A Willy Wonka-esque ‘Figs in Blankets’ plant-based chocolate bar combining sweet figs with a salty vegan bacon seasoning and oat milk chocolate has been created just in time for Christmas.
The novel chocolatey invention has been created by small British business H!P, and is available to buy exclusively on Amazon for £3.50 in support of the King’s Trust (formerly the Prince’s Trust). It is the brainchild of illustrator Louise Coutinho, 27, who submitted her idea in a search for the UK’s next chocolatier in an enterprise initiative with the King’s Trust and Amazon.
In a competition Amazon and the King’s Trust invited charity-supported young people to invent unique flavour combinations for the festive season. Entries were judged by experts, including product inventor, celebrity chef and Dragon’s Den star Levi Roots, and H!P founder James Cadbury (the great great great grandson of John Cadbury).
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James Cadbury, founder of H!P and judge on the competition panel, said: “While the prospect of mixing figs with plant-based bacon flavouring raised a few eyebrows initially, it was clear after the first taste-test that we’d hit the sweet spot. I can’t wait to hear people’s reactions to the flavour-combo and raise money to support young people through the King’s Trust while we’re at it.”
The creative genius behind Figs in Blankets is Louise Coutinho, a 27-year-old aspiring illustrator living in London. Louise took inspiration from perennial festive favourite “pigs in blankets” and got creative with it for her entry.
As part of her prize, Louise participated in the design process for the bar’s packaging. H!P’s design team shared insights into their iconic, eye-catching style, and Louise surprised the team with her own ideas. Her signature smiley illustration was also selected for the faces of the figs on H!P’s Figs in Blankets wrapper, marking a special addition to her art portfolio.
The search for the next flavour magician formed part of Amazon’s work with the King’s Trust as a founding partner of its Strengthening Diversity Fund, to which Amazon has pledged £1 million over four years.
The Figs In Blankets bar is the first product supporting the newly named King Trust, formerly the Prince’s Trust. A percentage of the purchase price from all Figs in Blankets chocolate bar sales will go directly to the King’s Trust to support young people across the UK to build better futures for themselves.
The limited edition Figs in Blankets is available exclusively on Amazon for £3.50, with a percentage of the purchase price from all sales going directly to the King’s Trust, with convenient, fast delivery options available.
Amazon will donate at least 15% of the purchase price from all sales of the Figs in Blankets bar throughout December 2024 to The King’s Trust to support young people to transform their lives. Capped at a maximum donation of £4,000. Amazon is a Platinum Patron of The King’s Trust and a founding partner of the charity’s Strengthening Diversity Fund. Amazon has pledged £1 million to the fund over four years. The King’s Trust is a registered charity.