Phoenix Delite

Phoenix Delite

When Pascale moved to Ireland in 1999, little did she know that she would still be living in Dublin and running a business of her own nearly 20 years later. “When I originally came here it was just to see a different country and experience the Irish culture. I never thought that I would stay longer than a couple of years. The city of Dublin won me over – I love the humour that Dubliners seem to apply to everything.” The one thing that Pascale did miss was her family, and her mother came from Belgium to visit her often. There was just one problem: Pascale’s mother has diabetes, and no matter how hard they looked they couldn’t seem to find any sweet diabetic-friendly options available in Irish stores. Thus began an idea which grew into a business now known as Phoenix Delite: “The “Phoenix” element of the name was chosen because I lived close to Phoenix Park in Dublin at that time and would walk there often. The “Delite” part – well, I think that part speaks for itself!”

Phoenix Delite has been in the Coeliac Guide of Ireland for the last three years and all of their products are gluten free.

Today, Phoenix Delite is a well-established small business which delivers its products to a global market. Pascale’s high-end, sweet, rich quality chocolate has broken the barriers which previously limited anyone with a food intolerance. Not only does Phoenix Delite offer sugar-free chocolates – there are dairy free and gluten-free options as well, making them suitable for vegans, vegetarians, coeliacs and anyone with a lactose intolerance. Pascale maintains that her business is not just about selling a product; it’s also about spreading a message. “There are currently about 200,000 people in Ireland with Type 2 diabetes, with an estimated 100,000 that may be potentially at risk. These statistics are frightening and as a nation we need a wake-up call about our sugar consumption. We need to learn that reduced sugar does not have to mean reduced flavour.”