As ambassadors, this growing chocolate brand will join other SMEs such as Brompton Bikes, Weston’s Cider and Tangle Teezer in accessing financial support from the government.
There are 180,000 social enterprise small businesses in the UK, making up 15% of all Britain’s small firms. Divine Chocolate is owned in part (45%) by Ghanaian cocoa farmers, making it the only farmer-owned Fairtrade chocolate company.
The business was formed in 1998 by Twin Trading (the company that set up Cafédirect) following an idea from Kuapa Kokoo, a cocoa farming cooperative in Ghana. The now 18-strong team based in Southwark, London, had a £400,000 government loan guarantee which enabled them to secure funding and the farmers to earn their share in the business.
Since 2002, Divine has had a contract with Starbucks to produce the chain’s own-label chocolate bars for the UK and Europe, which includes Russia and Turkey. The business also sells to Scandinavia, Germany and the Netherlands, mainly via Fairtrade specialists. The company is looking to recruit and expand to new markets
Sophi Tranchell, MD of Divine Chocolate, said: “We are thrilled to support the ‘Business is Great’ campaign. Small businesses are the backbone of the economy and there are so many businesses, managers and entrepreneurs out there doing great things.
“I’m an advocate for innovation and doing things differently, so it’s exciting to see the new kinds of business and social enterprises that can be set up. By telling our story, hopefully we can spark the fire of ambition in other businesses looking to grow, hire or export.”
Matthew Hancock, UK minister for skills and enterprise, said: “Small businesses are crucial to the success of our economy, which is why we are showcasing the best of British business through our ‘Business is Great campaign’, and working with Divine Chocolate most recently. We want employers across the UK to know about the support government is providing to make it easier to start and grow a small business.”
Apparently, nearly one in five (16%) of recent social enterprise startups export or license products abroad, and 82% of social enterprises reinvest their profits locally. Social enterprises are also more likely than SME employers to introduce new or significantly improved products or services (55% compared to 43% for SMEs).
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