Henley Bridge is a proud member of the Craft Guild of Chefs

Henley Bridge is a proud member of the Craft Guild of Chefs

We're delighted to announce that Henley Bridge is an official member of the Craft Guild of Chefs, strengthening our connection with the UK's vibrant foodservice and hospitality community.

As a business dedicated to supplying specialist ingredients, chocolate, pastry, gelato and bakery solutions, this membership marks an exciting step forward in our commitment to supporting culinary professionals across a wider range of sectors.

The Craft Guild of Chefs is one of the UK's most respected professional chef associations, bringing together talented chefs, industry leaders, educators and suppliers who share a passion for excellence, innovation and professional development. By becoming a member, Henley Bridge gains access to an experienced network of hospitality professionals, exclusive industry events, educational opportunities and prestigious culinary competitions.

This partnership opens the door to valuable insights from some of the industry's most influential voices, helping us stay connected to emerging trends, evolving customer demands and the latest developments shaping professional kitchens across the country.

For our customers, this means even greater access to the knowledge, inspiration and expertise that drive our product offering. Through the Guild's extensive network, we'll be able to strengthen relationships across the hospitality sector, discover new opportunities for collaboration and continue bringing innovative ingredients and solutions to chefs, pastry professionals, bakers and gelato makers.

Joining the Craft Guild of Chefs is a natural extension of that commitment. The Guild's focus on professional development, education, collaboration and culinary excellence aligns closely with our own values, creating exciting opportunities to connect with some of the most respected voices in the foodservice and hospitality industry. Through this membership, we can further strengthen our understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing chefs and food businesses today, ensuring we continue to provide relevant products, expert support and valuable industry insight.

The partnership also enables us to engage with a network of talented chefs, educators, industry leaders and suppliers who share a passion for advancing culinary standards across the UK. By participating in Guild events, competitions, educational initiatives and networking opportunities, we'll gain valuable perspectives that help shape the way we support our customers and develop our offering.

We're particularly excited about the opportunity to champion innovation, celebrate craftsmanship and contribute to initiatives that help nurture emerging talent within the industry. Supporting the next generation of chefs and culinary professionals is vital to the future of hospitality, and we're proud to be part of a community that invests in learning, development and excellence.

As we continue this chapter, we look forward to building meaningful relationships with fellow Guild members, sharing knowledge and collaborating on opportunities that benefit the wider industry. This partnership reinforces our ongoing commitment to the food sector and to the customers who inspire us every day with their passion, creativity and dedication to their craft.

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The new Belcolade Origins range

The new Belcolade Origins range

Single Origin, singular taste - explore the flavour complexity of the new Belcolade Origins range! We’re thrilled to announce that our Belcolade Origins family has just got even tastier! With seven new additions joining the line-up, this collection of single origin chocolates is now richer, more diverse, and even more inspirational for chocolatiers, bakers, gelato makers and artisan creators. At the heart of the Origins range is the belief that great chocolate tells a story - of land, climate, tradition and craftsmanship. These chocolates are made using beans from specific regions, where the terroir, farming methods and expert fermentation processes combine to unlock intense, natural flavour profiles. Think of them like fine wines - expressive, complex, and full of personality. The newcomers Philippines 68%  A dark chocolate with a bold cacao punch, balanced with floral notes, fruits and spices. Dominant flavours include pineapple, banana and passion fruit, enhanced by pepper and a touch of floral. Papua New Guinea 70% Carefully cultivated along the mountainside of the Sepik river, this chocolate embodies the qualities of the Pacific soil, bringing the unique flavour profile to the fore. Providing a lively ride, this chocolate is dark, with a subtle fruitiness, roasted notes, and a floral whisper.  Papua New Guinea 39% Creamy and indulgent with a delightful balance of milk and cacao. The profile of this chocolate touches on sweet caramel notes, cooked milk and roasted hazelnuts. The warm, caramelised flavour brings richness to moulded chocolates and truffles. Papua New Guinea 36% A white chocolate like no other! The flavour offers pronounced dairy notes and a cooked milk character, but with an underlying depth from the terroir. Notes of sweet vanilla, anise and almond come to fore in this chocolate. A dream for gelato and filled creations. Vietnam 73% Crafted from the Trinitario bean in Vietnam's Mekong Delta region, this chocolate is intense and full-bodied with an acidic taste and citrusy finish. This profile touches on woody notes along with citrus and a touch of roasted coffee. A dark chocolate with a punch of personality, ideal for sophisticated flavour pairings. Vietnam 45% Sweet, creamy and every bit as elegant as the 73%. Also made from the Trinitario bean, this chocolate dances with notes of sweet caramel and roasted coffee, making it a fantastic choice for bonbons and pastry layers. Cameroon 45% Sourced from the valleys of the Sanaga river, these red cocoa beans create a smooth and mellow chocolate with light caramel tones. The profile also touches on cooked milk, roasted notes and a touch of citrus. A beautifully balanced milk chocolate. A global family of flavour These new kids on the block join our much-loved Origins favourites: Venezuelan 43.5% - smooth with rich dairy notes and a touch of caramel and hazelnut. Ecuadorian 71% - deep and intensely cacao-driven with floral notes and a touch of coffee. Ugandan 80% - a powerhouse of cacao with roasted and citrus undertones. Peruvian 64.5% - rounded and slightly acidic, with floral notes and dried fruit vibes. Vietnamese 45% - silky and balanced, with natural sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel. Why Origin matters Each Origin chocolate is an invitation to explore a region’s flavour story. They’re crafted under the Cacao-Trace programme, ensuring not only superior taste through expert fermentation and drying, but also fairer incomes for cocoa farmers. It’s better chocolate with a purpose for better. Culinary inspiration These unique profiles add depth and complexity to any creation. Whether you're layering nuanced flavours in a patisserie, crafting standout bonbons, or swirling through gelato, the Origins range offers a palette of taste that elevates recipes from tasty to unforgettable. Let your next creation tell a story with Belcolade Origins, from hot cross chocolates to cold chocolate drinks and mono mandarin chocolates. There's a unique flavour profile for every individual creations.

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A visit to the Ivory Coast Cacao-Trace farming communities

A visit to the Ivory Coast Cacao-Trace farming communities

A revolutionary programme Puratos, parent of the Belcolade brand, introduced their revolutionary Cacao-Trace programme in 2013, as a way to better control the cocoa chain and support those within it. Key focus areas include farmer poverty, working conditions, deforestation and child labour - areas that have already seen significant improvements. Better production methods produce a higher quality product, providing more value to the customer which is, in turn, distributed among the farmers and communities involved, forming a full circle process.  The Cacao-Trace programme is further supported by the inclusion of the Chocolate Bonus project, which actively creates jobs and provides essential buildings, centres and harvesting systems at the source of the cocoa chain. The exceptional work that Puratos do and the programme they have implemented is one that we, at Henley Bridge, are incredibly proud to support.  The Ivory Coast To further understand the processes within the cocoa chain, the impact of the Cacao-Trace programme and to experience the efforts involved from both sides, our team at Henley Bridge joined colleagues from Puratos for a visit to the Ivory Coast. In her own words, our Managing Director, Tracey Hughes, shares her experience from the trip. Why Cacao-Trace The Cacao-Trace Programme is very important to Henley Bridge, as a key distributor of chocolate and the Belcolade brand in the UK, it is imperative that we continue to source and supply ethical and sustainable chocolate both now and in the future. The aim of our visit to the Ivory Coast was to fully understand the programme and the positive changes that it is making to the local farmers and communities. We were able to witness how the Cacao-Trace sustainable cocoa sourcing programme is implemented, and to see the journey from bean to bar, experiencing the process alongside the farm workers. The reality of the amount of work and care that it takes to create the chocolate was astounding. Our experience on the farms Care for quality At the start of the trip, we were welcomed into Dotou village on the cocoa farm of Mr Gnahoue Rodrigue and we were lucky enough to experience the day to day of his farm workers. Myself and the team conducted essential tree care, harvested pods, broke them and removed the cocoa beans ready for the next stage of fermentation. It was reassuring to see the consistent quality checks along the journey from bean to bar.  Fermentation masters Next we visited the Puratos Post-Harvest Centre in Adjamené to witness the fermentation process. It was amazing to see the wooden box fermenters and how community members, who are trained to become professional Cacao-Trace fermentation masters, process the beans. Every step of the journey allowed us to see how Puratos values the cocoa farming community, providing them with all of the skills required to have a career with financial security and a long-term positive impact.  A full circle process One of the most enlightening parts of our trip was meeting the team from Puratos West Africa. Whilst in the Ivory Coast, one of our guides was Jean. Jean’s father was a cocoa farmer, and he grew up on the plantation, which his family still owns and runs today. At the age of six, Jean left his family to live with his uncle and continue his education. Jean now works for Puratos West Africa, specifically with the Cacao-Trace programme, to improve the quality of cacao and the lives of the farmers and villagers. Hearing Jean’s story, understanding the sacrifices he and his family made, and seeing how he is now working to help his people and community was truly touching. Not everyone will have the same opportunity that Jean did, which highlights the importance of the Cacao-Trace programme in building schools and ensuring all children receive a basic education. The Cacao-Trace family For all the guides we met, you could see and feel how proud they were of their roots and the work they were doing with the Cacao-Trace programme to improve the lives of their communities. The highlight of the trip for us was to see first-hand the positive changes that the programme has already delivered and will continue to deliver. The condition of the farms, with the cocoa trees being looked after and cared for correctly with plenty of healthy cocoa pods, visualised the future of chocolate. A prosperous future Throughout the plantations that we visited, the positive changes of the Cacao-Trace programme were evident from the standards of the farming landscape to the education that the programme is providing to the farming community. Thanks to the Cacao-Trace programme more villages have access to schools, nearby water towers and maternity centres. However, there are still villages which do not have access to these things that we consider life essentials. It has proved that we all have much more to do to provide better quality of lives for people, to continually build a better planet, and to create better prosperity in the lives of so many people and families.  

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Leading the way in ice cream innovation
Gelato and ice cream Recipes

Leading the way in ice cream innovation

Cool customers  Team Henley Bridge was out in full force this week attending ICA 2026 at the NEC in Birmingham.  The two-day event is the UK’s only dedicated trade show for the gelato and ice cream industry and, as a leading supplier for the sector, we were excited to unveil the latest innovations in this fast-growing arena.  Spoilt for choice Over 6,500 visitors attended the show and those who made a beeline for our stand had an impressive choice of 24 different flavours from Irca and Rubicone to sample - all lovingly made by our gelato experts Steve Carrigan and Jenny Spain.  Also on offer were four flavours of soft serve from Jersey Dairy and Gelato Bricks, and thickshakes made with Jersey Dairy thickshake mix  and Caramanfruit purees, plus a wide range of sauces, inclusions and décor.   The big scoop Our resident gelato master Steve Carrigan ‘scooped’ the award for ‘Best New Product’ at the event for his fabulous rhubarb and custard crumble gelato.  Steve was instrumental in working closely with Italian gelato manufacturer Rubicone to develop, not only the rhubarb flavour paste, but also the custard cremini and industry-first gluten-free crumble. All three products are exclusive to Henley Bridge and will be available to order from the end of this month (February).  Says Steve: “This award is the culmination of a two years’ hard work developing these bespoke products alongside Rubicone. Rhubarb is a classic English flavour and not something generally eaten in Italy, so perfecting it took several attempts! “To my knowledge, there’s no other custard ripple available on the market so this is definitely an industry first.” Crunch time “Texture is massive this year and everything at the show was about added crunch,” continues Steve, “so our launch of Rubicone’s new range of Topping Crock (choco nut, strawberry, cookie, pistachio, wafer nut and pecan) and gluten-free crumbles (available in white, caramel, yoghurt, matcha and pistachio) was absolutely on point. “I used the white crumble in my winning rhubarb and custard recipe, and we also exhibited a dulce de leche apple crumple recipe too, which went down an absolute storm.” Of the 24 flavours on show, six had added ‘crunch’: cherry crunch, salted pretzel, salted popcorn, lemon meringue pie and treacle toffee with toffee pieces.  Going nuts for nut-free Another new product launch at the show was Prova Gourmet’s range of nut-free nut flavourings, which allow customers with allergies to enjoy nut flavoured gelato without fear of a reaction.  The range is available in pistachio, hazelnut, cocoa and coconut, and is set to be a game-changer in the industry.  New beginnings The team came away from the show feeling huge positivity for the ice cream and gelato sector.  Jenny Spain comments: “It was our most successful show to date and we spoke to so many new customers who are opening up new ice cream parlours across the UK. We also met quite a few bakery owners who are diversifying into offering ice cream within their operations''. “ICA is the only real opportunity for our existing and new customers to taste a wide range of the products that we supply, and I think we absolutely smashed it.  “There are going to be some exciting new additions to gelato menus across the country this spring!”

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