The Mortimer Chocolate Company Ltd: Life After Mars
After a successful career spanning nearly 20 years with Masterfoods, Adrian Smith decided to leave and start up the Mortimer Chocolate Company with a mission of finding and producing fine quality chocolate from around the world. Focusing on small growers who nurture their cocoa to produce fine quality beans, the cocoa is made into a 100% plain chocolate powder, retaining its unique flavour, with no need for additives.
At the time of leaving Masterfoods, Adrian was responsible for creating and managing the Galaxy and Maltesers brands of hot chocolate drinks, making them a substantial player in the hot drinks market. Prior to this, Adrian had been one of Masterfoods’ top cocoa tasters, responsible for the selection and buying of cocoas in both Africa and South America. Major chocolate manufacturers blend these cocoas to make a product that tastes the same year after year, a process which Adrian felt was depriving the consumer of real and distinct chocolate flavour.
Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, which, just like coffee and wine, vary in flavour according to the soil, season and region in which they were grown. Adrian used his experience and knowledge to select cocoas direct from origin to produce a 100% chocolate powder, ideal for making delicious chocolate drinks, so that the consumer could experience and understand the variety of cocoa flavours from around the world.
The company works with local growers towards Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade Accreditation. Although some growers are just too small for such a step, the Mortimer Chocolate Company is currently working with a co-operative in Ghana to do just that. Together, they hope to have Rainforest Alliance approval in the next few months, and then work towards Fair Trade accreditation by the end of the year.
As well as making delicious hot chocolate drinks, this unique range of global chocolate powders can be used for cooking, particularly in recipes requiring a good quality dark chocolate.
The Mortimer Chocolate Company is very much a family run business with Adrian’s wife Felicity helping out in between looking after their 3 young children. Felicity’s nutritional and culinary expertise quickly revealed the extent to which the quality plain chocolate powders can be used. By experimenting with a variety of recipes, it was clear that they can be used in savoury, as well as sweet recipes, not to mention making actual bars of real luxurious chocolate.
The company launched in October 2006 at Henley Farmers Market with a 100% Plain Chocolate Powder made from a blend of West African Cocoas. Since then, the range has grown to include products sourced from West Africa, Ghana, Ecuador and Venezuela.
Early sales have gone very well and from January 2007 a specialist food distributor will be taking the range to farm shops and delis throughout the southern half of England. From February 2007 the products will be available to order from this site.
To find out more, please call us on 0845 0945291 or e-mail us at