Vegan Chocolate Maker Doubles Sales Before Easter

Vegan chocolatier Truffle Pig Chocolates has had a 50 per cent spike in online orders amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Easter is usually their busiest time of year, but this time, online sales were at a record high.

Lily Gaskell, owner of Truffle Pig Chocolates says the sales increased as many people send vegan Easter treats to their loved ones. 

"A lot of people are sending [chocolates] as a present to those who are self-isolating at the moment," Lily told The Yorkshire Post.

"It's amazing how something as small as receiving some chocolate can really make their day." 

Lily is a self-taught chocolatier and runs the company from her house in Sheffield with her partner Ian Everett.

During the lockdown, Truffle Pig Chocolates' online demand for certain items, such as its best-selling vegan cream eggs, has outsold supply. 

"We start selling our cream eggs in February, so there is a long Easter period," Lily said.

 "They are the most popular item, and they are going straight away. We can't keep up with it—they are selling out in under five minutes."  

During the time of the pandemic, the company has had to change the way it packages its chocolates. They started heat sealing all truffles in a biodegradable plastic bag to ensure no airborne contact is made. 

"We are packaging more carefully," Lily said. "And I never physically touch the chocolate."

Lily started her business four years ago. She said she saw a gap in the market for a vegan company.

"I love making presents for my family and decided to try making chocolate truffles," she said.

"After experimenting I decided I might be on to something and there was definitely a lack of good normal vegan chocolate".

She said her company has benefited due to the increasing popularity of the vegan diet and vegan products.  

"I've been really lucky to ride this wave, and the business has grown massively," she said.

"There is an increasing demand for vegan chocolate at Easter, and people want to look further than supermarket eggs to have something special.

"What I've found is vegans are loyal to vegan businesses. In times like this we have a really loyal customer base that have stick by us, so I am very lucky."

She said small businesses could enjoy a "boom" during lockdown if they are prepared to sell "online" and "collaboration" focused.

"If you can get online, it's the perfect opportunity to get online and start selling from home," she said.

"Strip the business back to the essentials and also look for opportunities to collaborate with other businesses."