About Islands Chocolate

Islands Chocolate is the artisan drinking chocolate we reach for when a customer is bored of supermarket cocoa. Emerging in the 2000s with a Caribbean and UK footprint, it works directly with Caribbean cocoa farmers to make single-origin drinking chocolate on a bean-to-bar basis, a meaningfully different proposition from the sweetened cocoa powder most British hot chocolate is built on. Bean-to-bar means the origin, roast and real cocoa content drive the cup rather than sugar and bulking powder, and the direct, fair grower relationships are part of the product rather than a label claim.

The range is built around single-origin Caribbean drinking chocolate, including the darker, higher-cocoa options that are the real signature, made to be a sit-and-savour drink rather than a gulped sugary one. The higher-percentage dark cup is far closer to a French chocolat chaud than a British powdered drink: richer, less sweet, properly chocolatey. For our shelf Islands Chocolate is the bean-to-bar Caribbean drinking chocolate we send people to when supermarket cocoa has stopped satisfying them. It is fair-trade, single-origin and properly chocolatey rather than sugary, and the dark cup is genuinely a different category of drink from the powdered standard, slow and indulgent rather than quick and forgettable. It is a treat brand rather than an everyday one, and that is the recommendation: for the customer who wants drinking chocolate to taste of chocolate, this is the one that delivers it.

Key facts

• Bean-to-Bar Grenada Single-island bean-to-bar production on Grenada from estate-grown cacao, processed locally rather than shipped to Europe at commodity prices.
• High-Cocoa Drinking Chocolate Serious-cocoa-content powder and flakes rather than sugar-led mainstream supermarket hot chocolate, designed for chocolate enthusiasts.
• Direct-Trade Caribbean Cacao Direct-trade relationships with Grenadian cacao farmers, no commodity-board middlemen, fair prices paid at source.
• Full Batch Traceability Every batch tied back to the specific Grenadian estate and harvest, a traceability programme that mass-market brands cannot match.

The founders

Brand timeline

1. 2005 Islands Chocolate founded on Grenada

   Islands Chocolate is established as a bean-to-bar tree-to-bar chocolate brand on the Caribbean island of Grenada, working with single-estate cacao farmers across the island to produce high-cocoa-content drinking chocolate and chocolate bars. The brand focuses on traceability and quality over mass-market volume.

2. 2012 Drinking chocolate range launches

   The drinking chocolate range launches, focused on high-cocoa-content powder and flakes rather than the sugar-led format of mainstream supermarket hot chocolate. The Classic, Milk and Mint variants become the foundational range still sold today.

3. 2018 UK retail expansion

   Islands Chocolate expands into UK specialist retail and online direct-to-consumer, building a following among chocolate enthusiasts who want a serious-cocoa hot chocolate rather than a sugar-heavy supermarket option. The 200g format becomes the standard pantry size.

4. 2022 Cocoa traceability programme

   Islands Chocolate publishes a full cocoa traceability programme tying each batch back to the specific Grenadian estate and farmer. Direct-trade relationships with farmers, no commodity-board middlemen, fair-trade-equivalent prices paid at source.

5. Today Bean-to-bar specialist brand

   A small specialist brand stocked in independent UK chocolate shops, online direct-to-consumer, and now Teas.co.uk. Premium positioning, premium price-per-cup, but the cocoa quality justifies the bracket.

6. 2026 Stocked at Teas.co.uk

   Hand-picked into the curator selection: Islands Classic Hot Chocolate Powder 200g, Islands Milk Hot Chocolate Flakes 150g, Islands Mint Hot Chocolate Powder 200g.

Sustainability

Islands Chocolate sits at the premium end of cocoa sourcing with direct-trade relationships with Grenadian estates and full batch traceability tying each pack back to specific farms. The drinking chocolate is high-cocoa-content (50%+ cocoa solids in the Classic) rather than the 15-20% cocoa typical of supermarket hot chocolate, which is itself a sustainability commitment because more value is captured by the cocoa farmer rather than the sugar producer. Outer cardboard packaging is fully kerbside recyclable. Inner foil pouch recyclable through supermarket soft-plastic collection.

• Direct-Trade Grenadian Cacao Above-commodity prices paid direct to Grenadian estates, supporting the Caribbean cocoa industry and the long-term viability of single-estate cocoa farming.
• Full Batch Traceability Every batch tied to the specific Grenadian estate and harvest, a level of supply-chain transparency unusual at any price point in the chocolate category.
• High-Cocoa Formulation The drinking chocolate is high-cocoa-content rather than sugar-led, which captures more value for cocoa farmers and produces a more authentic chocolate cup.
• Kerbside Recyclable Carton The outer cardboard carton is fully kerbside recyclable and the inner foil pouch is recyclable through supermarket soft-plastic collection points.