If a brand is going to stick to lofty aims and try and take the moral high ground, you’d think they’d ensure they’re inspiring the right sort of headlines.

Yet Tony’s Chocolonely is consistently finding itself in hot water with customers and campaigners alike; the former because of its often ‘preachy’ designs and the latter due to its child labour links.

The Dutch confectionery company revealed some 1,701 child labourers helped make its sweets in 2021, despite its goal to help root out exploitation in chocolate production. 

That same year, the anti-slavery brand was dropped from a list of ethical makers because of its links to Barry Callebaut, which admitted at the time that its own supply chain was not child labour and slavery-free, reported The Times.

But despite the criticisms levelled against them, it didn’t deter Tony’s Chocolonely from continuing their campaigns, producing another ‘patronising’ design.

Joining forces with Waitrose, the chocolate manufacturer released three new bars that were emblazoned with the words ‘injustice’, ‘inequality’ and ‘inhuman’, rather than the usual brightly-coloured wrapping.

However, the ‘conversation’ treats, designed to get people talking about illegal child labour and slavery in the chocolate industry, were branded ‘gimmicks’ by some unimpressed customers, who insisted they wanted chocolate without ‘the debate’.

Most recently, the Tony’s has been criticised for leaving a day blank in its Christmas advent calendar to encourage awareness of ‘inequality’ in the chocolate industry.

Owners of the Big Countdown Calendar – which sells for £14.99 – were left disappointed when they went to open door number 10 only to find that there was no sweet treat inside.

Instead there was a QR code which linked to Tony’s website with a message about cocoa farmers being treated poorly, reading: ‘Not much to find in there, huh? Bummer!’ 

Taking to social media, some furious customers vowed never to buy the calendar again.

The firm – founded in 2005 by Dutch journalist Teun (Tony) van de Keuken to help ‘end exploitation in cocoa’ – previously apologised for using the same tactic in 2021 and for causing ‘confusion and disappointment’, but has brought it back once more.

This year however, Tony’s said that customers were given two treats in the number nine door to make up for it and also received 25 chocolates behind 24 doors in total.

But the move sparked heated backlash on social media, as many were left wishing they’d opted for a cheaper Cadburys calendar instead.

Here, FEMAIL explores the controversies surrounding Tony’s Chocolonely, from supply chain issues to backlash over its advent calendar. 

STRUCK OFF ETHICAL LIST

Tony’s was removed from Slave Free Chocolate’s list of ethical companies, which includes rivals such as Montezuma’s and Divine, in 2021.

While the brand works hard to raise awareness on the issue of slavery in the chocolate industry, Tony’s Chocolonely’s links to Barry Callebaut meant it was booted from the list.

Together with Cargill, the Swiss-Belgian cocoa processor, Barry Callebaut, dominates the world cocoa industry, and supplies brands including Nestle and Cadbury.

Ayn Riggs, founder of Slave Free Chocolate (SFC), said Tony’s was ‘completely dependent’ on it’s relationship with Barry Callebaut. 

At the time, Riggs told FoodNavigator: ‘The fact that their chocolate is made by Barry Callebaut… allows them to produce chocolate cheaper than those who do everything ethically.’

In the Economist, Riggs slammed Tony’s messaging as a way to sell more bars, saying: ‘To me it just smacks of using a bad situation to market your product – ”buy me, I’m slave free” – when in fact nothing is changing for these farmers in these countries.’

However, Slave Free Chocolate did recognise Tony’s Chocolonely’s efforts in raising awareness on child labour in the industry.

Paul Schoenmakers, head of impact at Tony’s, said: ‘We pay more to ensure our fully traceable cocoa beans are kept separate from Barry Callebaut’s.

‘This full visibility means we can state that we have never found any cases of modern slavery in our supply chain.’

A spokesman for Barry Callebaut said: ‘We strongly condemn forced labour, slavery and all practices that exploit both adults and children or expose them to harmful or hazardous conditions.

‘Barry Callebaut has committed to eradicate child labour from its supply chain by 2025.’

In 2022, Tony’s addressed the issue once again, writing on its website: ‘For starters, we’d like to set the record straight: it’s no secret that Barry Callebaut has come under fire in the past for things we, Tony’s, condemn, e.g. negligence and human rights infringements in their supply chain.

‘As such, there are plenty of sceptics out there who believe we shouldn’t partner with them. While we recognize this gut reaction comes from a good place, we must reiterate our perspective:

‘At Tony’s, we exist to make all chocolate 100 per cent slave-free, not just our own. That means climbing into the lion’s den and tackling change from within. It means getting to the root of the problem and paving the way for others by proving the scalability of our solutions.

‘So, you see, dear Choco Fans, it’s not only good but actually vital that we team up with the likes of Barry Callebaut & co.’

In the same article, the brand outlined said that they’re beans are fully traceable and segregated from other brands’ beans at Barry Callebaut, and that their partnership brings the supply chain closer to their vision of being slave free.

FOUND 1,700 CHILD WORKERS IN ITS SUPPLY CHAIN 

In February 2022, Tony’s Chocolonely revealed some 1,701 child labourers helped make its sweets in the year prior, despite its goal to help root out exploitation in chocolate production.

The chocolatier investigated its supply chain and found a steep rise in child labour in 2021 compared to the previous year, when 387 underage workers were found.

Child labour is increasingly recognised as a problem in west African countries such as Ghana and the Ivory Coast, where 70 per cent of the world’s chocolate is sourced. 

Those affected are often subjected to dangerous and demeaning work while being deprived of an education.

The number of child labourers linked to Tony’s was identified in the company’s annual ‘fair report’, according to The Times.

The fair report stated: ‘While we’ve never found any cases of modern slavery in our supply chain, we do find cases of child labour.

‘But before your alarm bells go off, know this: finding cases of child labour in the supply chain mean change is happening. We want to find the children performing illegal labour. Only then can we work with the families to address the problems.’

Tony’s cocoa beans are sourced in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, and then transformed into liquid chocolate by Swiss firm Barry Callebaut – a major world chocolate manufacturer – using a separate production line to help source the chocolate.

AXED ANY REFERENCE TO ‘ADVENT’ FROM ITS CHRISTMAS CALENDARS

The brand found backlash once again after omitting any reference to ‘Advent’ from its Christmas calendars.

The ‘Countdown Calendar’ from Tony’s Chocolonely landed on supermarket shelves in 2021, but made no reference to the religious season on its plastic-free packaging – a deliberate move on its part to keep it ‘accessible to all who celebrate the festive season’.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, expressed unease over the marketing, saying: ‘To remove Advent from Christmas is to miss the meaning of Christmas.

‘What is this a countdown to? It’s a pale reflection of the hope and joy that is Advent, which anticipates the arrival of Jesus who is the reason for the season.

‘It’s amazing that we are still celebrating his birthday and his message of reconciliation between us and God 2,000 years later. Let’s not scrap Advent.’

Launching a festive calendar for the first time, the company said in October 2021: ‘Looking for a way to count down to Christmas that creates impact and gives you an excuse to chomp on our chocolate for 24 days straight? This is it.’

LAUNCHED BARS TITLED ‘INJUSTICE’, ‘INEQUALITY’ AND ‘INHUMAN’ 

In January 2022, Tony’s Chocolonely started a debate about inequality once again after releasing three new bars themed on topics of exploitation in the chocolate industry.

The Dutch confectioners, who are popular in the UK, launched three new chocolate bars in partnership with Waitrose.

But instead of their usual brightly-coloured wrapping, the new bars were emblazoned with the words ‘injustice’, ‘inequality’ and ‘inhuman’.

The ‘conversation’ chocolate bars, previously available in Waitrose, were aimed at getting people talking about illegal child labour and slavery in the chocolate industry.

However some customers said they are fed up with what they have termed as ‘gimmicks’ and simply just wanted to enjoy their chocolate.

The ‘inequality’ bar was made up of milk chocolate, caramel, almonds, nougat, pretzels and sea salt. ‘Inhuman’ is a vegan dark chocolate bar with lemony caramel and cocoa biscuit . Thirdly, is ‘injustice’ – a white chocolate bar with raspberry biscuit sprinkles.

The brand said: ‘What’s with all the serious words? So glad you asked.

‘Our Conversation Bars are made to get you talking. Three news flavours in stripped back wrappers… But why? The issues of injustice, inequality and lack of humanity exist in the chocolate industry.

‘That’s what results in illegal child labour and modern slavery.

‘We think change begins with conversation. Research shows that contact and dialogue with people outside your bubble increases empathy, which leads to a shift in attitudes and behaviour.’

The company’s website also sold a £13.49 ‘Conversation Bars Kit’ containing the three new bars and a card game.

However, some customers were not keen on the new wrappers.

Tubita04 replied to Waitrose’s post saying: ‘Change begins when you employ a fully diverse team as opposed to a bunch of white people who profit from preaching (check company team website to see for yourselves). Your values are phony at best and yet you think you’re the almighty in the chocolate industry.

‘I am very disappointed that Waitrose is giving you a platform to patronise its customers.’

Another said: ‘I’m a big fan of Tony’s because it’s bloody tasty chocolate and will buy it when it’s on sale. Totally on board with the ethical message too, but not gonna lie I’m not a fan of the gimmicks.’

Drag queen Lady Munter said: ‘Who knew injustice could taste so good?’

A Tony’s spokesperson said on X: ‘Our Conversation Bars put three important issues in the spotlight and provide a platform for everyone to share what these issues mean to them.

‘Waitrose have partnered with us to give this message more reach and allow choco fans nationwide to have positive, meaningful conversations.’

‘PREACHED’ TO CHILDREN WITH ADVENT CALENDAR 

Tony’s Chocolonely was slammed this week for leaving a day blank in its Christmas advent calendar to encourage awareness of ‘inequality’ in the chocolate industry. 

Owners of the Big Countdown Calendar – which sells for £14.99 – were left gutted when they went to open door number 10 only to find that there was no chocolate inside. 

Instead there was a QR code which linked to their website with a message about cocoa farmers being treated poorly, reading: ‘Not much to find in there, huh? Bummer!’

Despite receiving two chocolates the day before, some furious customers have vowed never to buy the calendar again.

Dutch company Tony’s stated that the calendar was ‘unequally divided because the chocolate industry is unequally divided’ – but it has come under fire for using an advent calendar for a political stunt. 

The confectionery company previously apologised for using the same tactic in 2021 and for causing ‘confusion and disappointment’, but has brought it back once more. 

This year however, Tony’s said that customers were given two treats in the number nine door to make up for it and also received 25 chocolates behind 24 doors in total. 

It sparked heated backlash on social media, as many were left wishing they’d opted for a cheaper Cadburys calendar instead. 

They wrote: ‘That’s why I’ve got a Cadbury one. I want daily chocolate, not preaching to’; 

‘Sorry I know it’s activism but if I opened my calendar and the door was empty it would ruin my day’; ‘Using a advent calendar as a political stunt is crazy work’; 

‘That’s exactly why I didn’t buy the advent calendar again this year. It’s such a let down’; ‘I was like why yesterday got two chocolates must be them being kind to then wake up to none’;  ‘Won’t be getting this calendar again.’

However, others were intrigued by the concept – and pointed out that they were still getting the same amount of chocolate.  

One said: ‘Tony’s chocolonely really slaps consumers in the face with activism, i love it’, while another added: ‘It’s quite clever because i wouldn’t have thought about the inequality in the chocolate industry otherwise (as much as it would annoy me a little).’ 

One TikTok user, Reina, who lives in the UK, had been posting videos of herself opening the door each day. 

She was clearly very excited to open door number 10, but was initially shocked when she found ‘nothing’ inside. However, she soon rationed: ‘We had two yesterday so it’s all good’. 

Known to fans simply as Tony’s, the Fairtrade brand was founded in the Netherlands in 2005 by three Dutch TV journalists.  

On its website, Tony’s calls the product the (Un)FAIR Countdown Calendar.   

The £14.99 big calendar contains 225g of chocolate in 10 different flavours. The smaller calendar meanwhile has one chocolate behind each door. 

A small message of explanation was posted alongside the window.  

On TikTok, the chocolate company explained: ‘If you have our big countdown calendar, you would have missed out on a choco today..

‘It’s unequally divided because the chocolate industry is unequally divided. 

‘The bitter truth is 1.56 million children in cocoa-growing families are involved in child labour in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. 

‘At Tony’s, we exist to change that. By chomping on our choc, you’re helping us break the mould to end exploitation in cocoa, bar by bar, bite by bite. Are you in?

‘Psssssst.. you still get 25 chocolates in 24 doors.’

They added on their website: ‘Big chocolate companies make big profits, while cocoa farmers aren’t paid enough for their cocoa. The result? Many of them still live way below the poverty line. Sometimes this leaves them little choice but to use illegal labour to farm their cocoa. 

‘Child labour and forced labour just so some folks can enjoy a sweet chocolate treat? 

‘Unacceptable! Tony’s Chocolonely exists to change this. But we can’t do it alone. Choose change in the chocolate industry by sharing our chocolate and sharing our story this festive season.’

In 2021, the firm apologised for the stunt after parents said children were upset by the missing chocolate. 

Tony’s acknowledged it had caused ‘confusion and disappointment’ by the decision – but have subsequently brought it back. 

The company said: ‘Unfortunately, we failed to consider the difficulties empty windows can cause for neurodivergent children and adults. We have more to learn in considering how we can make our products as inclusive as possible.

‘At Tony’s we use our products to tell the story of an industry unequally divided and choc-full of inequality.’

Unhappy parents said previously they did not need to be ‘taught a lesson by my advent calendar’ – adding that it upset children with autism and ADHD who did not understand the reason. 

Hundreds of comments were posted on Tony’s social media pages.

The company says it made up for the empty window with extra bonus chocolates on December 9 and 24, which each had two treats rather than the usual one.

But one mother, Rebecca Winward, said: ‘My eight-year-old daughter was in floods of tears at the disappointment. She has ADHD and is awaiting a possible autism diagnosis, so what seems like small upsets to others are a big deal to her.’

Another mother said: ‘So glad I didn’t buy for my autistic son. I get the reason why, but think it wrong not to pre-warn.’

Meanwhile, Laura Tylor wrote: ‘Calendars are for children and tears before school is not ideal. If you want to make a statement, advise (the calendar is) for adults/older children only.’

And Lisbeth King said: ‘(I) don’t feel I need to be taught a lesson by my advent calendar. You’re rather preaching to the converted here.

FEMAIL reached out to Tony’s Chocolonely for comment.