Green & Black's

Green & Black's is a British chocolate brand established in 1991 by Craig Sams, an entrepreneur associated with the organic-food movement, and Josephine Fairley, a journalist and writer. The brand was created around a deliberately dual identity: “Green” referred to the founders’ environmental and organic-food concerns, while “Black” indicated the intense, high-cocoa chocolate they wanted to produce. From the beginning, the company positioned chocolate as a premium food rather than a mass-market confection, emphasizing strong cocoa character, recognizable ingredients and responsible sourcing. A defining development came in the early 1990s through the relationship with Maya farmers in Belize. In 1994, Green & Black’s began purchasing Fairtrade cocoa from Maya communities for its Maya Gold bar. The product helped connect a branded chocolate product with a specific farming region and became central to the company’s ethical identity. Maya Gold was recognized as the first chocolate in the United Kingdom to carry the Fairtrade mark. Green & Black’s also received a Worldaware Business Award in 1994 for its approach to business and sourcing. The company maintained a small office in Punta Gorda, Belize, reflecting the importance of the cocoa-sourcing relationship to its story. The brand’s portfolio expanded beyond dark chocolate bars to include milk and white chocolate, flavored and filled bars, chocolate spreads, hot chocolate, biscuits and ice cream. Its products have commonly been associated with organic certification, Fairtrade certification and higher cocoa percentages, although these attributes have not applied uniformly to every product or edition. In 2017, for example, the company introduced the Velvet Edition range, which was described as neither Fairtrade nor organic, marking a departure from some of the attributes traditionally associated with the brand. Green & Black’s remained independent until May 2005, when Cadbury Schweppes acquired the company for an undisclosed amount. Contemporary reporting estimated the transaction at approximately £20 million, but that figure was not officially disclosed by the companies. Cadbury stated that Green & Black’s would be operated as a separate business. Following Kraft Foods’ acquisition of Cadbury in 2010, the brand ultimately became part of Mondelēz International when Kraft Foods divided its global snacks business from its North American grocery operations. The brand has operated in multiple markets, including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia, and its products have been manufactured or supplied through facilities and operations in Canada, Poland and Italy. In the United States, Green & Black’s has been sold through retailers including Whole Foods Market and Walgreens, with products such as Dark 85% Cacao and White chocolate. The Australian business announced a plan to move 90 percent of its range to Fairtrade by the end of 2010 and the entire range by 2011. Green & Black’s has also faced scrutiny. In 2012, Mondelēz Global LLC voluntarily recalled a United States Green & Black’s Organic Peanut and Sea Salt Milk Chocolate bar because of a possible health risk. In 2022, Consumer Reports testing found that a Green & Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao bar exceeded California reference levels for lead and cadmium. The finding was reported as an independent test result and did not establish that all Green & Black’s products had the same levels. These episodes sit alongside the brand’s wider public identity as a premium chocolate maker whose reputation depends on ingredient quality, ethical sourcing and trust in certification claims.

Green & Black's was founded in 1991 by Craig Sams and Josephine Fairley. Sams brought experience from the organic-food sector, while Fairley contributed a background in journalism and writing. Their concept combined organic and environmental values with a more intense chocolate style based on higher cocoa content. The name expressed this idea: “Green” represented ecological concerns and “Black” represented dark, strongly flavored chocolate. The company’s early development was closely linked to cocoa sourcing in Belize. In 1994, Green & Black's began buying Fairtrade cocoa from Maya farmers for Maya Gold. Rather than treating sourcing as an invisible supply-chain function, the brand made the origin of its cocoa part of its consumer proposition. Maya Gold became the first chocolate in the United Kingdom to receive the Fairtrade mark, and the company received a Worldaware Business Award in the same year. Green & Black's also established a small office in Punta Gorda, Belize, supporting the continuing importance of the Maya-cocoa relationship. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the business developed a broader organic chocolate range. Its products included bars across dark, milk and white styles, as well as flavored products and other organic foods such as biscuits, ice cream and hot chocolate. The brand became associated with premium presentation, high cocoa percentages and ethical sourcing. Its public identity was distinct from conventional mass-market chocolate because the company used certification, cocoa origin and organic credentials as part of its core differentiation. In May 2005, Cadbury Schweppes acquired Green & Black's. The price was not publicly disclosed; press estimates placed the value at about £20 million. Cadbury said the brand would continue to operate separately, allowing it to retain a degree of independence and preserve its established positioning. The acquisition connected a specialist organic brand with a major international confectionery group while leaving its ethical and premium branding commercially valuable within the larger portfolio. Green & Black's later became part of Kraft Foods following Kraft’s acquisition of Cadbury in 2010. After Kraft Foods separated its global snack operations, the brand became part of Mondelēz International. The brand’s products and operations have extended across the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia and other markets. Principal manufacturing sites have been identified in Canada, Poland and Italy, although the brand’s corporate ownership and manufacturing arrangements have changed over time. Fairtrade remained a significant part of the brand’s international development. Green & Black's Australia announced a staged commitment to move 90 percent of its range to Fairtrade by the end of 2010 and all of its range by 2011. At the same time, the range was not permanently limited to Fairtrade and organic products. The Velvet Edition, introduced in 2017, was reported as neither Fairtrade nor organic, demonstrating a portfolio expansion beyond the brand’s most familiar certification claims. The company has experienced both product-safety actions and reputational scrutiny. On 15 October 2012, Mondelēz Global LLC announced a voluntary U.S. recall involving Green & Black's Organic Peanut and Sea Salt Milk Chocolate because of a possible health risk. In 2022, Consumer Reports testing found that the Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao bar contained lead and cadmium at levels exceeding California reference thresholds. These events have been reported in the context of individual products and tests rather than as evidence that the entire portfolio shared the same characteristics. Green & Black's continues to be recognized as a premium chocolate brand under Mondelēz International, with its historical association with organic chocolate, Maya Gold and Fairtrade sourcing remaining central to its identity.

• 2022

  Heavy-metal testing reported

  [4]Consumer Reports: Heavy Metals in Chocolateconsumerreports.org

  Consumer Reports reported elevated lead and cadmium levels in testing of the Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao bar against California reference levels.

• 2017

  Velvet Edition introduced

  [1]Green & Black'sen.wikipedia.org

  The brand launched the Velvet Edition line, which was reported as neither Fairtrade nor organic.

• 2012

  United States product recall

  [3]FDA recall databasefda.gov

  A voluntary recall was issued for the Organic Peanut and Sea Salt Milk Chocolate bar in the United States.

• 2010

  Becomes part of Kraft Foods

  [6]Becomes part of Kraft Foodsbbc.com

  The brand entered Kraft Foods’ portfolio after Kraft completed its acquisition of Cadbury.

• 2010

  Australian Fairtrade conversion plan

  [5]Fairtrade Australia and New Zealandfairtrade.com.au

  Green & Black's Australia announced a plan to convert most of its range to Fairtrade by the end of 2010 and the full range by 2011.

• 2005

  Acquired by Cadbury Schweppes

  [1]Green & Black'sen.wikipedia.org

  Cadbury Schweppes acquired Green & Black's for an undisclosed amount and stated that it would operate the brand separately.

• 1994

  Maya Gold cocoa relationship begins

  [1]Green & Black'sen.wikipedia.org

  The company began purchasing Fairtrade cocoa from Maya farmers in Belize for Maya Gold.

• 1994

  First United Kingdom Fairtrade chocolate mark

  [1]Green & Black'sen.wikipedia.org

  Maya Gold became the first chocolate in the United Kingdom to carry the Fairtrade mark, according to the brand's historical record.

• 1994

  Worldaware Business Award

  [1]Green & Black'sen.wikipedia.org

  Green & Black's received a Worldaware Business Award for its approach to business and sourcing.

• 1991

  Brand founded

  [1]Green & Black'sen.wikipedia.org

  Craig Sams and Josephine Fairley established Green & Black's as a British chocolate business built around organic values and high-cocoa chocolate.

Premium chocolate with an organic and ethical-sourcing heritage, emphasizing cocoa intensity, Fairtrade relationships and responsible production where applicable.

• Dark chocolate bar · 1994

  Maya Gold

  Maya Gold is the brand’s best-known heritage product. It was developed using cocoa purchased from Maya farmers in Belize and became closely associated with Green & Black's Fairtrade story. Its importance is both commercial and symbolic: the bar connected a named cocoa origin with a premium chocolate product and was recognized as the first chocolate in the United Kingdom to carry the Fairtrade mark.

• Dark chocolate bar

  Organic Dark 70% Cacao

  This bar represents the brand’s traditional premium positioning through a relatively high cocoa percentage and organic branding. It has also been the subject of Consumer Reports testing that reported lead and cadmium levels above California reference thresholds. The test finding concerned the sampled product and should not be generalized to every Green & Black's item.

• Dark chocolate bar

  Dark 85% Cacao

  Dark 85% Cacao is a high-cocoa bar aimed at consumers seeking a more concentrated, less sweet chocolate profile. It is part of the brand’s dark-chocolate range and illustrates the connection between the “Black” element of the name and the company’s emphasis on pronounced cocoa flavor.

• Milk chocolate bar

  Milk Chocolate

  Green & Black's milk chocolate products extend the brand beyond dark chocolate while retaining its premium packaging and ingredient-focused positioning. The range has included plain milk chocolate as well as flavored and filled variants.

• White chocolate bar

  White Chocolate

  The white chocolate range provides a sweeter, cocoa-butter-led alternative to the brand’s darker bars. It has been sold in international markets including the United States as part of the broader Green & Black's bar portfolio.

• Chocolate range · 2017

  Velvet Edition

  Velvet Edition was introduced in 2017 as a distinct product line. Unlike much of the brand’s historical range, it was reported as neither Fairtrade nor organic, making it an example of Green & Black's extending its portfolio beyond its established certification-led identity.

• Beverage mix

  Hot Chocolate

  Green & Black's hot chocolate products apply the brand’s cocoa-focused positioning to a drink format. They form part of the company’s wider organic-food portfolio alongside chocolate bars and other confectionery products.

• Biscuits

  Chocolate Biscuits

  Biscuits have been included among Green & Black's broader organic food products. They extend the brand into an adjacent snack category while retaining its association with chocolate and premium ingredients.

• Ice cream

  Chocolate Ice Cream

  Ice cream is another category identified in the brand’s product portfolio. It represents Green & Black's diversification from packaged bars into chilled and frozen chocolate-based products.

• 2022

  Lead and cadmium findings in dark chocolate testing

  Consumer Reports reported that testing of Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao found lead and cadmium levels exceeding California maximum allowable dose levels. The report concerned the tested product and did not demonstrate that the entire brand portfolio had equivalent levels.

  Source

Read more

• 2010Australian Fairtrade range conversion

  Australia

  The Australian business announced a staged plan to move 90 percent of its range to Fairtrade by the end of 2010 and the full range by 2011.

  Outcome. The announcement reinforced Fairtrade as a major international component of Green & Black's positioning, although later product introductions were not uniformly Fairtrade or organic.

  Source
• 1994Maya Gold Fairtrade sourcing initiative

  United Kingdom · Belize

  Green & Black's developed Maya Gold around cocoa purchased from Maya farmers in Belize, making farmer origin and Fairtrade sourcing central elements of the product story.

  Outcome. Maya Gold became the first chocolate in the United Kingdom to receive the Fairtrade mark and became a defining product in the brand’s ethical-sourcing history.

  Source

• 2017

  Introduction of Velvet EditionProduct launch

  Background

  Green & Black's had long been associated with organic and Fairtrade chocolate, but its portfolio also needed to serve broader taste and product-positioning opportunities.

  Action taken

  The company launched the Velvet Edition line.

  Aftermath

  The line broadened the portfolio and was reported as neither Fairtrade nor organic, creating a distinction between the brand’s historical credentials and all products sold under its name.

  Source

• 2010

  Australian Fairtrade conversion commitmentStrategy

  Background

  Fairtrade sourcing was a central part of Green & Black's brand heritage and had been established through Maya Gold.

  Action taken

  Green & Black's Australia announced a plan to convert 90 percent of its range to Fairtrade by the end of 2010 and the entire range by 2011.

  Aftermath

  The commitment strengthened the brand’s ethical-sourcing proposition in Australia, while the later Velvet Edition showed that not every product would carry Fairtrade or organic status.

  Source

• 2005

  Sale to Cadbury SchweppesM&A

  Background

  Green & Black's had developed a distinctive premium organic and Fairtrade identity but was still a specialist chocolate business.

  Action taken

  Cadbury Schweppes acquired the company for an undisclosed amount and stated that it would run the business separately.

  Aftermath

  The brand gained the resources and international reach of a large confectionery group while retaining its own consumer-facing identity. It later became part of Mondelēz International.

  Source

1. 1Green & Black'sen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Green & Black's official websitegreenandblacks.co.uk
3. 3FDA recall databasefda.gov
4. 4Consumer Reports: Heavy Metals in Chocolateconsumerreports.org
5. 5Fairtrade Australia and New Zealandfairtrade.com.au
6. 6Becomes part of Kraft Foodsbbc.com