2 weeks Ago
A cafe best known for its hot chocolate has scooped a national award. Knoops, in Rye, has won the Best Chocolate title at this year’s PETA Vegan Food Awards. The honour was given for its 38 per cent oat milk hot chocolate.
The hot chocolate, which can be ordered in-store with vegan whipped cream, can be found at all the brand’s locations. Knoops offers a variety of hot chocolates (Image: Jamie Lau / Studio Lau) Knoops has 15 stores across the UK with two chocolate bars in Sussex, the flagship store in Rye and another in Market Street, Brighton . The Brighton chocolate bar opened in 2021 offering 21 options with everything from white chocolate to 100 per cent dark chocolate, with vegan options included.
The hot chocolate can be made with oat, almond, soya and coconut milk as well as cow’s milk, and it costs £4.10 on average with additional charges for any extras. Jens Knoop in one of his stores (Image: The Argus) Speaking to The Argus at the time, founder Jens Knoop said: “We never judge customers who come in wanting specific things and there is no right or wrong, there is a chocolate for everybody.
"I love all chocolate, and there is a quality in all of them. It can help if you want a mood lift, if you want some energy, something exotic or something that is familiar and will remind you of your childhood. "We take people on a journey, and through experimenting with different types, we hope to find their perfect chocolate.
" This is the 12th annual celebration by PETA of animal-free offerings and this year’s winners range from crispy fried "chicken" to innovative dairy-free cheese. Other winners include Fortnum and Mason for its Free From St James Christmas Pudding (Best Christmas Pudding) and London-based Chick’N’Sours for its Vegan MK2 (Best Vegan Chicken). Dawn Carr, PETA vice president of vegan corporate projects, said: “Animal-free fare is growing in quality and popularity as consumers increasingly choose cruelty-free, healthy, sustainable foods with no compromise on taste.
“From high end to the high street, PETA’s awards show that it’s easier than ever to choose vegan.”.
