A Scots chocolate that’s good for the heart

Most of us love a wee bit of chocolate – and two Scots firms are doing something a little bit different.

Caithness Chocolates and Mackintosh of Glendaveny have collaborated to make a new addition to their unique range of handmade Scottish chocolates using Scottish cold pressed rapeseed oil.

Caithness Chocolates is an independent, multi award winning chocolate producer based near Wick. Their chocolates are freshly prepared and created by hand and feature a number of unique flavours using ingredients sourced from local producers.

Mackintosh of Glendaveny, based outside Peterhead were established in 2009. The extra virgin cold pressed rapeseed oil has won numerous awards across Scotland including their founder, Gregor Mackintosh being named of Entrepreneur of the Year at the North East Scotland Food & Drink Awards in 2018.

Cold pressed rapeseed oil has been reported to host a number of health benefits as it contains naturally occurring antioxidants and Omega 3, which can help to maintain cholesterol levels as part of a healthy diet.

Caithness Chocolates has developed a Scottish Cold Pressed rapeseed oil, rosemary and chilli dark chocolate that is described in its tasting notes as ‘an initial herby taste from the rosemary, with a very smooth palate from the rapeseed oil and a slightly warm and spicy aftertaste from the chilli’.

Scottish Cold Pressed Rapeseed oil is extracted from the seeds of rapeseed plants, from the same brassica family as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Harvested in late summer, rapeseed plants are the ones that can be seen flowering bright yellow in fields during May.

The chocolate was initially launched as part of Caithness Chocolate’s festive range, however, due to its popularity, it has been added to their permeant selection to be enjoyed all year round.

Ruth Falconer, founder of Caithness Chocolates said: ‘When producing our range of chocolates, we like to make sure we are using as many Scottish ingredients as possible. It was a natural decision to go for Mackintosh of Glendaveny as they are based in Aberdeenshire and produce a very high quality cold pressed rapeseed oil.

‘The oil gives the ganache a lovely smooth texture, which melts in the mouth and leaves a rich and luscious aftertaste. The added health benefits of the cold pressed rapeseed oil makes this the perfect gift as it is good for the heart.’

Graham Young, industry development director at Scotland Food and Drink said: ‘It is always great to see Scottish producers work with each other and produce unique high quality products, and even better to see them be so popular! The premium cold pressed rapeseed oil from Mackintosh of Glendaveny is a brilliant fit for this product, as it matches the quality of the chocolate from Caithness Chocolates perfectly.’

The Scottish Rapeseed Oil, Rosemary and Chilli Chocolates are available on the Caithness Chocolate website as well as a number of other flavours including Isle of Skye Sea Salt and Caithness Honey. Boxes start from £8.

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