A GLASGOW medical student inspired by baking with her mum has ‘invented’ a new chocolate bar.
Now Sophie Manuel’s sweet treat – the ‘No Frownie Brownie’ – is in the running to win a prestigious competition.
Sophie, 19, who is from the west end, says she entered the Cadbury Inventor challenge ‘on a whim’ – but has her mum, Aileen to thank for the inspiration.
“Brownies were our favourite thing to bake on rainy days when I was little,” she explains.
“It’s an ode to my mum’s favourite sweet treat."
She adds: “We are both chocoholics and love baking brownies in the kitchen together on rainy days, so having a Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bar with brownie pieces in it is our dream come true.
“I still enjoy baking and cooking with my flatmates.”
Sophie is one of three finalists chosen from 180,000 submissions from across the UK and Ireland.
The new bars are in the shops now but after a public vote, only one will be crowned the winner and remain on the shelves as part of the iconic Cadbury’s Dairy Milk range for next year.
Currently, Sophie is in the lead with the popular vote for her combination of milk chocolate, gooey chocolate brownie chunks, golden salted caramel chips and crumbly biscuits.
“It’s really exciting, I didn’t think I’d get this far,” she says.
“I would be so amazed if the public voted my bar to win.
“But I just hope everyone else enjoys trying these new chocolate bars as much as we have enjoyed designing them.”
A new career as a chocolatier is not on the cards, however, she laughs.
“I’m very excited for my next five years at university,” says Sophie, firmly.
“I’m really looking forward to having a rewarding career as a doctor.”
Sophie is up against Fizzing Cherry, invented by Roxy Amini and Banoffee Nut Crumble, the brainchild of Josh Clarke.
The former is described as “milk chocolate with soft chews of fruity cherry pieces, tingly cracking popping candy and crunchy biscuits” while the latter is a concoction of “milk chocolate with banoffee pie inspired fudge pieces, golden almond caramel pieces and crunchy biscuits.”
Radio 1 DJ Jordan North helped to judge the finalists.
Pippa Rodgers, Cadbury Tablets Brand Manager, said: “We know the Cadbury Inventor competition is a fan favourite because it allows for delicious new ingredients and flavours to be explored and tasted, and this year has really set the bar high.”
READ MORE: Glasgow bar The Ubiquitous Chip crowned city's most Instagrammable
Fans can vote for their favourite bar to join the range on Cadbury’s website until September 5. The winner will be announced later that month.
If Sophie wins, she will be following in impressive footsteps - and she will be the Cadbury Inventor competition’s first Scottish winner.
Previous winners include Irish teenager Callum Clogher, who created Choca-Latte in 2019 and 19-year-old Nottingham student Shannon Beech, who won with Honeycomb and Nuts in 2020.
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