The journey from Campbeltown’s windswept waterfront to Hollywood is a lengthy one, but for the nominees of next month’s Oscars, a unique experience in this secluded Scottish location is in store. The owner of the town’s chocolate store has been selected to create the delectable goodies for the highly coveted $125,000 gift bags at the prestigious award ceremony.
Fiona McArthur, who started creating her chocolates in her mother’s kitchen four-and-a-half years ago, says she’s still pinching herself at the coup. “It’s blowing my mind that my chocolates are going to be eaten by people like Bradley Cooper and Margot Robbie,” she says.
When the company reached out to her about including her products in the prestigious Academy Award gift bags, which feature high-end holiday vouchers and the use of luxury sports cars, McArthur initially thought it was a fraudulent offer. However, after researching the company online, she realized it was a legitimate opportunity. Despite her skepticism, McArthur did not believe her chocolates would be chosen. However, her chocolate company, Fetcha, met all the necessary criteria for the Oscar bags. She explains, “Our chocolates are free of dairy, eggs, gluten, soy, and palm oil. They are also alcohol-free and packaged without plastic.”
McArthur, 36, who is vegan herself, says she realised while working in a friend’s sweet shop how many people had allergies or intolerances. “I wanted to create boxes of chocolates that could be passed around so everyone could eat them,” she says. “And I also wanted to prove how delicious vegan chocolates could be, for those who might have doubted it.”
However, the Oscars committee was unaware that McArthur was a passionate movie enthusiast when they reached out to her. She used her adoration for films to make unique chocolates that corresponded with the nominated movies. “Ever since I was young, I’ve enjoyed visiting the Picture House by the harbor,” she recalls. As she grew up, she even became an extra in various films such as Fast & Furious, Hobbs & Shaw, Outlaw King, Outlander, and the upcoming Indiana Jones.
Campbeltown, located at the tip of the Kintyre peninsula, is approximately a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Glasgow. Although it may not seem to have many similarities to Hollywood, the town’s cinema, designed by architect Albert Gardner in 1913, was one of the earliest movie theaters specifically constructed in Scotland. It was built in the art nouveau style of Glasgow.
McArthur’s eco-friendly, plant-based company also has a connection to the local community. The region has had previous encounters with famous individuals, such as Paul and Linda McCartney, who used the faraway peninsula as a getaway during the peak of their fame. This is mentioned in the Wings song “Mull of Kintyre.” Linda, who passed away at the age of 56 in 1998, is honored with a statue in a memorial garden behind the Campbeltown Picture House. As an advocate for vegetarianism and sustainability, she would undoubtedly be rooting for McArthur’s success.
Born and raised on a farm near Campbeltown, McArthur studied conservation at university and spent two years working on a ranch in Montana, not far from the home of 2024 Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone. After returning to Scotland, she worked as a shelf-stacker in Tesco and Lidl before setting up a small cake-baking business, and then working in a friend’s sweet shop in Inveraray – and it was while she was there that she realised there was a gap in the market for “free from” chocolates.
In 2019, she attended a three-day course in London before trying out different flavors in her mother’s kitchen. She began with salted caramel, chocolate mousse, and dark chocolate honeycomb and eventually started selling them to her loved ones.
The business owned by McArthur was named Fetcha, which stood for Free From, Ethical, Tasty, Chocolate, Handmade, and Art. She opened a store on Main Street in Campbeltown two years ago, in addition to her website. She mentions that her mother helps out when the shop gets too busy.
On March 10th, McArthur will be watching the Oscars at her house in Campbeltown. She intends to invite some friends over and they will all indulge in the same chocolates as the celebrities.
Who does she desire to win the awards? “I adore Barbie – and I have a strong bond with Lily Gladstone,” she states.
Despite what occurs in Hollywood, there is undoubtedly a positive outcome in Campbeltown – McArthur’s small chocolate shop is a success on a global scale.
The winners of the chocolate Oscars are announced…
Poor Things: a twist on a custard tart, Bella’s culinary passion in the movie, this is a rich, cinnamon-flavoured cream inside a chocolate case
Montealegre
Reworded: Maestro is a smooth chocolate infused with both salt and pepper, representing the unique yet harmonious lives of Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre.
Barbie’s journey is symbolized by a pink heart with a geometric design, representing the challenges she faces. Inside the heart is a white ganache, reflecting her natural beauty. According to McArthur, Barbie’s journey is not always smooth sailing.
Oppenheimer: for this history of the atom bomb, McArthur’s rolled truffle creation has popping candy in the outer shell, so the chocolate explodes as it’s eaten
Killers of the Flower Moon: a dense, dark flavoured chocolate with a green, yellow and lilac-splattered shell to reflect the flowers of the Osage nation
This cherry and dark chocolate creation was designed for the main restaurant scene in the movie, ensuring that no one would miss the alcohol.
Source: theguardian.com
