Portuguese confectionery firm Casa Grande has signed an agreement with Amazon that will see the distribution of its chocolates across the Whole Foods supermarket chain.
As of September, chocolates produced in Vila Nova de Famalicão, in Braga, will be available at Whole Foods stores in the US states of New York and Boston.
Whole Foods thus becomes the second retailer in the US to sell Casa Grande products, with the products also recently reaching the shelves of Central Market supermarkets, in Texas.
Strong Principles
Commenting on the partnership, business director João Pinho Vítor explained that "Whole Foods incorporates and represents all the principles we recommend for Chocolates Casa Grande, namely environmental and social sustainability".
He pointed out that the company is UTZ certified, which means that the cocoa used in the manufacturing process respects workers and production is undertaken according to strict guidelines. In addition, Casa Grande has a programme to combat child slavery.
The brand's strategic expansion plan also anticipates its arrival in the UK by the end of 2019, while the conclusion of new international agreements is "imminent", the company said.
According to Pinho Vítor, the company is seeking partners that have the same values of a more sustainable planet and with more natural foods.
Founded in 2009, Fábrica de Chocolates Casa Grande offers two brands, the premium Casa Grande and The Right Way, and also produces chocolates on a third party basis both in Portugal and abroad.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
