Despite milk chocolate retaining its cult status within a constantly evolving confectionery fixture, the uncomfortable truth remains that whilst the snacking landscape has changed out of all recognition for so many grazing fixtures (soft drinks, crisps, gum, chilled snacks), milk chocolate has been left conspicuously in the dark.
Within chocolate, it’s dark chocolate and more niche, plant-based alternatives that have dominated the better-for-you-chocolate debate whilst milk chocolate has sat patiently on the sidelines.
Natural Oddity is now on a mission to do what Tony’s Chocolonely has done for ethical chocolate and Fatso dark chocolate, by honing in on the ingredients deck and staying well clear of any refined sugar, palm, sugar alcohols, emulsifiers or any weird-sounding chemistry set creations.
Instead, Natural Oddity has prioritised dates, a rich blend of nuts and coconut blossom sugar.
According to brand owner and accomplished chocolatier, James Hutchins, “From the outset we adopted a robust ‘kitchen logic’ rule of thumb regarding ingredients, which stated, if we couldn’t use it in our kitchen, it didn’t warrant a place within our bars.”
The other major consideration for Natural Oddity was staying well clear of any needlessly quirky, preachy or elitist flavour profiles; opting instead for 3 everyday flavour marriages that milk chocolate lovers already know and love.
Loaded Hazelnut - Salted Caramel Crunch – Caramelised Blondie
“Naturally, delicious, creamy and authentic are our non-negotiable call-to-arms, with healthier living a very close second, a meaningful me-time treat made simply with better ingredients.”
Brand owner James Hutchins is no novice to top drawer chocolate having spent the last 30 years establishing a trusted reputation. Hutchins started making chocolate by hand in 1995, supplying delis & London chocolate shops, before opening his own shops and founding James Chocolates in Somerset, now a BRCGS AA* accredited manufacturer for some of the UK’s fastest-growing brands.
With a bigger bar format already mooted by key retailers for Spring 2027, Natural Oddity is setting its sights on a bold, no-nonsense mindset: better-for-you milk chocolate should never mean settling for second-best.
Each 32g bar (RRP £2.49)
