Waitrose and Hotel Chocolat strike new product partnership

The upmarket grocer will give dedicated branded bays and gondola ends in its stores to Hotel Chocolat – the first time that Waitrose has entered into such a deal with a third-party business. 

The spaces will stock 20 of the chocolatier’s products – a curated offer focused on year-round best-selling lines, rather than seasonal ranges. 

That proposition will include some of Hotel Chocolat’s boxed chocolate selections, vegan ranges, alcoholic drinks and its Velvetiser hot chocolate maker. The same 20 Hotel Chocolat products will also be made available to purchase through the Waitrose website.  

Waitrose will launch the partnership next week in an initial 27 stores, but Retail Week understands both businesses are keen to roll the partnership out to dozens more supermarkets across the UK in the coming years. 

The tie-up with Waitrose marks an extension of Hotel Chocolat’s existing relationship with the John Lewis Partnership. The eponymous department store business has stocked Hotel Chocolat products for the past 12 years as part of its gifting proposition.   

It also comes just three years after “slabgate” - the row that erupted when Waitrose was accused of producing and selling chocolate that closely resembled Hotel Chocolat’s flavoured chocolate slabs. 

Hotel Chocolat chief executive Angus Thirlwell met with Waitrose bosses to discuss the products and how the two businesses could work better together – talks that have culminated in the launch of the new partnership. 

Thirlwell said “slabgate” helped give him “an understanding and respect for Waitrose” and that he was “so pleased” to now be working alongside the grocer. 

He added: “We’re thrilled to be a part of this dynamic collaboration – a dedicated Hotel Chocolat branded space embedded within Waitrose, uniting two of the UK’s most loved brands. 

”The time is right to bring Hotel Chocolat into the luxurious food arena that is Waitrose”

“Our relationship with John Lewis & Partners has grown tremendously over the past 10 years and we have built a terrific rapport. The time is right to bring Hotel Chocolat into the luxurious food arena that is Waitrose and Waitrose.com.”

Waitrose head of grocery and frozen foods Stephanie Chafor said: “Hotel Chocolat has long brought innovation and authenticity to the chocolate scene and we are excited by this new partnership and the dedicated space in our shops. 

“We think our customers will love the brand’s ethical and sustainability credentials as much as the quality of their chocolate.”