Local Passion!

As a Local Business, Gifts of Distinction  loves to support other Local Businesses.  The reason, besides the obvious one in the wake of COVID-19 and what seems to be the continued struggles associated with this, is that they are innovative in their approach, passionate about what they do, and the quality is superb.  What is not to love about them?

So, I would love to give you an insight into some of these Companies we have the privilege of working along with as we continue to give them our wholehearted support. 

When we began our Brand as Gifts of Distinction, we incorporated into our Gift Boxes the OCHO brand with their distinct chocolate style.  Their philosophy is to source all their cacao beans from farmers in the Pacific Islands. The beans are shipped directly to New Zealand and then every step of the hands-on bean-to-bar process is done under one roof in a small factory. OCHO was the most successful equity crowdfunding campaign in New Zealand. A broad base of community ownership, fair pay for their bean suppliers, and fair working conditions were table stakes in forming the new OCHO. And their chocolate is great!  A recent acquisition to our range is their recently released Drinking Chocolate.  All I can say is ‘YUM!’

Another Local Company we love to support is Bennetto Chocolate.  Their products are certified with Fairtrade and are certified organic.  I first met the founder of Bennetto, Lucy, at a trade show and was immediately impressed with her absolute passion and drive.

Some things important to Bennetto is understanding the impact they have on our world. They are passionate and take great pride in what they do and like to keep a point of difference. They have aimed to do more than simply produce great chocolate. Their hope is that they inspire people everywhere, to be thoughtful in every aspect of their lives and business – not just because it’s nice, but because it’s vital to the continued wellbeing of the people and the world we live in. 

In their own words ‘We are a small company in the big world of chocolate – but we know that makes us special. We thoughtfully care for every part of what we do.’ 

And this comes right down to their gorgeous packaging with artwork referencing the source of their cocoa beans, Peru.

We truly applaud all these Companies and those that have just started up.  There are so many wonderful ideas and a massive amount of talent locally.  We have many more local producers who have great passion for quality and a drive for excellence.  This resonates with us and we are thrilled to have some of these wonderful products in our Collection of Gift Boxes.