Adam’s Fresh Chocolate announced as The Seed Fund’s 2016 Winner
Pioneering raw chocolate producer, Adam’s Fresh Chocolate, has been crowned The Seed Fund’s 2016 Winner and will now begin a journey of business development as it benefits from a year-long programme of mentoring, branding and business support from The Seed Fund, a prize estimated to be worth over £100,000.
Searching for the future stars of the food industry each year, The Seed Fund, a philanthropic fund founded by branding and marketing consultancy, The Collaborators, selected Bristol-based Adam’s Fresh Chocolate as its 2016 Winner, as judges were blown away by the unique nature of this raw chocolate. Made from organic, single origin, unroasted cacao and other superfoods, including combinations such as goji and pistachio, the chocolate is packed full of micronutrients and has an enticing fudge like texture, making it a step into the unknown for those tasting the product for the first time. Free from refined sugars, dairy, gluten and soy, this innovative chocolate gives a burst of energy without the usual sugar crash to follow.
Having come through this year’s Seed Academy along with 12 other fledgling food businesses, Adam’s Fresh Chocolate owners, Adam Farag (pictured above) and Mark Claydon, will now embark on an intensive twelve-month programme with The Seed Fund, including access to expert business, branding and communications resources from The Collaborators.
Adam and Mark collected their award at the Great Taste Golden Forks Dinner, held on Monday 5 September at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, as Guild of Fine Food managing director, John Farrand, also announced a new collaboration between Great Taste and The Seed Fund for 2017, with the Academy extending its reach nationwide for the first time. Aligned by a shared commitment to nurturing up-and-coming food businesses, Great Taste has partnered with The Seed Fund to give its award-winning artisan producers an opportunity to apply to The Seed Academy and benefit from a summer of learning, mentoring and networking with the Academy’s inspirational and experienced experts.
Jayne Lilly, owner of The Collaborators and founder of The Seed Fund, explains;
“We were spoilt for choice this year with an incredibly strong line-up of finalists from The Seed Academy, but Adam’s Fresh Chocolate really captured the imagination of our judges with its brand story and exceptional quality chocolate, which is uniquely different to any others currently in the marketplace. Adam and Mark make a fantastic team and have already shown outstanding commitment to the Seed Academy over the summer months, so we can’t wait to get stuck in and help them make the transition from market stalls to food halls and beyond. It’s so rewarding to see The Seed Fund go from strength to strength each year and 2017 should be no exception, as we widen the Academy’s reach in association with Great Taste and continue to nurture the next generation of emerging talent in our industry.”
Mark Claydon, co-owner of Adam’s Fresh Chocolate, adds;
"We came into the Academy wanting to learn as much as possible, we left with a network of exciting local food businesses as our friends. Winning the support of The Seed Fund and The Collaborators means the message we want to share with the world will be stronger and more incisive. People's diets can be massively improved by eating mineral rich raw foods like raw chocolate; we want to help people lead healthier lives, and to have this support to help spread our message is incredibly exciting."
Joining Adam’s Fresh Chocolate on its journey of business development this year will be The Seed Fund’s supported runner-up, Oli Lee of Moor’ish Milk, a young and ambitious farmer from the South Hams, looking to revolutionise the milk market by producing organic A2 milk from Ayrshire cattle grazed on herbal leys. This year’s other two finalists were Office Pantry, a Bristol-based service delivering healthy snack boxes to offices, and Somerset Charcuterie, a producer that combines traditional Italian and Spanish methods with the flavours and rich food culture of the West Country.
More information about The Seed Fund can be found at www.theseedfund.co.uk.
For more information on Adam’s Fresh Chocolate, visit www.adamsfreshchocolate.com.