When I first started to think about what a small, artisanal chocolate company could be - I wanted to move away from simply following trends and the must-have exotic flavours that are the norm. I decided to create something more meaningful and personal.
I wanted to move away from simply following trends
The foundation would be premium quality, ethical chocolate (this is a whole subject in itself!). This would be paired wherever possible with artisanal, British-made products and ingredients. I tapped into a personal interest to give a unique flavour twist using the distinctive flavours of wild and foraged British plants. And that’s when the idea for our name came to life. Pod & Briar is the combination of chocolate (hence ‘POD’) and wild British flavours (BRIAR is an old English word which means wild, thorny, scrambling plants like brambles or wild roses).
And that’s when the idea for our name came to life - Pod & Briar
With this focus on wild plants came the idea that our entire product range should be plant-based, with no dairy. And so we’ve been a vegan-friendly brand from our inception. And yet we’ve never been a chocolate brand just for vegans. The idea was to produce exceptional chocolates that you wouldn’t realise had no dairy in them, rather than inferior versions of ‘proper chocolates’.
The idea was to produce exceptional chocolates that you wouldn’t realise had no dairy in them, rather than inferior versions of ‘proper chocolates’.
To do this, I had to follow a very different approach to flavour. Rather than the expected, familiar chocolate flavours and fillings, our plant-based brand needed to set a new paradigm where individual chocolates aren’t simply compared to dairy-filled equivalents. And so we use ingredients to create flavours that are designed to evoke an idea or story – with each chocolate taking you on a journey. These are inspired by my memories and love of the British countryside. BEACHCOMBER, KISSING GATE and SECRET GLADE are all names that evoke more than the ingredients inside them.
We continue to grow our range following these principles. As always – plant based, vegan, soya-free, gluten-free and with no plastic packaging.