CHOCS AWAY AT AMSTERDAM SCHIPHOL AND OTHER EUROPEAN GATEWAYS

Chocolate brand Tony's Chocolonely is now available at Amsterdam Schiphol and a number of other European airports courtesy of duty free operator, Gebr Heinemann.

Other airports to welcome the brand include Oslo, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin, Budapest and Vienna.

Tony's Chocolonely has developed ten new products for its launch in the travel retail maket, comprising seven different 300 gram bars (Milk Caramel Sea Salt, Milk, Milk Hazelnut, Dark Almond Sea Salt, Dark Milk Pretzel Toffee, Milk Nougat, Dark) and three Tiny Tony's Pouch Packs (Mix Pack, Milk, Milk Caramel Sea Salt).

According to Heinemann, the Dutch brand's colourful design, flavours and modest price ensures global appeal.

The brand also has an enviable reputation for ensuring that its cocoa beans are not sourced from locations that exploit the local population, a fact that is important to Heinemann.

"Tony's Chocolonely sets a good example to the world that high quality, sustainability and profit can go hand in hand," says Kay Spanger, Gebr Heinemann's chief commercial officer.



"The brand has found favour internationally with its responsible claim. But the fair chocolate is also a hit from a commercial point of view and we're very happy that we can offer it to travellers at our other European Duty Free sites in addition to Amsterdam. 

"We are also very enthusiastic about the company’s high level of rapidity and flexibility in regard to developing travel retail exclusives."

Henk Jan Beltman, chief chocolate oficer of Tony’s Chocolonely, notes: "In order to make all chocolate worldwide slave free, it is an absolute must to also be successful in one of world’s biggest channels: Duty Free Travel Retail. 

"We’re happy to have Gebr. Heinemann as our launching partner and are looking forward to take the next step with them in our mission to 100% slave free chocolate." 

In the Netherlands, the chocolate is already the market leader in domestic retail and a pioneer in the industry. The path of the cocoa bean can be traced across the entire production chain, from the farm to the environmentally-friendly packaging. 

The impact company only buys its cocoa beans direct from farmers' cooperatives in West Africa and guarantees to work with them for at least five years. 

Depending on their living and labour costs, Tony's Chocolonely pays them flexible premiums in addition to the world market price, on top of the fair trade premium. 

This additional premium, says Tony’s Chocolonely, enables farmers to earn a living income and invests, like in training for farmers, through the co-operatives.