Traditional Christmas Wholesale Sweets - Divine Chocolate Coins

Chocolate money (gold foil-covered chocolate in the shape of coins) is traditionally given as a Christmas stocking present or hidden under the Christmas tree. Top confectioner Divine produces luxury chocolate coins, which are always among the most popular wholesale sweets purchased in December.

What's the story attached to this chocolate currency?

The legend of Christmas chocolate coins

It is generally agreed by historians that the good deeds of Saint Nicholas made chocolate coin giving a Christmas tradition. There are a number of legends retold over the years about Saint Nicholas. According to history, he was the son of wealthy parents and rose to become the bishop of Myra, in Lucia (which is now called Demre, Turkey). He was renowned for his kindness to children and wanted a way to be able to give money to poor children but in such a way they would not know it came from him. The story goes that he heard of a family, including a father and three daughters, who were so poor that they young girls were about to be forced into prostitution. Under the cover of night, Saint Nicholas anonymously threw three purses (one for each daughter) filled with money into the window of the family’s house. Every December after that, Saint Nicholas rewarded good children by secretly delivering presents and gifts of money to them.

To give chocolate coins, then, was originally associated with the legend of Saint Nicholas' traits of charity, religion, generosity, kindness and love. Nowadays, perhaps, it is more to do with the fact that they taste so good!

Divine Fairtrade chocolate coins

Renowned company Divine make Fairtrade milk and dark chocolate coins, supplied in beautiful packaging: the milk chocolate variety is packaged in gold netting and labelling while the dark chocolate coins also follow the festive theme with green netting and red labelling. The availability of the two types of chocolate means that the coins will appeal to most people; what makes these chocolate coins even more special than other chocolate money, however, is that each coin is beautifully embossed with a cocoa tree illustration and the phrase 'Fair Deal for cocoa growers'. The illustration comes from the Ghanaian 'cedi' currency and each coin guarantees a fair deal to the cocoa farmer of Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana. In their presentation and packaging of their wholesale sweets, Divine have therefore continued the charity, generosity and kindness associated with Saint Nicholas.

Tried and tested

Divine chocolate money has some well-established credentials. In 2011, the coins won a light-hearted competition by The Guardian money team who tested chocolate money for a festive article. Ten of the team undertook a blind tasting of eight different brands of coins and awarded each of them one to five stars - where five stars was classed "the chocolate coins I would most like to find in my Christmas stocking". Divine chocolate coins achieved an average 3.4 out of 5 marks for taste and were one of three overall winners.

Chocolate coins are among the most popular items of wholesale sweets at Christmas, so it is recommended that orders be placed very early.