A speciality chocolate manufacturer in Caerphilly is enjoying the sweet taste of success having won a contract to supply every Tesco store in Wales with their unique brand of novelty chocolate gifts – just months after launching.

Its first order of festive Christmas chocolates go on sale at the beginning of December.

Oncocoa only started trading in May this year and is now supplying all 55 of Tesco’s main stores, as well as some selected Metro and express stores in Wales – a contract worth in the region of £290,000 a year.

It will be supplying a minimum of 7,000 units a month, with the supermarket stocking eight different products over six seasons – including Christmas, Valentines, St. David’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, and Halloween.

Oncocoa, which is supported by the Welsh Government’s High Potential Start up programme, delivered by Winning Pitch, now employs four people, is taking on another four with potentially more jobs as demand dictates.

Economy Minister Edwina Hart said: "This is quite a considerable achievement for a small start up business. I am delighted it is being supported through the High Potential Start Up programme that is geared to ensure that companies like Oncocoa are given the help they need to reach their potential, create new jobs and make a valuable contribution to the local economy.”

The company has benefited from guidance on growth strategy, marketing vision and financial planning

Mike Mills, creative director said: “This is an exciting time for our company and it is in no small way thanks to the work we have been doing with the Welsh Government’s ‘high growth’ programme that we have been able to develop such a robust and sustainable long term growth strategy for our business. Their support has also helped us to avoid some of the many pitfalls often associated with ‘high growth’ and we are now very confident for the future of our business.”

Oncocoa was formed when two Caerphilly based businesses found their combination of skills provided the perfect basis for a new business.

Dave Hughes, had been making and supplying chocolates for ten years and had built up a reputation for his artisan chocolate creations, which he supplied to numerous local and national retail outlets.

Mike Mills, and his colleague Ben Robertson ran a thriving product design business which had considerable success designing unusual retail products for High Street chains such as Clinton Cards, W H Smith, H Samuel and many other leading corporate brands.

Mike saw ‘design and packaging’ as the key to developing new niche markets for Dave’s chocolate and with Ben Robertson’s background as a qualified accountant and experienced business finance director, they decided there was a real opportunity to create a new business by working together in a joint venture.

The result was the launch of ‘Oncocoa’ specialising in a distinctive brand of chocolate gifts under their own brand and fun chocolate gift products for corporate and retail clients.

Customers already include gift shops, airport shops, visitor attractions, tourist Information centres, department stores and museums as well as a leading wholesale food distributor in Wales.