FAQ
Categories
These are the things we get asked most, but if you can't find find the answer you're looking for, don't hesitate to drop us a line using the button at bottom of page.
About Us
What is Booja-Booja?
Booja-Booja started in 1999. We are an independently owned Chocolate Truffle and Ice Cream manufacturer based in Norfolk, England. Everything we produce is dairy, gluten and soya free, vegan and organic.
What does Booja-Booja mean?
Booja-Booja is the sound of pure enjoyment, the feeling of a fleeting kiss. Maybe whisper it out loud and listen to your voice… and feel your lips …
It is the bodily delight that flows with the first bite, the pleasure of something truly tasty.
It’s pleasurable oneness with all that is arising; partying till sane… and not a moment longer.
It’s noticing we are not in paradise… and loving anyway. It's lying guiltless on sumptuous silk pillows… mere delight.*
Melt in the pure happiness and simple joy of Booja-Booja.
After all …
“Everyone needs a little Booja-Booja now and then…” Mister Booja-Booja
(*vegan silks are now available)
Is Booja-Booja a Living Wage employer?
Yes we are! The Living Wage is a rate of pay which is independently calculated to take into account the cost of living and what people actually need to get by. It’s set each year by the Living Wage Foundation and is significantly higher than the ‘Minimum Wage’ and the government’s ‘National Living Wage’. We have been an accredited Living Wage Employer since 2015 because we believe that all our team members deserve to be paid well, at rates that reflect their dedication and hard work. Being a Living Wage Employer means that we have made a voluntary commitment to pay all our staff at least the current applicable Living Wage. The rate is reviewed annually and a new rate announced in November each year.
Can I visit the Booja-Booja factory?
We're sorry to say that we do not currently offer factory tours here at Booja-Booja HQ. However, you'll find extensive information about our delicious Chocolate Truffles and Ice Cream here on our website.
Do you have a shop on site that we can visit?
We do not have a shop on site, but you can order our chocolate truffles directly from our Amazon store. Alternatively, and to buy ice cream as well as chocolate truffles, head on over to our Stockist Locator to find your nearest retailers.
Product Information
What sort of products do you produce?
We produce scrumptious, organic, vegan chocolate truffles and ice cream.
Can I buy directly from you?
Yes, you can now order our chocolate truffles directly from our own Amazon store. Your order, lovingly produced by us at our Norfolk factory, will be packed and shipped to you by our fulfilment partners at Amazon.
Unfortunately, we're not set up to sell ice cream directly to customers yet. Head on over to our Stockist Locator to find your nearest retailers.
Are all your products vegan?
We only use vegan ingredients to make our chocolate truffles and ice creams. That means they are all plant-based and not derived from animals (so there’s no dairy, no honey and no eggs), as well as gluten-free and soya-free. Everything we make is vegan because we believe it’s possible to enjoy utterly yummy treats without the need for any animal products.
Whatever your interest in a vegan diet, you can rest assured that we have always been vegan, and always will be.
Are all your ingredients organic?
All our ingredients are organic, which means they have been produced by farmers working in harmony with nature. Organic farming and production methods are sustainable; they are designed to use resources responsibly and to look after the soil, natural ecosystems and the health of the people who work the land. Organic farming does not allow the use of synthetic chemical pesticides and weedkillers: only the use of a minimal amount of certain pesticides derived from natural ingredients. We buy our ingredients from farmers and suppliers who are certified organic because that means they are regulated and audited to ensure they meet strict standards. We are, of course, certified as organic by The Soil Association.
What is the difference between your chilled and ambient chocolate truffles?
We have two ranges of our chocolate truffles for a couple of reasons. One of these is that our chilled range has allowed us to experiment with different flavours which would not be possible in an ambient product. For example, our Honeycomb Caramel truffles are only available in our chilled range because the honeycomb/cinder toffee is very delicate and if not kept chilled, will dissolve after a short period of time.
The other reason is that our chocolate truffles are quite heat sensitive. Therefore, it is better for some shops to keep them in the chilled section to ensure you receive our products in tip-top condition.
Different stores will stock different ranges of our product so we’d always recommend giving a quick call ahead of a visit if you are looking for a particular product or flavour.
Should I keep my truffles in the fridge?
We make our chocolate truffles without any additives, preservative or stabilisers and the main base of them is coconut oil, therefore they are quite heat sensitive. Our chilled chocolate truffles should always be stored in the fridge. We’d also recommend storing our ambient truffles in the fridge during the warmer summer months. Otherwise, keeping our ambient truffles in a cool, dark place will ensure their high-quality is maintained.
Top-tip: We always recommend taking your chocolate truffles out of the fridge prior to eating as they taste the best at room temperature!
Do you offer samples?
As a small independent company, we're not set up to provide samples of our products, except for review in the media. To find your nearest Booja-Booja retailers, please use our Stockist Locator. Many of our stores often hold tastings, so please do keep an eye out on our social media for upcoming events.
Where can I find your products?
We can be found in a range of independent health food stores, high street stores and supermarkets, as well as online. Please take a look at our Stockist Locator to find your nearest store. You can also order our chocolate truffles directly from our Amazon store.
Ingredients
Do your products contain palm oil?
No - all our products are palm oil free!
Do your products contain nuts?
Yes - the majority of our products contain nuts. We use Hazelnuts, Pecans, Almonds and Cashew nuts in our factory here at Booja-Booja.
Due to our small factory environment, shared equipment and movement of people, we are not able to fully segregate nuts completely. For this reason, we feel it is necessary to include nut warnings on all our products.
Our ice cream range also contain nuts. We use tree nuts throughout our factory and they may also contain peanuts.
What is your honeycomb made from?
Our Honeycomb - sometimes called cinder toffee - is made from sugars and sodium bicarbonate (it doesn't contain honey, despite its name).
Here at Booja-Booja we make our cinder toffee by mixing cane sugar and coconut syrup. When this mixture is heated to the right temperature, sodium bicarbonate is added to create a reaction which, in turn, creates air bubbles inside the toffee as it cools back down. This gives the toffee that open, airy, yet crunchy texture that makes our Honeycomb Crunch chocolate truffles so delicious. These truffles are approved by the Vegan Society, so we can assure you that no honeybees were harmed in their creation!
Do your products use refined sugar?
Our new range of dairy free ice cream contains cane sugar. We've made this ingredient change because we believe it helps us create the best possible products, with the creamiest textures and, in our opinion, the most delicious tastes.
Unlike agave, cane sugar sweetens without adding its own flavour, so it allows our other ingredients - such as mango, raspberry, vanilla, pecan, caramel etc - to be tasted more fully and cleanly.
Where do your ingredients come from?
We have 20 ingredient suppliers in 7 countries around the world, supplying 33 different ingredients. We develop long-term professional relationships of trust with our suppliers and many are longstanding friends.
Key Ingredients
Chocolate - 55% Cocoa Solids: Dominican Republic (produced in Belgium)
Chocolate Raw - 100% Cocoa Solids: Ecuador
Coconut Oil Philippines (produced in Netherlands)
Cane Sugar Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay
Agave Syrup Mexico
Cocoa Powder has 2 sources: for truffles – through the Netherlands but sourced from Ghana; and for ice cream – through France but sourced from South America and Africa
Additional Ingredients
Almond Paste Italy and Spain
Apples Chile
Fine de Champagne France
Cashew Nuts Vietnam
Cherries (dried) Uzbekistan
Cinnamon Sri Lanka
Coconut Syrup processed in the Netherlands from Philippine/Indonesian coconuts
Coffee Mexico
Cognac France
Hazelnut Nibs Italy
Hazelnut Paste Italy
Peppermint Extract made with Indian & American peppermint
Raspberry (freeze dried) Serbia
Rhubarb Poland
Sea Salt Cornwall, UK
Spiced Rum Latin America
Stem Ginger China
Sultanas Turkey
Vanilla Extract made in the Netherlands using Madagascan vanilla beans
Are your products FairTrade certified?
Because of our commitment to using only ingredients which are completely organic as well as vegan it is not currently possible for us to use only Fair Trade suppliers, and we therefore do not use the Fair Trade logo on any of our products.
However, trading fairly and ethically is essential to how we operate, which we feel is reflected in the array of relationships we have with our suppliers across the world, many of them long-term.
We are committed to identifying and developing relations with external partners founded in honesty, cooperation and fairness, served by effective communication.
If you would like any further information, please do drop us a message here.
Packaging
Is your packaging recyclable?
Yes. We’ve worked hard over the last few years to ensure almost all of our packaging is widely recyclable within the UK.
Our aim for our packaging has three parts: reduce the amount of material we use; maximise the proportion that is widely recyclable; maximise the proportion made from recycled materials.
Our ice cream tubs and chocolate truffle boxes are now widely recyclable. We have also made a lot of changes to our use of plastic. We have reduced plastic use where possible and swapped all of our plastic packaging to widely recyclable options (apart from one pesky bit - see below).
Additionally all chocolate trays are now made with R-PET which means they themselves are made with a proportion of recycled plastic. In August 2020, we swapped the plastic spoons in our mini Ice Cream tubs for wooden ones. That just leaves the film that seals the top of our ice cream tubs and chocolate truffles which is not yet widely recyclable. But it is essential to maintain the freshness and integrity of the product. We are continuing to look for a recyclable option that can work technically to do the job. Please let us know if you can help.
Over the past couple of years we’ve also reduced the amount of waste that we, as a manufacturing business, send to landfill. We have recycling collection points throughout our site and recycle as much of our waste as possible.
Do you intend to remove plastic from your packaging?
For our chocolate truffles and ice cream to reach you in tip top freshness they must be airtight and tamper proof and protected from damage.
We currently use some plastic to achieve this (glass and metal are not options). Our aim for our packaging, which applies to both cardboard and plastic has three parts: reduce the amount of material used; maximise the proportion that is widely recyclable; and maximise the proportion made from recycled materials.
Relative to plastic we have made a wide range of changes in these directions over the last few years.
We have reduced plastic use wherever possible. We have replaced all of our plastic packaging with widely recyclable options (apart from one pesky bit - see below). Additionally all of our chocolate trays now made with R-PET which means they themselves are made from recycled plastic.
And in August 2020, we swopped the plastic spoons in our mini Ice Cream tubs for wooden ones.
The one bit of plastic left that is not widely recyclable is the thin film that seals the top of our ice cream tubs and chocolates truffles. The issue is that it has to be heat sealed on and despite a whole lot of looking we haven’t found a recyclable one that will work technically yet. Any help appreciated.
We will continue to find creative ways to achieve our three aims.