UP-UP Chocolate

Makers of single-estate chocolate bars and buttons that truly care about workers’ rights.

UP-UP Chocolate is committed to crafting chocolate that’s a sweet deal for everyone in the supply chain. Their delicious bars and buttons of single-estate chocolate come from just one plantation on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. This cocoa farm is the first in the world to be certified by slavefreetrade.

Back in 2020, UP-UP spotted a gap in the industry – while many brands share a vision of a child labour-free chocolate industry, they rely on self-certification over independent verification. So, UP-UP instead sought out this third party to hold them to account on their promise of being 100% child labour-free.

The cocoa in UP-UP Chocolate is also processed in Colombia, unlike other chocolate brands which ship to Europe for this step, keeping more wealth in the country of origin. The final step in the UP-UP chocolate-making process takes place in the Edinburgh factory.

And that’s the end of the UP-UP supply chain – just three workplaces, making traceability crystal clear.

But for UP-UP, traceability isn’t just about sourcing — it’s about people. Workers across the supply chain complete biannual surveys based on slavefreetrade’s Ten Principles for Decent Work, so workers' voices are always heard.

That’s another difference between this chocolate brand and others in the industry: UP-UP Chocolate works with employees, not smallholders. So every single person in the chain has contracts, holiday pay and set minimum wages. They call it the world’s first human-first chocolate.

From unique flavours like gingerbread milk, dark wild mint and sweet orange to classic milk chocolate bars and buttons, you’ll be pleased to know there’s a cracking selection of this do-good chocolate to discover.

Meet The Founder

Calum Haggerty grew up in the Scottish Highlands and graduated from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh in 2005 with a BA in Business & Finance. After graduating and working in the fire service, he never imagined he’d become a serial chocolate entrepreneur.

Before founding UP-UP Chocolate, he led COCO Chocolatier, where he became frustrated with traditional certifications like Fairtrade, believing they didn’t address the deeper issues of forced and child labour in the cocoa industry.

With a passion for ethical practices, Calum created UP-UP as a brand that goes beyond self-certification. For Calum, it’s about more than just great chocolate. It’s about putting people first, embedding ethical practices in every step of the process and setting a new standard for the industry.

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