At Whitakers Chocolates, we value our environment and our community.
Our ideals are rooted in ethical action, equitable treatment of others, and mindful steps that cultivate good.
We know that lasting transformation emerges gradually through small deeds done with intention and heart.
Our ambition is to provide high-quality, sustainable chocolate products throughout the world.
As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainable cocoa, we wanted to find a partner who shared the same vision and values and one who would help us achieve our goals. We found the perfect partnership with Cargill.
Cargill lives and works by their promise, ‘The Cargill cocoa promise’. The Cargill cocoa promise reflects their commitment to improving the livelihoods of farmers and their communities while accelerating progress towards a secure, sustainable and transparent global cocoa and chocolate supply chain.
Working together means we can deliver on our promise, meet our ethical goals and build consumer confidence in the Whitakers Chocolates brand.
More details on ‘The Cargill Cocoa Promise’ can be found here: The Cargill Cocoa Promise.
In addition to our affiliation with Cargill and ongoing commitment to ethical choices, we use and promote Fairtrade Cocoa across most of our product range.
This is important to us as we know that the work the Fairtrade Foundations delivers for the cocoa farming industry also fits perfectly with our company values and vision.
The Fairtrade Foundation works directly with cocoa farmers to strengthen the farming process, promote fairer trading, improve living standards, environmental protection, climate change adaptation, promote zero child labour, and gender equality.
We strongly believe working alongside Cargill and Fairtrade will help make the difference needed for the well-being and future-proofing of this sector.
Our company’s sustainability focuses on five areas of trade:
Let’s look at each of those in more detail:
1. Responsible and ethical trading – To us, responsible buying signifies procuring that fosters positive transformation at the supplier tier, ensuring that every supply chain segment reaps the benefits.
This calls for not only a relationship grounded in trust, where both entities can engage in equal negotiation and risk-sharing but also a buyer devoted to upholding human rights within their supplier network.
2. The protection of the cocoa farmers’ ability to make money – We are firm in our belief that everyone deserves just treatment and a fair remuneration for their efforts.
If it necessitates paying a premium to guarantee the well-being of all involved in the supply chain, then that’s the route we shall tread.
Joint endeavours to bolster and refine cocoa farming methods are vital, all while enhancing the quality of life for those involved in the supply chain.
Where feasible, our products incorporate Fairtrade cocoa.
3. The well-being of the communities where the cocoa is grown – We actively collaborate with our cocoa and chocolate associates to boost the safety and welfare of youngsters and families residing in cocoa farming locales.
We champion a stringent stance against child labour within our supply chain.
4. Environmental protection of the planet – We champion eco-friendly best practices within our operations and supply chain, always aiming to foster a more harmonious world.
5. Consumer ethical confidence – Our ethical decisions ensure our clientele can confidently make their purchases knowing they are buying ethical and sustainable chocolate products.
We are dedicated to pioneering change within the world of sustainable chocolate manufacturing.
Our milk and dark chocolates are manufactured using only the best flavours and premium ingredients. Notably, a significant portion of our assortment is gluten-free and free from palm oil.
And our offerings cater to Vegetarians – but that's merely the tip of the iceberg!
It fills us with pride to present a lovely range of Vegan-friendly chocolate products and gifts tailored for the Vegan community, each bearing the Vegan Society's approval seal.
Furthermore, we are endorsed by the Fairtrade Foundation, ensuring that a predominant part of our retail selection incorporates Fairtrade Cocoa.
As well as great-tasting retail and wholesale chocolates, our packaging is vibrant and eye-catching, and it's all 100% recyclable or biodegradable.
We believe in doing the right thing for the environment and our customers. That's why we have developed our packaging in line with our chocolate sustainability goals.
We choose to work with leading print and packaging specialists who also share the same values as we do.
We work with one of the UK's only certified Carbon Balanced printers, and we are proud to support the World Land Trust's fantastic work in helping save our planet.
We also only use FSC material within our packaging, supporting sustainable forestry.
As part of our ongoing environmental commitment, we will continually review our packaging and methods to help make a difference.
To learn more about our chocolate factory or discuss our sustainable contract manufacturing solutions, please contact our friendly team, who will be happy to help.
Here at Whitakers Chocolates, we have been manufacturing delicious British chocolates in our Skipton factory since 1889. All the chocolate products in our factory are made according to the highest UK food safety regulations.
We only use only the very finest natural ingredients. We source our chocolate and raw materials from sustainable suppliers as much as possible.
Most of our chocolate is manufactured using Fairtrade Cocoa and, where possible, gluten- and palm-oil-free. We are also proud to sell a wide range of vegan chocolates fully registered with the UK Vegan Society.
And in accordance with our sustainability policy, all the packaging we use is either recyclable or compostable. As one of the United Kingdom’s leading manufacturers of chocolate, we sell our products across the globe throughout Europe, Canada and even Australia.
So, if you want to become a stockist, are interested in exporting British chocolates, or are searching for a manufacturer to help you with your brand, we are ready to help.
Our chocolate products are available in retail, catering packs, private-label, white-label, bulk wholesale, and export options.
