Life fine and candy for Louis, 16

A 16-year-old entrepreneur is enjoying the sweet taste of success after landing a deal to sell his chocolate bars in supermarket chain Sainsbury's.

It's chocs away for Louis Barnett from Kinver after his Chokolit creations went on sale in hundreds of Sainsbury stores nationwide today.

The teenager's business has gone from strength to strength since he first started making chocolates in his parent's kitchen two years ago.

Since then he has expanded to a factory unit in Bridgnorth, and just last month boxes of his Chokolit brand hit the shelves of luxury department store Selfridges in Birmingham's Bullring.

Today, his chocolate Biting Back Bar, priced £1.99 for 75g, hit the shelves of 250 Sainsbury supermarkets across the country.

The bar, which features a distinctive picture of an orang-utan on the wrapper, has received the support of conservation groups because of its message that unsustainable palm oil production is threatening the habitat of orang-utans and other creatures.

"To see my bars of chocolate in the supermarket is all a little bit surreal," the teenager admitted.

"But it's fantastic at the same time.

"It's a big contract for me and another step in getting noticed by the public," he added. "I actually think I'm their youngest ever supplier.

Louis was just 12 years old when he began making chocolate for family and friends on the kitchen table at home.

The teenager, who opened his Bridgnorth factory last September, left school at 11 for home tutoring after being diagnosed with dyslexia. He has since concentrated on gaining qualifications in chocolate making.

The name Chokolit was how Louis used to spell chocolate due to his dyslexia. He has since become an ambassador for the British Dyslexia Association.

He has taken the business world by storm with interest in his products coming in from countries across the globe.

"We had a really good response to the brand when we launched in Selfridges and I'm hoping for the same in Sainsbury's," he added.

Louis rejects the use of palm oil in his chocolate products because of the damage being caused by the ingredient's extraction to orang-utan habitats in tropical rainforests.