How do you like your hot chocolate – dairy or sugar free with a side of planet-saving packaging? This is the Christmas market stall for you
Rosamond and Ivy’s festive stall at Cardiff’s Christmas market serves up dairy-free hot chocolate and vegan marshmallows
Award-winning Welsh hot chocolate maker Rosamond and Ivy has set-up shop in Chalet 35 opposite St David’s Hall this week.
Hot chocolate is a staple of the season of goodwill to all men and this festive favourite from the ethical family business gives you the satisfaction of showing goodwill to your body and our eco-system too.
Rosamond and Ivy has developed a sugar-free drinking chocolate, Spiced Cocao, a dairy-free coconut flavoured alternative, and their Super Cocao was recognised by the Great Taste awards back in 2016, proving that a lack of refined sugar need not mean compromising on flavour.
Company director, Roxy Lepron, says, “Our Spiced Cacao has a touch of cinnamon and is sweetened with Xylitol. This is a diabetic safe, very low GI “sugar alcohol”. It strengthens teeth and doesn’t cause a blood sugar rise.”
Customer, Deborah Wilcox, sampled all three varieties at the stall and said that the Spiced Cocao was her favourite. She says, “It has a grown-up flavour with a little kick. My husband is a type 1 diabetic, so he can enjoy the odd cup too.”
More progressive than their dietary-inclusive ingredients list is their decision to promote environmentally conscious packaging. Their tubs are made from recyclable cardboard, but impressively, the inner bags are plant-cellulose, which means they can be added to your food waste bin or compost heap where they will biodegrade.
The environmentally sound packaging can be fully recycled and the inner bags will biodegrade in just a short time
Roxy says, “Most people are aware of the damage plastic is doing to nature and many households are trying to reduce the amount they use and send to landfill, but the changes really need to be made at an industrial level, by the product producers.
“We’re just a small family business but being a plastic free producer is an important thing that we can do for future generations.”
Rosamond and Ivy are at Cardiff’s Christmas market until 26 November.