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Scottish chocolates hit the Oscars - 13th March 2024

While stars gathered together to celebrate Hollywood's storytelling at the Academy Awards ceremony – the Oscars – they knew little of the story waiting to emerge from their gift bags.

At the event, the nominees in the categories of Best Director, Actor, Actress and Supporting Actor and Actress discovered an extraordinary box of handmade chocolates hiding in their goody bags. The confectionery had been designed by Fiona McArthur, owner and manager of a chocolate shop in Campbeltown, a small port in Western Scotland.

When initially approached by organisers of the famous event, as a tiny brand she was simply in shock.

Fiona McArthur: "The Oscars came about when I was approached by the company that puts together the gift bags and they asked if I'd like to be involved. I couldn't believe it, I actually thought it was fake when they first contacted me because I thought 'I'm such a small brand, I'm so new', like, but yeah, it's, it's real."

McArthur's products are 100% vegan and gluten free, and avoid soya and palm oil, as well as alcohol. In environmentally-friendly packaging, the sweets are intended to please all chocolate lovers. Her company's named FETCHA, which stands for 'Free from, Ethical, Tasty, Chocolate, Handmade, Art'. This is evidently a message which appealed to the company compiling the goody bags.

The chocolatier, herself an avid film fan who's appeared in various films in a minor role, was determined her work would take the spotlight. She began inventing chocolates themed around each of the nominated films.

Fiona McArthur: "So I've got a, a chocolate themed for 'Barbie', a chocolate themed for 'Oppenheimer', and 'Killers of the Flower Moon', 'Poor Things', 'Holdovers' and 'Maestro'. And they're all tailored, like 'Barbie' is pink and 'Oppenheimer' is like a bomb, so it has kind of yellows and oranges and it has popping candy in it. So, they're kind of all themed to the movies themselves."

Now, Willy Wonka isn't the only chocolatier to have spread some magic at the Oscars.