I don't know what your shopping trolleys have looked like in the last few weeks - oh months - but one to five bars of chocolate were a fixed starter for me. And I was probably not the only one …
What brought us through the first lockdown and what also promises salvation in the form of ribs in the current second round? Chocolate! In the past few months, the candy has also been more inconspicuous than the famous toilet paper, as Wolfgang Stöhr, Managing Director of Ritter Sport Austria, confesses to us in an interview. And while we are already confessing, we naturally wanted to know from him whether one, constantly surrounded by sweet temptations, will at some point still be able to see them?
WOMAN: One of our personal hamster purchases was chocolate: have you noticed an increase in sales over the past few months? Why do you think chocolate consumption has increased so?
Stöhr: We have actually been able to record an increased consumption of chocolate bars since March. Treating yourself to a real Feel Good moment at home with a chocolate is definitely important, whether in the home office or in private on the couch!
But is chocolate really a good idea as a soul comforter?
Stöhr: Enjoyed in reasonable quantities, especially now and then you can caress your palate and soul.
If you have to do with chocolate all the time, do you still enjoy snacking yourself?
Stöhr: Oh yes, definitely! Fortunately, thanks to our huge range, you can always find something depending on your preferences and tastes.
What was the weirdest creation you've ever eaten yourself?
Stöhr: Some time ago there was a variety of the year "Tortilla Chips" with roasted crispy corn. This sweet and salty combination was definitely a quirky culinary experience.
In times of the climate crisis: Cocoa beans do not grow in our latitudes and all of them have to be imported - a factor for one's own ecological footprint. What is Ritter Sport doing in this direction?
Stöhr: Cocoa is our most important raw material, which is why we have only been using 100 percent certified sustainable cocoa since 2018. In addition, we have been ensuring that production is fair and sustainable for more than 30 years, including through our direct partnerships with cocoa cooperatives. In addition, we have had our own sustainable cocoa plantation, EL CACAO, in Nicaragua since 2012. We have submitted this project to the "Gold Standard", an organization that certifies projects in the fields of energy, reforestation and land use - the certificates enable RITTER SPORT to produce completely climate-neutral from 2022 - we are therefore one of the pioneers in the industry!
