Episode description

With such an iconic name, it’s no surprise that James Cadbury is obsessed with chocolate.  As you have probably guessed, James’ great-great-Grandfather was one of the brothers that founded the now illustrious Cadbury’s brand. 

Growing up just down the road from the legendary Bournville site, James had an early fascination with chocolate from a young age. Despite beginning his journey in finance after university, he soon realized that his heart was elsewhere—immersed in the world of chocolate. With a desire to make his mark on the industry and having supported several start ups, James took the plunge, investing his hard-earned savings into his first chocolate venture, Love Cocoa. 

While navigating the rollercoaster of start-up life and having great success with his first brand, it also became clear that the nation’s growing love for plant-based milk chocolate was growing. With an opportunity to be the first chocolate in the UK market with oat milk, James launched his second brand, HIP. His team developed a product that was a true game-changer to the category, a great-tasting, dairy-free chocolate like the UK had never seen before. It skyrocketed to success and hasn't looked back since. 

In this episode, James takes us behind the scenes, sharing the challenges of running two start-up brands, along with the dilemmas of whether to put his name on the packaging and the pros and cons that came with it. He also dives into the critical focus on sustainability for both of his brands, drawing inspiration from his pioneering ancestors. James explains why it was imperative for Hip to breathe new life into the plant-based chocolate category and stand out on the store shelves.

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandt-maybury/

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Follow James:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cadbury/?originalSubdomain=uk

Love Cocoa
Instagram

HIP
Instagram

Links Mentioned:
Cadbury - https://www.cadbury.co.uk/

Property Moose - https://propertymoose.co.uk/

Hotel Chocolat - https://www.hotelchocolat.com

Tony's - https://tonyschocolonely.com/uk/en

Dragons Den (James Cadbury Episode) - YouTube

Midday Squares - https://www.middaysquares.com/

Shoe Dog - https://www.waterstones.com/book/shoe-dog/phil-knight/

Kind Bag -  https://www.kindbag.co