I met Claire at VegfestUK. It was so cool to hear how she goes out of her way to ensure that there's no cross contamination, so all her chocolates are 100% vegan! Isn't that amazing? She describes how she gets blocks of chocolate, rather than, already broken pieces, to ensure that they're completely free of any non-vegan entities. Isn't that cool?

I couldn't wait to feature this interview with Claire. So over to Claire who will tell you all about Considerit and more!

How would you summarise what you want Considerit Chocolate to achieve?

I'd like Considerit Chocolate to be a well known business throughout the UK and then maybe even further afield.

Where are you based and which countries do you supply your chocolates to?

Considerit Chocolate is based in Fife, Scotland... just north of Edinburgh across the Forth Road Bridge.
At the moment I am only selling within the UK, but I hope to expand into Europe and hopefully across to America in the near future.

What inspired you to create this business?

Throughout school and university I worked alongside my dad in a vegetarian and vegan restaurant in Edinburgh. By far my favourite area to work in was the sweet section. My mum used to be a chef so she taught me how to make cakes when I was younger. After a bad sports injury at university I decided I wanted to start my own business, I wanted to be my own boss and everything that comes with it.

Originally, I had an idea, which was to make vegan cakes but it was already an overcrowded market. One day someone who worked at Henderson's asked me if it was possible to make vegan chocolate truffles. I looked into it and saw there weren't many options out there so I started experimenting with different ingredients. One of the managers at Henderson's tried them and said if I could make more she would buy them and sell them in the deli shop. That it how I decided to launch Considerit Chocolate.

Why did you choose to focus exclusively on making plant-based chocolates?

I wanted the chocolates I make to be available to all. I hate leaving people out and let's face it no one should have to miss out on chocolate.

What is your role in the business?

I own the business... (still sounds scary to me). I make all of the chocolate bars and truffles, I experiment with new ideas and I develop new products.

I am very lucky to have an amazing family who help out all the time; especially my mum who is in charge of wrapping and labelling.

There is more to running a business than I imagined and without the help from my family Considerit Chocolate wouldn't be where it is now.

Is there a risk that your vegan products will be cross-contaminated with non-vegan ingredients?

No. I have been very strict when sourcing my ingredients, which means that everything I produce is vegan and gluten free. It takes a lot longer, and is often less practical, but the whole idea behind Considerit Chocolate is 'indulgence for everyone.' I wouldn't risk who we are, and what we make, just to cut corners.

For someone who hasn't tasted your chocolates before and doesn't know which ones to buy; can you name the 3 most popular ones?

Salted caramel is definitely the most popular, followed by Madagascan vanilla and then honeycomb.

Are you owned by, or in partnership with, another company that does test on animals or sell non-vegan products?

No.

Tell me something about you, prior to launching this company?

My first love in life is sport... I even studied it at university.

Do you have any others plans that will come into effect in the near future?

I am opening up a vegan chocolate shop in the next couple of weeks. It's undergoing a refit right now, so its all very exciting.

Everything is going to be made on site. In addition to the chocolate, I plan to make and sell ice cream, hot chocolate and cakes and patisserie!