Yorkshire luxury functional hot chocolate brand 80Noir Ultra® is preparing to expand into Europe after securing a total of £110,000 in investment and grant funding.

The wellness business has received £50,000 in angel investment to fund its wider growth. It also recently secured £60,000 non-dilutive innovation funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Great Ideas programme to continue development of its premium cacao hot chocolate pod prototype, CocoaPod by 80Noir®.

Based in Northallerton, 80Noir Ultra® is exploring new markets in Scandinavia, starting in Sweden, as well as France. Meanwhile, it is looking to raise a further £390,000 investment to fund its longer-term growth plan of £500,000.

80Noir Ultra® is part of a growing trend, with consumers increasingly moving over to the dark side and choosing chocolate with functional benefits. According to the recent Deloitte Chocolate Study 2026, web searches for ‘healthy chocolate’ have doubled in four years, reaching an all-time high in early 2026.

80Noir Ultra®’s luxury hot chocolate is crafted from real dark chocolate rather than conventional hot chocolate powders, providing higher cacao percentages. The chocolate pieces can be dissolved in water or milk, and come in three blends with varying depth and sweetness: 72%, 87.5% and 100%.

The business is also working with York Cocoa Works and the University of Leeds on the development and scale-up of CocoaPod by 80Noir®; the formulation has been established and prototype development is continuing. Michelin-starred The Star Inn at Harome and Cross House Lodge, also in Harome, North Yorkshire, have both agreed to trial the innovative Nespresso-compatible product once at the appropriate stage of development. Other hotels and hotel groups have also expressed an interest.

The brand has a growing retail presence and is stocked in a range of independent food halls and farm shops, including Lewis and Cooper in Northallerton, Campbell’s of Leyburn and Beadlam Grange near Helmsley. It’s also hosting a one-week premium pop up at Booths in Ilkley from 30th November to 6th December.

The business was founded by Carole Armitage, who counts Francesca Haynes, former Commercial and Property Director at Hotel Chocolat, as her mentor.

Carole says: “From being a child, chocolate has always been an important part of my life. When I was in hospital at the age of eight with low blood sugar and low blood pressure, I was given hot chocolate to help. As a teenager, I played badminton for England and I again drank hot chocolate, this time for recovery after games. But I never liked the taste, it was so sweet and artificial.”

Carole later moved to London to pursue a career in financial services, but the long hours took their toll.

She explains: “I’d leave the house at 5am and often got a taxi home at 2am. I experienced a variety of mental health challenges, and hot chocolate was the anchor that kept me sane. At one point, I was lying down at the chiropractor and just burst into tears. They told me this was emotional pain and recommended I book onto a retreat. I spent a week on a silent retreat in Cornwall. One of my chores was rounding up the chickens every morning, not easy in silence!

“I came home a completely different person. I immediately quit my job and realised that I needed a total reset. I also knew that chocolate would be part of that.”

Carole signed up for several chocolate courses before heading to Paris to follow her dream of creating her own hot chocolate recipe. And 80Noir Ultra® was born.

“I had to commit to ordering 500kg of product straight away,” Carole adds. “That was a lot of hot chocolate to store in my London flat.”

Last year Carole sold her property and moved back to her native Yorkshire, investing everything into growing the business.

“I want to create a better chocolate for a better tomorrow,” explains Carole. “I drink at least one cup of cacao a day – and I drank three a day while training for the Paris marathon earlier this year. Chocolate has become part of my own daily ritual, from the start of the day and around training to those moments when I want to slow down. This personal experience has ultimately shaped my belief that hot chocolate can be something much more than an occasional sweet indulgence. We need to reframe hot chocolate; it’s about creating modern rituals with exceptional cacao.”

80Noir Ultra® uses cacao grown in nutrient-rich volcanic soil, which provides a naturally smooth, mineral-packed flavour. An emerging leader in the functional chocolate sector, its 72% premium dark hot chocolate is more mellow, the 87.5% is bold and complex, and the 100% has a deep cocoa taste. The brand also has a children’s hot chocolate range plus ‘The 8pm Ritual’ – a luxury hot chocolate with spice blends containing magnesium.

It’s vegan, gluten-free, coeliac-safe, sustainably sourced and comes with recyclable packaging. The business is also exploring sustainable materials and packaging, including the potential use of cacao shell powder.

For more information on 80Noir Ultra®, its subscription service and how to join the waiting list for the CocoaPod by 80Noir®, visit: www.80noirultra.com