Exclusive: UK’s Love Cocoa confectionery is acquired by Made Uncommon

After a decade creating one of the most prominent independent confectionery firms in the UK, James Cadbury has moved to sell his Love Cocoa company to fellow British group, Made Uncommon, reports Neill Barston.

The acquisition, which is for an undisclosed sum, has promised to ensure continuity for the brand, which had built a strong focus on sustainable sourcing during its development.

Notably, last December, Love Cocoa had delivered on long-held plans to venture into the retail sector to match its online business, with the company opening what was its first store in Mayfair, London, which received a wave of positive press, though has now since closed its doors.

The new owners of the business have confirmed that it is not intending to re-open the unit, which was described as being an ‘interesting experiment,’ yet emerged at a time of key financial pressures with central London business rates being notably high,  as well as enhanced employer national insurance costs proving central factors in its closure.

Calum Haggerty, founder of Made Uncommon, noted that he had long admired the company for its strength in design, values and gifting potential.

He explained that the deal for the business forged by James Cadbury, who was inspired to set up the business by his great-great-great- grandson of Cadbury’s creator John Cadbury, following a key decision not to take up investment from the BBC’s popular screen series Dragon’s Den.

pic: Love Cocoa

“I first met James Cadbury around 10 years ago at a trade show in London. We were both early in our journeys, building challenger chocolate brands, and we’ve been friendly competitors ever since. We always found time to grab a beer and talk shop at whichever event we ended up at.

“Today, I’m proud to share that Made Uncommon has acquired Love Cocoa Limited, just as the business marks its 10-year anniversary,” noting that James Cadbury was stepping away from his business to spend more time with his young family. 

Speaking to Confectionery Production, Calum felt Love Cocoa was a natural fit for its portfolio, which now also includes fellow sustainably focused chocolate company, Seed & Bean, also acquired this year.

Having built his own initial business, Coco Chocolatier in Scotland, as a mission-driven enterprise devoted to ethical sourcing, he has seen the group grow into a thriving set of ventures, including its Up-Up and Otherly brands.

“We’re focused on building Love Cocoa through core channels like wholesale, online, and seasonal gifting, where the long-term value sits.

“We’ll retain the brand and its identity. Our approach is to bring operational focus, investment, and fresh energy while respecting what’s already working. It now sits within the Made Uncommon group alongside COCO, H!P, Otherly, and UP-UP.

“We also recently acquired Seed and Bean, one of the the UK’s leading organic and Fairtrade chocolate brand. It brings something distinct to the group, with strong ethical credentials, a loyal customer base, and a different shopper profile. It complements the rest of our portfolio, and we see real potential in giving it a wider platform and some commercial focus,” noted Calum of what has proved a particularly momentous period for his company.

He added: ” I didn’t start in chocolate. I was a firefighter before getting into business, but I was drawn to the pace, the creativity, and the challenge of building consumer brands from scratch. It’s a tough category, but there’s a lot of satisfaction in doing things your own way and building something meaningful.”   James Cadbury has been approached by Confectionery Production for comment on the story.