German barnhouse introduces vegan granola featuring a 'THIC' chocolate variant, omitting cocoa.
Endless Food Co, a startup with Michelin-starred roots, is making waves in the food industry with its innovative cocoa-free chocolate alternative. The company, co-founded by Matthew Orlando, one of the world's best chefs, is on a mission to reduce waste and lower the carbon footprint of chocolate production.
Their chocolate alternative, known as THIC, is made from an unexpected combination of brewer's spent grain (BSG) and cocoa shells, along with sustainable fats like wild-harvested shea and illipe butters, and organic beet sugar. This unique blend not only replicates the taste and texture of traditional chocolate but also positions as a one-to-one replacement with an 84% lower climate footprint than conventional dark chocolate.
Last month, Endless Food Co's upcycled chocolate alternative was the base of a cocoa-free chocolate cheesecake at Stockholm's Urban Deli. The startup has also teamed up with 7-Eleven Denmark to launch cookies made from THIC for all 180 of its stores nationwide.
German cereal producer Barnhouse has also joined the movement, launching a new low-sugar vegan granola with Endless Food Co's cocoa-free chocolate alternative. Barnhouse's Krunchy Low Sugar (No) Choco is currently rolling out on supermarket shelves in Germany and is available on their website for €4.99 per 375g box.
Endless Food Co's success is due in part to its commitment to sustainability. The company was built on the sustainability heritage of Amass Restaurant, where Orlando was the owner. Maximillian Bogenmann, another colleague of Orlando at Amass, is the CEO of Endless Food Co, and Christian Bach, another colleague, is the COO.
In late 2024, Endless Food Co raised €1M in a funding round led by Nordic Foodtech VC, with EIFO and Rockstart participating as well. The funding was earmarked to help Endless Food Co expand production, set up a pilot plant, and grow its team.
Cacao is among the most wasted fruits in the world, with around 70-80% of the fruit being thrown away during chocolate production. By using BSG and cocoa shells, Endless Food Co is helping to combat this waste. Every year, 36.4 million tonnes of BSG is manufactured globally, but 80% of this is repurposed into animal feed or biofuel, and the rest ends up in landfill.
Chocolate production itself is a highly polluting process, thanks in large part to the widespread use of deforestation-linked palm oil. Endless Food Co's innovative approach not only reduces waste but also lowers the carbon footprint of chocolate production, making it a more sustainable option for consumers.
Endless Food Co is part of a growing list of companies working with cocoa-free chocolate, including Germany's Planet A Foods, British startups Win-Win and Nukoko, US firms Voyage Foods and Compound Foods, Italy's Foreverland, and Singapore's Prefer, among others. As more companies join the movement, it's clear that Endless Food Co's cocoa-free chocolate alternative is leading the way in sustainable chocolate production.
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