In today's Wellness Edit we talk to Annys from Artisan Chocolatiers Rowdy & Fancy’s about Chocolate and how they run their business!
Rowdy & Fancy’s are a family run business based in Forest Row, East Sussex made up of two sisters and a mum - all of whom are avid Chocoholics!
Rowdy & Fancy’s pride themselves on their unique flavour combinations and their stylish packaging design, which takes inspiration from the tempting ‘Apple in the Garden of Eden’.
The beautiful packaging is what initially grabbed our attention here at 360 Botanics, and we were over the moon to find out they had lots of Vegan Options - which we couldn’t wait to stock!
Welcome to the Blog Annys! Can you tell us a bit about the beginnings of this journey for you as founder and ‘Chocolatier-in-Chief’ of Rowdy & Fancy's?
My relationship with Rowdy & Fancy's began when it was still in it’s infancy as an ad-hock employer helping out, when it was being sold in January 2017 I was asked by one of the founders if I wanted to take over, I jumped at the chance, and that decision has definitely changed my life! The team now consists of me as chocolatier-in-chief, my sister and mum although they both have other jobs, teacher and midwife respectively, so they help out when they can, but I’m hoping to expand soon!
Talk to us about the UK Artisan Chocolate World and how small-batch chocolate businesses like Rowdy & Fancy's are shaking up the market?
The UK Artisan Chocolate world is pretty amazing, there seems to be a real shift towards locally produced artisan-chocolate, rather than the massive companies, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that.
Our blog is called The Wellness Edit, would you consider chocolate as an important part of self-care?
I certainly do, treating yourself is important and if eating some chocolate is something that makes you feel good, then I absolutely think it’s important for Self-Care!
In these Covid times, have people been turning to chocolate?
Yes! Chocolate is something small that can make a hard day a little better and in these Covid times, there have been hard days for everyone.
Who is a Rowdy & Fancy's customer and how do they find you?
It’s hard to say really, we have customers of all ages and in all walks of life. Our social media has followers that to me feel more like friends and they make up a big part of our customer base. We are also scattered about in Farm Shops, Deli’s and Gift Shops around the Sussex area.
Why Sussex? Tell us about your relationship with the county and why you set up your business here?
I was born and raised in Sussex and have always felt very lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world. The countryside has always been my happy place and I couldn’t imagine a better backdrop or home for the company.
Tell us about Rowdy & Fancy’s company ethos and your recent Organic Certification.
We are committed to using only the finest quality ingredients, sourced as locally as possible and have a keen interest in sustainability and in keeping the Planet as Green as possible. We are delighted to be officially certified now as ORGANIC with the ‘Soil Association Organic’.
Can you tell us a little bit about your Chocolate making methods - where you source your ingredients from and how the chocolate bar production process works?
We source our base chocolate from Organic and Fairtrade origins and all our flavours come from Organic or natural sources. Being Organic Certified under the Soil Association gives us very strict boundaries for what we can use and we relish the chance to only use the very best ingredients from the very best sources.
360 Botanics are really excited to be featuring some of your Vegan Chocolate bars in our Gift Boxes this Christmas, what does Christmas mean for Rowdy & Fancy's?
Christmas would usually mean loads of markets and festive flavours but it's all looking a little different this year. There are a few new flavours this season and we have done an exciting collaboration with an artist called Louise Mulgrew, to help give money and support to a charity based in Brighton called Sussex Homeless Support.
What are your future plans for Rowdy & Fancy's?
I would like to start expanding the business and give others the opportunity to work in an environment that is positive and chocolate filled! Some new directions like 'Chocolate Making Workshops' or 'Parties' so I can spread the chocolate love even more and teach others about the joys of working with chocolate!
I like to end my talks with 6 quick-fire questions:
What inspires you? Seeing other people smile.
What makes you happy? Being able to do what I love and being surrounded by the people I love.
What music are you listening to? Celeste actually, who I think is from Brighton!
What's your favourite scent? Is it too much to say chocolate..? I actually think it's fresh figs!
What’s your favourite chocolate bar? The Sweet Rose has always been my favourite and even though I sometimes deviate to the Very Cherry, I always come back to Rose.
What’s your favourite eco product? This is a bit off the chocolate topic but I love the move to solid bars of soap, shampoo and conditioner. They last so much longer than their liquid counterparts and there are so many lovely ones to choose from!
Thank you so much Annys for chatting with us today!
You can find 6 x of Rowdy & Fancy's Vegan Bars on our Website, and in our Indulge - Artisan Chocolate & Soy Candle Gift Box.
Visit Small and Mighty Co Website here: Rowdy & Fancy's
& follow them on Insta here: @rowdyandfancys