Chocolate in general has always been a weakness of mine and while I used to find dark chocolate quite an acquired taste, I’ve recently grown into it.
I got the chance to try three flavours from a south London based dark chocolate company that is “putting the fun into dark chocolate.”
FATSO, which is based in Richmond and launched in March this year, has an ethos of producing dark chocolate that is ecologically sustainable as well as supporting communities in Columbia to improve their quality of life.
There are three unique flavours to try which all take quite different approaches to a typical dark chocolate bar.
Ella McKay, a co-founder of the company FATSO, told Newsquest south London: “You've got milk chocolate sat next to you on the shelf being all like fun, playful, and exciting with interesting flavours – why is milk chocolate getting to have all the fun?
“We wanted to show that dark chocolate can we just have just as much fun as milk chocolate and something that was completely uncompromising on ethics.”
You know as soon as you hold the packaging that you are about to have something special.
The vintage boxes and quirky designs make these chocolates ideal for gift giving, or just if you feel like treating yourself.
Each bar is a good size and incredibly thick while being packed full of different bits of tasty pieces each styled to the bar's chosen theme.
The first one was Nans Stash - which contains peanuts, toffee, and biscuits – this is a much richer bar with 70 per cent cacao.
This chocolate has a really powerful flavour, and it was at this point that I realised that these bars were built to be savoured and put back into the cupboard rather than eating it all in one go.
It was the most prominent dark chocolate taste out of the set.
My partner, Ben, made a really stand-out comment.
He said: “It reminds me of a good quality coffee, in fact, I bet you could enjoy this with a nice cup of coffee.”
I guess the idea of having it with a nice brew made sense since the digestive flavour was definitely coming through.
It reminded me of that “treat tin” that so many of us would have at our nan's house filled with old-fashioned goodies.
Next up was Mornin’ Glory which tastes of toast, cornflakes and orange marmalade for a breakfast-themed bar.
This bar had slightly less of a strong dark chocolate flavour, with 60 per cent cocoa.
This one was my favourite - hands down.
I loved the texture of the cornflakes which took me back to making those chocolate cornflake buns with my mum around Easter time.
Personally, I really enjoy chocolate bars that have a real crunch to them.
The marmalade flavour was subtle and not overpowering, but definitely there and added to the experience.
I found the slightly daring pun-filled name hilarious and the cockerel on the front of the box was a great tribute to a typical cornflakes cereal box.
However, this was Ben’s least favourite – while he still enjoyed it, he said that it was less interesting than the other flavours.
Last up is FATSO co-owner Ella’s favourite, Home Run which she describes as their “ode to the classic baseball snack”.
It is a 60 per cent cocoa bar with salted pretzel, whole almonds and honey cane.
This is a lighter-tasting bar that packs a savoury snack flavour.
The honeycomb really comes through with the saltiness and I think the theming for this bar is spot on.
This one also has quite a nice crunchy texture.
My partner, Ben, was obsessed with this bar and I could not find it in the cupboard later that afternoon.
I loved all three bars which all took very different approaches to their flavouring.
I felt like FATSO has figured out a gap in the market for some more interesting dark chocolate brands.
There is currently a stereotype that dark chocolate is only for very serious adult customers, and there really is not much range in the sense of creative and unique flavours.
The FATSO bars were a delight to eat, and I really did not want to throw away the packaging as it just looked so special.
The bars are sold online at £5.95 each, but also feature in independent shops and cafes both locally and across the UK.
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