SCHARFFEN BERGER DEBUTS ALL-NEW VEGAN OAT MILK CHOCOLATE SNACK BARK LINE AT SWEETS & SNACKS 2023

BREAKS by Scharffen Berger blends a rich oat milk version of America's original craft chocolate with on-trend mix-ins, bringing the brand into the snack aisle for the first time in its history.

ASHLAND, Ore., May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, America's original craft chocolate, is launching a new product category for the brand at the NCA Sweets & Snacks 2023 show (booth #11580) with the debut of BREAKS by Scharffen Berger. BREAKS merges Scharffen Berger's top quality 43% Oat Milk Chocolate, sweetened with coconut sugar, with a variety of sought-after mix-ins, resulting in a delectable selection of simple, amazing tasting bark—all of which are vegan—that are perfect for sweet snacking. In addition to unveiling BREAKS, Scharffen Berger will also be showcasing recent innovations in baking chocolate, chocolate charcuterie flats and bars.

"It's been a whirlwind of a year, with so much innovation and exciting new opportunities to modernize this great and respected chocolate brand," said JP Mackey, president and chief sales officer for Scharffen Berger. "Sweets and Snacks attendees are going to see a whole new Scharffen Berger this year, still built on the same innovation-meets-quality foundation established so many years ago and resurrected by the current independent operators I have the honor of working with. The new branding, SKUs and product lines are expansions to meet the tastes of today's consumers as well as the broader needs of our current and future retail partners. We have invested heavily in getting new products in the right package formats with on-trend ingredients, like plant-based oat milk, coconut and maple sugars and inclusions, up and running. BREAKS is a perfect example of how we have been re-thinking this brand and where it can bring value for our retail customers while delivering on end-user consumer tastes."

BREAKS by Scharffen Berger are craft-made vegan barks featuring 43% Oat Milk Chocolate and coconut sugar for a sweet solution to lower-glycemic snacking. BREAKS come in four delicious flavors packed in conveniently sized, resealable 4.5 oz. stand-up pouches.

• 43% Oat Milk Chocolate with Coconut Sugar + Salted Almond Bark (vegan)
• 43% Oat Milk Chocolate with Coconut Sugar + Coconut and Quinoa Bark (vegan)
• 43% Oat Milk Chocolate with Coconut Sugar + Salted Sunflower Seed Bark (vegan)
• 43% Oat Milk Chocolate with Coconut Sugar + Gluten Free Pretzel Bark (vegan)

"The rising trend of consumers purchasing plant-based product alternatives and increase in Google searches for plant-based foods underscores the importance of providing these types of options for consumers across all food categories. We're excited that we've perfected an oat milk chocolate that delivers on the unsurpassed quality and taste expected of Scharffen Berger. Of course, bark lines are already out there, but with BREAKS, we have created a first-of-its-kind bark line that offers a plant-based solution with high-quality taste in familiar flavors," added Mackey.

In addition to the debut of BREAKS, Scharffen Berger will be showcasing the following innovations across its full portfolio in booth #11580:

Chocolate Provisions by Scharffen Berger
Bring bite-sized chocolate to any party with Chocolate Provisions by Scharffen Berger. This innovative product features 20 chocolate flats (9 g) packed in a cracker-like sleeve box, delivering a sweet solution to building charcuterie, cheese, dessert and brunch boards. Flavors available now include:

• 41% Cacao Simply Milk Chocolate—this is a rich, creamy and luxurious chocolate treat. With extra cacao and hints of caramel, these flats feature less sugar than most milk chocolate.
• 41% Cacao Milk Chocolate with Cacao Nib Crunch—silky milk chocolate with the added crunch of cacao nibs makes these flats irresistible.
• 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt—enjoy this flavor's bright fruitiness and long, smooth finish.
• 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Toasted Coconut and Almonds—the toasted coconut and almonds add complexity to these balanced dark chocolate flats, giving a little extra oomph to mild cheeses and complementing fruits, nuts and charcuterie.
• 82% Cacao Extra Dark Chocolate—taste rich notes of dried figs, red currants and sour cherry and a mild, peppery spiciness that lingers on your palate.

Scharffen Berger 3 oz. Chocolate Bars
Scharffen Berger's core line of three-ounce bars—anchored by the core line of 41% Cacao Extra Rich Milk Chocolate, 62% Cacao Semisweet Dark Chocolate, 70% Cacao Bittersweet Dark Chocolate and 82% Cacao Extra Dark Chocolate—recently welcomed five new flavors with irresistible ingredients into the family of top-quality offerings.

• 41% Cacao Milk Chocolate with Cacao Nibs (The Nibby Bar)
• 41% Cacao Milk Chocolate with Almonds and Sea Salt
• 41% Cacao Milk Chocolate with Toasted Coconut and Coffee
• 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Cherries, Almonds and Sea Salt
• 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Salted Almonds and Toffee

Scharffen Berger Baking Chocolate
Chef-preferred Scharffen Berger Baking Chocolate is new available in convenient baking portions, with four individually wrapped 1 oz. bars in each envelope, in 62%, 70% and 99% cacao varieties. This format will be easier for consumers to use and will result in less waste than the previous 9.7 oz. bar option.

Scharffen Berger's signature baking chunks are specially formulated for optimum meltability, resulting in pools of melty goodness in every cookie. The current line, which features 62% Semisweet Chocolate Chunks and 70% Bittersweet Chocolate Chunks, recently added two bold new expressions, which open up a world of possibilities for dairy-free or plant-based baking. In addition, the full line of baking chunks is now packaged in stand-up, resealable pouches for convenient use and storage of leftovers as well as ease of display on retail shelves.

• 43% Cacao Oat Milk Chocolate Chunks with Coconut Sugar—dairy-free milk chocolate that performs like its milk-based counterpart, with all the same melting properties and Scharffen Berger's signature richer, deep flavor profile.
• 55% Cacao Dark Milk Chocolate with Maple Sugar—love milk chocolate but want a little more oomph? Or love dark chocolate but wish it were a bit more mild? Get the best of both worlds with this high cacao content milk chocolate chunk with maple sugar to tone down the over sweetness with losing a bit of the creaminess.

All of Scharffen Berger's new innovations are available now at www.scharffenberger.com and will be hitting store shelves soon.

About Scharffen Berger
Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker has been blending America's original craft chocolate since 1996. Founded by winemaker John Scharffenberger and fine food enthusiast Robert Steinberg, Scharffen Berger pioneered the bean-to-bar chocolate movement in the U.S., employing a craft process that is still in place today. Headquartered in Ashland, OR, Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker crafts a select assortment of fine baking bars, baking chunks, chocolate bars, Chocolate Provisions Chocolate Flats and all-natural cocoa powder. Scharffen Berger chocolate is sold at premium grocers and specialty food shops across the US and online at www.scharffenberger.com. For more information, visit www.scharffenberger.com.

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