Is Dark Chocolate Vegan?

Beech’s Dark Chocolate only contains natural ingredients, however the question we get asked most often is whether our dark chocolate is suitable for those following a vegan diet.

For obvious reasons, we know our Milk Chocolate is not Vegan friendly - there is simply no way around the fact that milk is needed to make the rich creamy texture for which our milk chocolate has become famous. We have, in the past, looked at various milk alternatives that would allow us to broaden our range of vegan products, however our milk chocolate is renowned for its creamy texture and there are simply no milk alternatives available that do not compromise the quality and flavour. 

Dark Chocolate In A Vegan Diet

Alas, if you do maintain a strict vegan diet, then we suffice to say our milk chocolate is not for you.

However, Beech’s Dark Chocolate range is made using a very simple array of the very finest ingredients, all of which are compatible with a vegan diet!

All of our dark chocolate products are tested regularly to ensure they meet the exacting needs of the Vegan Society. This means that we can confidently state that Beech’s Dark Chocolate is certified as Vegan.

The primary ingredient for our dark chocolate is Cocoa - derived from the Cacao bean, Cocoa is the result of drying and fermenting the Cacao pod, before roasting the inner ‘nib’ to produce a rich chocolate liquor. First, Cocoa butter is extracted from the liquor, leaving a rich dry paste, which is then dried further to become unsweetened cocoa powder.  As the cocoa powder is entirely plant-based and has absolutely no animal involvement at any point in the process, Cocoa is definitely considered to be a vegan-friendly ingredient.

As well as Cocoa, our dark chocolate also contains vegan friendly ingredients derived from soya, which bind the oils and cocoa butter together to give a smooth richness to the end product. 

Nutritional Benefits of Vegan Dark Chocolate

The rich, deep texture of our dark chocolate is testament to the quality of the ingredients we use. But it’s not just about taste - Cocoa is an incredible ingredient with many features that are considered to be highly beneficial to our general health and wellbeing. Understood to be one of the richest sources of Polyphenals – naturally occurring antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables, tea and wine – cocoa has been linked to numerous health benefits, including reduced inflammation, better blood flow, lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol. It’s also especially abundant in flavanols, which have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects too. All of these attributes lead many to believe Dark Chocolate can have a positive effect on heart function, by relaxing and dilating the arteries and blood vessels, and actively reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

When it comes to vegan diets, there are many potential benefits to Beech’s cocoa-rich dark chocolate to help boost nutritional intake.

As an artisan producer of vegan dark chocolate, our production facility is audited by the Vegan Society to ensure that the product is fully compliant with the high standards they expect.

Therefore, in answer to the initial question “Is dark chocolate vegan?”, we can state confidence that Beech’s Dark Chocolate certainly is compatible with a Vegan diet! So don't delay, you can view our complete range of Vegan Chocolates in the store today.