PLAYin CHOC is for the ethically conscious. The entire product is organic plant based and biodegradable. No plastic is used.

This is a wonderful well thought out product created and designed by my beautiful and talented friend Maja.

This time last year I got to taste her chocolate recipes from her house and now the final product is ready and already flying off the shelves.

The contents inside the cute packaging include organic vegan chocolate and an educational self assembled eco toy of an endangered animal made from 100% recycled board and a paper description.  There are 7 to collect in the endangered animal series and 4 to collect in the bunny series.

It recently launched in the UK and is available in many stores including the Conran Shop and the swanky the Ned in London.

You can order them online at www.PlayinChoc.com

PlayinChoc: Our Story I still remember the anticipation, excitement and joy I felt as a child when my parents would buy me a special treat – a chocolate with a small toy!

Now as a parent I still enjoy chocolate as much – if not more! – than ever, but have become more health conscious about what we as a family eat. I was determined that sweet does not have to mean unhealthy. My kids (being my kids…!) love chocolate, and while I have learnt about the benefits of cocoa I also know about the nasty health effects of refined sugar. To get the best of both worlds I started experimenting with chocolate recipes at home using only the highest quality organic ingredients, and NO refined sugars. Sebastian, my eldest, my husband Dominic and myself are lactose intolerant so my recipes also had to be dairy free.

It took a while and we had lots of fun taste testing, before I eventually developed a delicious chocolate recipe we all fell in love with. It so happens that it is vegan, organic and made out of just 3 natural ingredients: cocoa beans, coconut and vanilla.

They say the best things are the simplest, and I can only agree.

With a background working in design and teaching, after a Masters degree in Scenography at Central St Martins, I gave myself a challenge of designing a playful, fun, educational and eco conscious toy. 

With kids growing up so quickly I’ve been reflecting more on the world we will be leaving to them. I became more aware of the dangers to our planet from discarded plastic waste which ends up in our oceans, woods and environment. This has motivated me to design a series of fun, educational, self-assembled toys made entirely from 100% recycled, biodegradable card – including the packaging. In this way I hope to excite children about our planet through play.

Combining my love of chocolate and nature I came up with Playin Choc.

When trying out my recipe with family and friends it turned out that the parents enjoyed it as much as their kids, so I decided to offer ‘a grown-up version’, the same delicious chocolate without the toy (sorry grown-ups – you get more chocs inside!)

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Maya x