Chocolate itself is changing – and so are chocolate experiences. In this session, brands and manufacturers will talk about how they are reworking recipes and formats – from sugar levels and cocoa content to new ingredients, origins and flavour stories – while juggling high input costs and tighter rules.

Using consumer insights and sensory science to unpack how people perceive chocolate experiences today, asking which of the latest “better for you”, “plant‑based” or “ethical” claims reflect real shifts, and which look more like hype or short‑lived fads. Drawing on the perspectives of an artisanal chocolatier, a chef and a disruptor, the panel will explore how and why chocolate formulations have evolved, what consumers are actually responding to, and what it really takes to design the next generation of chocolate experiences that are both on‑trend now and resilient over time.