Fine chocolate manufacturer Gnaw, of Norfolk, started out in 2010 – the tentative next step in an entrepreneurial vision conceived at Norwich Business School by Matt Legon, who specialised in small business transformation and entrepreneurship.
His vision’s first incarnation started as a business where Matt and his partner Teri sold other brands’ chocolate from a sweet shop in the heart of Norwich.
As much as they enjoyed running their chocolate-themed business, the couple couldn’t shake off the niggling suspicion that they were for the most part trading in bland, run-of-the-mill chocolate.
The decision was taken to launch their own brand combining best-in-class ingredients and chocolate appreciation with a sincere, sustainable outlook.
Move forward to 2024 when Gnaw underwent an extensive ‘belt and braces’ makeover to acknowledge a fast-moving marketplace, while fine-tuning a distinct brand positioning that plays to its artisanal strengths whilst supercharging its core values.
Small batch fine chocolate manufacturers have struggled in recent times thanks to a series of exorbitant price hikes caused primarily by failing global crops. Whilst many chocolate manufacturers have taken the decision to reduce the level of cocoa in their chocolate or even embrace cocoa substitutes, Gnaw has not only stuck to its guns, but where others have zigged, Gnaw has zagged, increasing its milk chocolate cocoa content from 36% to 40% to reinforce its high-end credentials.
Historically the business had adopted a small, quirky squirrel as its emblem which, despite living the Gnaw name and being instantly recognisable to customers, had not fully embraced the brand’s adult treat market.
The new adult-friendly look features vivid colours which underscore the business’s evolving bold flavour marriages, ‘hero’ ingredients and cult pudding themes such as sticky toffee pudding, New York cheesecake, and gingerbread banoffee pie.
The business also responded to the UK’s hot chocolate renaissance, which has seen this traditional beverage reinvented as a thick, creamy gourmet drink with single origin chocolate (cocoa beans from a single country, region or plantation are associated with a distinct signature flavour profile) as the star ingredient.
Gnaw uses high-grade cocoa beans sourced from ethically run, sustainable farming operations in Colombia to create a new tranche of gooey-centred chocolate spoons replicating nostalgic
flavours such as crème brulee, sticky toffee pudding and Bakewell tart.
Other new products include Mocha Melts, gooey-centred chocolates which turn the average cup of coffee into a luxurious mocha.
Purpose is a central strand of the Gnaw story with sustainable thinking influencing all aspects of the business – from avoiding palm oil, to solar power roofing which ensures around 70% of all the business’s energy needs are met by ‘clean’ energy.
Packaging has also been given a socially responsible makeover with compostable/recyclable chocolate wrappers. This year, Gnaw’s popular Buttons come in industry-first pouches with no micro plastic footprint.
The move – says Gnaw MD, Mike Navarro – was a “realisation that the brand had to be crystal clear as to what it did and didn’t stand for. It’s easy to become distracted with short-term trends, but these distractions sap away the energy and focus on what is most important in the long run, so focusing on the brand essence was essential.”
Gnaw’s brand essentially appeals to adult chocolate lovers with strong foodie aspirations (think best-in-class ingredients and intriguing flavour marriages), people with inquisitive taste buds who frequent delis, farmers’ markets and food halls, and shoppers who gravitate towards brands with a sincere sustainable vision.
Mike adds, “To succeed, it was imperative that we pressed home our advantages as a brand that wouldn’t compromise on quality and embraced warmth and fun.
“The brand is enormously proud of its local roots, and we want every member of the team to be closely aligned with Gnaw’s success.
“This is best achieved by retaining full control of the manufacturing function where our products are handmade. Gifting is a key strand of our wider offer where presentation must be impeccable, hence hand assembly.
“Overseeing our own production needs means we are best placed, not only to ensure consistently high production standards, but also regular incubation of product innovation.”
As with so many up-and-coming British manufactured brands, Gnaw is reeling from what it calls an “ill-conceived” Budget, which has added significant costs to a business already facing huge increases in raw material prices. Mike believes this “ill-judged” move will undoubtedly be felt by the very people the government is here to serve.
However, although his thoughts on the Budget’s fallout are echoed by many in business, Mike and the team believe the brand has never been in better shape to weather a tough economic climate and build category share.
“We’re only just scraping the surface in terms of our potential distribution,’ Mike concludes.
“By operating down both the chocolate and gifting aisles, we are better placed than most to advance our business ambition, which includes building upon our growing reputation overseas, evolving our speciality store heartland (department stores, farm shops, delis, garden centres and coffee emporiums), and raising our online and hamper company presence whilst exploring new outlet opportunities as diverse as garage forecourts, airlines, and supermarkets.
“There has been so much work developing the brand over the past year, from an end-to-end packaging transformation and a focus on exciting new chocolate bar ‘creations’, to the development of consumer inspired indulgent innovation, that we have never been more convinced the world is our oyster!”