Ethics & Sustainability

Getting stuck in. Doing the right thing, not just saying it.

Being ethical is at the heart of everything we do, and it’s been rooted in our brand from the very beginning. We treat workers fairly, tread lightly on the planet, strive to leave things better than we found them and act with a conscience.

Over the years, we’ve learnt so much about the most sustainable and effective ways to help our planet and those we work with - from cacao farmers in St Lucia to our shop assistants in your local Hotel Chocolat store.

For us, this means doing the right thing and not just saying it. To make cacao fairer for farmers, we don’t just write a cheque – we’ve got stuck in, with boots on the ground, to bring the world’s love of chocolate back to the growers who make it possible.

As a chocolatier and cacao grower, we’ve learned first-hand about taking care of the environment – from organic farming and sustainable packaging to reducing waste and our carbon footprint.

Our people are vital to who we are. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive business, with a culture in which everyone can succeed and develop, with the opportunity to grow.

With over 20 years’ experience, we aim to be market-leaders in ethical business practices and sustainability. It’s a journey, not a destination, and we will continue to benchmark, review and improve. Because it’s the right thing to do.

We also recognise the impact that our business has on the environment and set ourselves two targets. One is achieving Net Carbon Zero by 2030. The other is having 100% recyclable or re-usable packaging – we’re proud to have achieved 96% and we’re working hard to reach 100% as soon as we can.

We haven’t always got it right, but we’re always learning. We want to leave things better than we found them – and think our chocolate tastes better for it.