Spring brings a new office, new machine and NPD 🌷

Hello, Lovely Choco Lovers! 🍫

I can't believe I'm writing this email already—three whole months of 2025 have flown by!  In the world of business, that means Q1 is officially in the bag! That's three months of tens of thousands of Catherine's Originals vegan chocolate being made and in eaten.

So, on the 1st of every month, Jamie and I carve out some time to reflect on the month that’s just passed with our “board meeting” (I put that in quotation marks because I don’t feel quite official enough to say we actually have a board meeting... but we do, and our board members are awesome. Big shout out to Mark and Paul—hi guys, if you’re reading this!). These two are our go-to’s whenever we need advice, need to chat things through, or when we’re staring down a big decision. Jamie and I put together an agenda summarising what we want to cover, pull some numbers up on an fancy spreadsheet (props to Jamie and Mark for those), and go through how things are going at Catherine’s Originals. We talk market trends, products, challenges, and upcoming projects.

Why am I telling you all this now? Well, this morning Jamie and I finished prepping the agenda for March’s meeting (which, funny enough, is happening today!) and it’s a big one because, like I said, Q1 is done and dusted. We’ve all been working like crazy, and there’s so much to update you on in our world of plant-based chocolate! Like our White Chocolate O'bar! 

You’ve probably heard me go on and on about the crazy cocoa market. Prices have skyrocketed, and many chocolate companies have had to raise their prices by more than double. Some have even been forced to close their doors! But thanks to a strategic team decision we made back in January, (keeping Catherine’s Originals online and not pushing for that big retail listing), we’ve been able to hold your prices steady for the whole of 2025 so far, meaning nothing has had to change with your fave chocolate selection! We’re 36% above target for the year, which means Catherine’s Originals is growing faster than ever and becoming more competitive in the vegan chocolate world. What does this mean? More awesome products are coming your way with a competitive price tag!

As demand goes up, so does production, which means more space and more machines needed!  I’m excited to introduce you to Bobby—the latest addition to our team. Bobby is a wrapping machine. For years, we’ve been battling with The Cookie Muncher and Snap Me in our selection box (those chocolates are anything but ordinary, and wrapping them has been a challenge). But Bobby’s going to help us wrap these two chocolates neatly, professionally, and in a way that extends their shelf life. Yes, the wrapping will be different from the other seven, but this is a compromise we’ve made to improve the overall quality of the box. Bobby will also be wrapping some super exciting new products—so stay tuned!

Jamie managed to sneak away for a week of skiing with his dad (definitely not jealous... and definitely didn’t try to sneak into his suitcase…). He had an amazing time, and I’m so glad he got that one-on-one time with his dad—he deserves it after everything he does for Catherine’s Originals!

While Jamie was away, I took some time to relax in the garden with Lewes-Nigel, our cat (so, not completely alone!). We also launched White O’Bar, our first-ever white chocolate product, and it’s been a huge hit! You might’ve seen my April Fool’s joke about a new flavour I’ve been working on too (don’t worry, it’s not broccoli 😜)—but some of you might have guessed what it really is in the comments. I can 100% confirm that our dairy-free, vegan friends are going to be so excited about it. You won’t feel like you’re missing out on what seems to be trending atm!

Our team has outgrown the Choco Cabin (our cozy spot where we work and eat lunch? Well, it’s time for a change!). We’re moving into a proper office space now—Choco Office next door to Choco Cabin—and we can’t wait to show you around soon.

Spring is here, which means it’s time for a factory spring clean! While the kitchen, warehouse, and Choco Office are always sparkling, I’m that person who has to move everything around when spring rolls in. So this Saturday, Jamie and I have scheduled a factory reorganisation, making sure we’re optimising storage space as best we can. After all, Catherine’s Originals is growing faster than expected, and we need to be smart about it before we eventually need to move into a bigger factory. Exciting times!

Yes, I’m the one who washes the team’s work shoes in the bath tub. Toothbrush and antibacterial spray in hand! It’s not glamorous, but hey, someone’s gotta do it, right?

That’s all for now, folks! Don’t forget to check out our Easter Bundles and take advantage of our very first Buy 1, Get 1 Free deal.

Thanks for being here, being choc lovers, and for reading these little catch-ups! If there’s ever anything you want to hear more about, just drop me a line—I’d love to hear from you.

Stay sweet,
Catherine 🍫💛

P.S. I found this statue on Mother's Day, who does this statue remind you of? 🗿