It tastes like chocolate, it melts, snaps and even bakes like chocolate – but there's no cacao in it whatsoever. WNWN makes their no-cacao choc by taking plant-based ingredients and marrying them with chocolate-making know-how, age-old fermentation techniques, and some clever science. Their most important ingredient is British barley—used for hundreds of years to make beer and whisky—and carob—rich in polyphenol antioxidants, just like cacao—sourced from Italy. A luxury dark chocolate box from WNWN costs $12.50.

Around 75% of all chocolate consumed worldwide comes from cacao produced in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire, which border each other in West Africa. There are more than 1 million child labourers working in cacao production in Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire. 95% of these are exposed to the worst forms of child labour, such as working with dangerous tools or harmful pesticides. In the last 60 years, Ghana has lost 80% of its forest cover, Cote d'Ivoire 94%. A third of this is directly attributable to cocoa production. Deforestation reduces biodiversity and contributes to climate change, which promotes more deforestation as people are forced to farm in new areas of land. It's a vicious circle.

There's a really dark side to the chocolate industry and WNWN is fighting to change this and give the consumers a choice. According to CEO & Co-Founder Ahrum Pak, "WNWN currently can make 300 to 600 kilograms (661 to 1,323 pounds) of chocolate in a month." Their first batch sale on May 18th, 2022 sold out quickly.