Camel milk chocolatier Al Nassma celebrates 10 years riding growing trend

The UAE brand, which successfully debuted in 2008 and entered the global market in 2009, produces chocolate ‘of the very highest quality’ using camel milk as the core ingredient.

Using camel milk, says the company, differentiates it from other chocolate brands, and captures the ‘flavor and spirit of the orient’. The brand has also shown dynamic growth over the past 10 years.

Commenting on the 10th anniversary of the company, Chairman Dr. Ali Ridha al Hashimi, said: ''We brought an extraordinary product to the market with Al Nassma. It took four years from development of the initial idea to market launch and we have succeeded in building a unique and strong premium brand. We are proud to look at what we have achieved so far and to have taken such a valuable part of our tradition and culture to all parts of the world''.

Much of Al Nassma's growth has been supported by a growing trend in international markets towards authentic, premium and giftable chocolates that are free of artificial aromas, soy lecithin and palm/vegetable oils.

Discerning tastes

Al Nassma says its chocolate ticks all these boxes and matches consumers' increasingly discerning tastes. The company's performance is strong in numerous outlets in the UAE, other GCC countries as well as in the European markets. New points of sale have also been recently announced in Australia as well as a move into prestigious department stores in Paris, London, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Vienna.

Talking about the success of the brand, Martin van Almsick, general manager of Al Nassma, said: ''When we first started up, few had thought about the opportunity that camel milk could provide. Yet we were confident that our use of camel milk as a core ingredient would succeed. We believed that consumers were looking for extraordinary treats and real quality. And taste, of course. Happily, we were right and our chocolate can now be found all over the world - from high class gourmet houses in major locations in Europe as well as the USA. And we have a strong presence in the Travel Retail community.”

The company says its aim is to become one of the world's top 10 confectionery brands in global travel retail. ''The future looks promising. We are very excited about the development of our UAE artisan brand in global markets,” said Almsick.