Foodtech firm Win-Win has announced an exclusive partnership with ingredients supplier Keylink to distribute its cocoa-free chocolate products across the UK.
At the same time, the chocolate alternative brand has unveiled a new bake-stable chocolate chip range designed specifically for bakery and foodservice sectors.
The distribution deal sees Win-Win become the first and only cocoa-free chocolate in the Keylink portfolio, which is supplied to chefs, chocolatiers, and bakers in the UK and abroad.
Among the Win-Win products stocked by Keylink are its Milk, Dark and White chocolate varieties, available in 10kg bags of ‘Easymelt’ chips and bake-stable drops. These are produced using abundant cereals and legumes (such as rice and carob) as a base ingredient instead of cocoa beans, the price of which has surged in recent years due to supply shortages caused by bad weather and crop disease.
The chocolate alternatives use up to 80% less water and emit 80% fewer CO2 emissions [Carbon Cloud analysis]. They can be used either as an extended or direct replacement to chocolate, and are said to be indistinguishable across a wide range of applications including cookies, cakes, pasties, ice cream and desserts.
“The industry is rapidly changing and it’s important we support our customers in navigating these challenges, providing workable, alternative solutions where possible,” commented Sanjeev Ramchandani, managing director of Sheffield-based Keylink. “We believe Win-Win offers an exceptional product range, that is closer in taste to couverture than compound, is highly workable and easy to use, and supports long-term price stability and sustainability.”
The new cocoa-free chocolate chips from Win-Win are said to maintain their shape at high baking temperatures (up to around 220°C) without spreading, burning, or fat bloom making them ideal for brownies and muffins, among other baking applications.
Available in Milk chocolate (with White and Dark variants coming soon), the chips are packed in 10kg boxes and offer a shelf life of 12 months.
“Our bake-stable chips are a game-changer for the industry, delivering the highest level of performance that chefs and manufacturers expect, all while tackling the sustainability and ethical challenges that go hand-in-hand with cocoa production,” said Win-Win CEO Mark Golder.
Win-Win has its headquarters in Hackney Wick, northeast London. Last July it raised £3m as part of a Series A funding round from investors including Oetker Collection, Foodlabs, Mustard Seed Maze, Gota Ventures, Paulig, and Kapital, bringing its total raised to date to £8m.
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