Ombar: delicious chocolate that's good for you!
I’ve been talking about chocolate a lot recently. I’m not sure what it is, but I’ve been really keen on trying more vegan chocolates, especially those that are made from bean to bar.
I wrote an article sharing my favourite tried and tasted vegan chocolates recently. It is this article that prompted me to reach out to Ombar so that I could share their journey with you. More about Ombar…
What does Ombar specialise in selling?
We produce bean to bar vegan chocolate.
Where is Ombar based?
In a factory just outside of Cambridge.
Do you exclusively serve those who are local to you or can others who are further away access your products too? If so, how?
No, we’re actually available in over 14 countries.
Who founded Ombar and what inspired them to create a business that solely focuses on plant-based chocolates?
It all started in 2007, when Richard, our founder, discovered that the original chocolate ingredient – the humble cacao bean - is a little gem of a superfood with huge health benefits. Dismayed that chocolate had lost its way, Richard vowed to champion good chocolate and put cacao back on top and started to make chocolate in his small Cambridge kitchen.
Richard in the factory in Sawston in November 2017
How easy is it for Ombar to source plant-based and cruelty-free ingredients for your creations?
We have very strong relationships with our suppliers – we have a team member based in Ecuador, Paola, who ensures our farmers are treated and paid fairly, and have suitable working conditions. Our coconut products come from a family-run farm in the Philippines, whom Richard has met personally on a visit there a few years ago. So it’s very easy for us to ensure our ingredients are ethically sourced!
Ombar in Ecuador
Do these ingredients affect the outcome in comparison with non-plant-based chocolates? If so, how?
Ombar chocolate tastes different to regular chocolate of course – we leave our cacao unroasted which gives the chocolate a distinctive taste. As cacao is our hero ingredient, we keep the content high with bars ranging from 55% cacao all the way up to 100%.
I've heard that Ombar chocolates are actually good for the lucky person who's eating them. Why is that?
Cacao is a superfood packed with so many healthy plant compounds. When cacao is roasted, all of these health benefits are essentially cooked out of the product, so we leave our cacao unroasted. This means that when you consume our chocolate, it’s still high in all those healthy plant compounds such as polyphenols, magnesium, manganese and antioxidants, to name a few. We even add a vegan live culture to some of our bars.
When one orders from Ombar, the name shows up as Mood Foods. Why is that? Do you have any other sister companies? If so, what do they create and sell?
The business was registered as Mood Foods but the brand is called Ombar.
For someone who hasn't tried any of your range before and is indecisive about what to buy; which is your most popular chocolate?
Our Coco Mylk bar is most similar to regular milk chocolate so it’s a great one to start with, although our Centres Hazelnut Truffle has stolen the show since its launch last Autumn. If in doubt, have both!
I have been told that, globally, a lot of the chocolate comes from a handful of companies. The chocolate is affordable because processes and wages are different from companies who produce their chocolate from bean to bar. Ombar does the latter. Why?
We strive to make our chocolate as ethical as possible, so paying our workers at every point in the supply chain a fair wage is a no brainer.
It is believed that shortcuts in processes and reducing labour costs results in parts of cockroaches and rodents ending up in mainstream chocolate. How does Ombar stop this from happening?
We have very strict procedures in place to ensure no contaminants are found in our cacao. It’s checked thoroughly at all stages to ensure this never happens.
I have really enjoyed the range from Ombar that I've tried so far. However, there's a distinct taste to your range, which I can't describe or pinpoint. It is absolutely delicious. Can you describe where that lovely taste comes from or is it a trade secret?
Yes absolutely – what you’re tasting is the cacao itself. Leaving the cacao unroasted means the natural flavour is retained. You might notice that sometimes the flavour is slightly different – this is because the cacao plant will take on different flavour profiles depending on what is growing nearby. For example, if the tree is growing near to banana trees, there might be more fruity, banana-like notes to the chocolate. When we add ingredients, we choose what compliments the cacao flavour.
Is Ombar owned by, or in partnership with, another company that tests on animals or sells non-vegan products?
Nope – it’s just us 😊
Tell me a bit about the founder before Ombar was launched?
Richard was very interested in different superfoods and health trends, as well as their varying benefits. He tried out quite a few before he was introduced to cacao, realised how amazing it was and stuck with it!
What is the future of Ombar? What does Ombar have its sights on?
That’s for us to know and for you to find out!
If you’ve tried any of Ombar’s range, I would love to hear your thoughts about them.