Initiatives 23 King Street, Cambridge CB1 1AH - phone: 0845 609 0206 - e-mail: hello@initiatives.com
Health warning: too much chocolate is bad for you.
But then again too much broccoli is bad for you - that's what 'too much' means.
Everything in moderation, as my mum says.
But then again too much broccoli is bad for you - that's what 'too much' means.
Everything in moderation, as my mum says.
*tenuous as it may seem, cocoa beans are actually seeds from the cacao pod fruit of the cacao tree, Strictly speaking however they don't count as one of the all important five f&v we should be eating every day. I suppose if you ate a whole pod it could be up for discussion though.
Chocolate?
It was our friend Serge who finally convinced us:
"Mes amis," he said in his French accent, for he is French, "pour quoi pas put chocolat in your catalogue - everybody adores chocolate! Ergo, it's good to raise money with. Grandmere will buy it, Uncle and Auntie will buy some, the neighbour next-door-but-one will almost definitely be interested, even tight colleagues at work will be tempted. And Mamam et Papa will certainly buy some for everyone - for Christmas!"
It was our friend Serge who finally convinced us:
"Mes amis," he said in his French accent, for he is French, "pour quoi pas put chocolat in your catalogue - everybody adores chocolate! Ergo, it's good to raise money with. Grandmere will buy it, Uncle and Auntie will buy some, the neighbour next-door-but-one will almost definitely be interested, even tight colleagues at work will be tempted. And Mamam et Papa will certainly buy some for everyone - for Christmas!"
So then we said "Yes Serge, but chocolate's bad for you and schools frown upon things that are bad for us."
To which he replied, in a louder than necessary voice and hurt look upon his mastichioed face "It's not true!"
"Go on?"
"Not if you only sell organic, GM free, good quality chocolate, not the really sugary rot-your-teeth-make-you-fat type. And dark chocolate in particular is good for us! It's all about the flavanols."
"Flavanols?"
"I'll tell you about that later"
"Okay, sounds good. But it's hardly educational?"
"You offer Fairtrade, stupid."
"Eat chocolate the ethical way - help out those who are otherwise exploited and help fight poverty - Fairtrade means that producers in the developing world get a better deal. At the same time it promotes a really educational and thought provoking topic for the kids. Just check out the Fairtrade website!"
"Go on?"
"I will!"
"Okay, so it will never take the place of fruit* and veg but for a treat that's also healthy in moderation, good quality chocolate can't be beaten."
All of which made us think for a while and then we agreed - it was a cracking idea - we would sell good quality, ethically tasty, Organic Fairtrade chocolate. Job done, thank you Serge.
About those favanols...
"Okay, are you concentrating? Flavanols are known for their antioxidant activity which helps reduce blood pressure and improve heart health. Levels are highest in dark chocolate but even milk chocolate contains them. Right?"
"Yeahuh..."
"And then there's the vitamins B1, B2, and E as well as minerals including potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese and, of course, calcium. A 45g bar of dark choc, don't you know, contains 12% of the recommended daily allowance of iron! And don't get me started on the serotonin-boosting smell of chocolate that gives us that sense of well being and happiness."
"Wow! Chocolate should be on prescription."