dinner parties, Eid celebrations, or simply to brighten someone’s day.

Where to Try Them

In the UK, you can find these delights at high-end food halls, online confectioners, and at Middle Eastern delicatessens. Look for brands like Mirzam, Patchi, or local artisans blending British chocolate with Levantine flavours.

Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth with a Taste of the East. Because it’s Chocolate, But Not As You Know It.

Fudge Kitchen Partners With Iconic British Landmarks and Attractions for 2025

Fudge Kitchen Expands Customer Portfolio with Prestigious New Stockists Across the UK

Popular artisan fudge producer Fudge Kitchen, famed for their handcrafted recipes and use of only high quality, premium ingredients, is delighted to announce a series of significant new partnerships with some of the UK's most respected retailers and cultural institutions.

Now proudly producing bespoke fudges for several iconic British landmarks and destinations in a range of boxed, gifting formats, Fudge Kitchen's wholesale business is thriving in the tourism and destinations sector. 

This year, visitors to the British Museum, Chatsworth House, the National Gallery, the London Museum, Castle Howard, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh will be able to purchase a range of Fudge Kitchen-produced bespoke treats such as fudge slider boxes, fudge trio boxes and other confectionery, each product with bespoke, branded packaging.

Other UK tourist attractions, including London's iconic Tower Bridge Gift Shop, the Sherlock Holmes Museum, and the Raby Castle, Park and Gardens in the 18th Century Coach House Shop which spans County Durham and Shropshire, have also become stockists, now offering Fudge Kitchen's own-brand range across their gift shop shelves.

These new partnerships reflect the brand's unwavering reputation for quality, heritage appeal, and timeless flavours. “We're incredibly honoured to be working with such distinguished and iconic locations,” Richard Parson, Fudge Kitchen MD told That's Food and Drink.

“Each new partner shares our commitment to quality, authenticity, and celebrating British heritage and we're so proud to partner with them to deliver products that align with these values.”

As Fudge Kitchen continues to grow, the team remains focused on delivering exceptional quality while embracing new opportunities to showcase their products in some of the UK's most admired settings.

www.fudgekitchen.co.uk

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FUDGE KITCHEN FACTFILE:-

Fudge Kitchen makes unique confectionary, from traditional handmade fudge to brittles and caramels, maintaining traditional values and artisan confectionary skills honed over four decades.

Producing delicious fudges for gifting, wholesale, premium department stores and hotels, the employee-owned company also operates six high street shops in historic cathedral and university cities: Bath, Windsor, Canterbury, Cambridge, York, and Edinburgh. Here, visitors can taste and experience traditional fudge making with contemporary and totally unique immersive theatre.

Alongside impeccable taste and premium packaging, Fudge Kitchen's products feel just as good as they taste, with responsibly-sourced ingredients and a commitment to ensure that packaging is fully recyclable, and in some cases they are compostable too. This employee-owned business puts sustainability at its heart, committed to making life that little bit sweeter.

Now Vegan kids and adults don't have to miss out, because Swizzels has vegan-friendly sweets!

Now nobody has to either go without or, perhaps even worse, compromise their principles, because Swizzels has asked That's Food and Drink to reminds our readers that they have a range of vegan-friendly confectionery available not only for Veganuary but for the rest of the year, too.

And British sweet manufacturer Swizzels has already seen a significant surge in demand for its popular vegan range for Veganuary 2024.

So big is the demand that Swizzels has had to increase production to cope during Veganuary 2024, set to be the biggest yet.

Refreshers, Love Hearts and Drumsticks are just some of the vegan sweets flying off the production lines at Swizzels.

Other popular sweets from the range include Scrumptious Sweets, Curious Choos and Luscious Lollies (also known as Variety Bags).

Now in its fifth year, Swizzels’ vegan campaign “All These, All Vegan, All Year” celebrates all things vegan and encourages sweet lovers to opt for a vegan treat all year round, not just during Veganuary.

The vegan range is available to buy now from all major retailers and convenience stores, starting at just 15p.

You can learn more here https://swizzels.com.

New Company, Jealous, Launches Sweet Range For All

Sweet lovers in the UK now have more choice to enjoy as a new range of high-end boxed sweets, made purely from natural ingredients and suitable for people with dietary or ethical requirements, has launched.

The initial range of sweet-gifts from the Jealous collection has been available to buy from Selfridge’s flagship Oxford Street store from 27th July and online at www.thejealouslife.com.

Beautifully arranged in striking presentation boxes, Jealous sweets make the perfect gift for a sweet lover and as an alternative to the traditional box of chocolates.

The halal sweets, which boast no artificial colours or flavours, are also suitable for vegetarians and contain no alcohol or gelatine. Presented in 400g gift boxes, the selection includes Sinfully Sour, Gummy Heaven and Paradise Lost all of which retail at £13.99. The Enchanted Eden selection, which is also produced using purely organic products, completes the initial range and is priced at £14.99.

Says Imran Ali Merza, managing director at Jealous: “Sweets are immensely popular among almost everyone, but confectionery gifts are largely chocolate based, meaning there are no real gift options for sweet lovers. Sweets are bought in packets or at a pick and mix store, but not really given as gifts. We wanted to change this and bring candy gifts out as equals to chocolates – standing the humble gummy bear alongside the praline with pride.”

“We also wanted to ensure they could be enjoyed by all, hence our ranges are made free from artificial enhancements, are gluten and gelatine free and also suitable for vegetarians. They come stunningly boxed and in ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ ranges – providing a gorgeous gift for any occasion. We’ve had a great deal of interest in the range so far and anticipate strong sales at Selfridges, which is famed for its well-stocked confectionery department,” he added.

For those who like their sweets to have a bit of a kick, Sinfully Sour is a must and includes cola rock, tropical tang, sour sensations and just peachy. To really get those taste buds tantalising, Paradise Lost offers a mix of flavours such as fruitilicious, sour sensations, gummy bears and tropical tang.

Go to Gummy Heaven and enjoy sweet favourites from gummy bears, wild cherries, strawberry drops and fruitilicious, while the organic Enchanted Eden selection comprises sour worms, sugar bears, fruit cocktail and jelly bears.

For further information about Jealous’ sweet boxes visit www.thejealouslife.com or get involved by following @thejealouslife and www.facebook.com/JealousSweets.

(EDITOR: This is great! My wife has a chocolate allergy so buying sweets for her is not easy, as she ponits out: “Everything is always covered in chocolate!” But not with Jealous, thank goodness!)