Tiny candy brand lands Oscar role - 13th March 2024

As the great and the good assembled to honour cinematic storytelling at the Academy Awards extravaganza, little did they realise that the most improbable story of the day was lurking in their luxury goody bags.

Nominees in the categories of Best Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Actress would each find a highly original package of chocolates nestling in their bags. The sweet delights were handcrafted by artisan chocolatier, Fiona McArthur, the proprietor of a small confectionery shop in the remote and windswept port of Campbeltown, Western Scotland.

When organisers of the star-studded event invited McArthur to contribute, she was convinced the request wasn't genuine.

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 chocolate treats are all vegan, devoid of allergens such as gluten and soya and free from palm oil and alcohol, while the packaging eschews any form of plastic. The brand's known as FETCHA, which is an acronym for Free from, Ethical, Tasty, Chocolate, Handmade, Art - a message that resonated with the company responsible for the goody bags.

A keen film buff, who's incidentally performed as an extra in a number of movies herself, McArthur resolved to cast her creations in a lead role. She dreamed up a choice of bonbons inspired by the Oscar-nominated movies.

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."

It seems Willy Wonka isn't the only chocolatier lucky enough to have starred at the Oscars!