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Back in the mid/late 2000s, Lals the brand was synonymous with chocolate — locally made and premium chocolate. The Karachi-based brand has come a long way since, and while its success could be credited to multiple factors, the one that stands out to me is its commitment to come up with something new and innovative. Now, innovative here doesn’t essentially mean that its items are brand-new to the market; it has more to do with expanding their offerings plus taking on niche products and perfecting them. To give you an example, Lals jumped onto the macaron bandwagon when not many were offering the French confection — but it wasn’t just about catching on to a fad earlier, it was also about doing it the best.

Which brings me to their chocolate digestive biscuits — how many local bakeries/brands do you know that have taken on this sweet treat which to be fair is not as popular as the shudder lotus cheesecake? Or okay, even palmiers which can be found in abundance but are not always great? Lals has taken a simple idea — crumbly digestive biscuit which is not as decadent as a shortbread — and topped it with what the brand does best: chocolate! The dark chocolate is just strong enough to not put off those who can’t handle high percentage of cocoa and the milk chocolate is not overly sweet for those who prefer their coffee black and sugarless.

You could argue that for a lesser price, you can get the imported McVities Digestive Biscuits and in a larger quantity. But Lals isn’t a grocery shop pick-up and it doesn’t masquerade as one. AND, the focus here is to support local offerings!

Not to mention that for a price tag of Rs1,350, these nine biscuits have a generous topping of fine chocolate in the shape of pretty floral motifs — great to give as a gift in the tasteful packaging they come. Full disclosure: Any tray I have bought so far to give to someone has never actually made it to the intended recipient — that’s how good these biscuits are.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

This article is part of an ongoing series on supporting local products. All the products are independently evaluated and reviewed by a member of the Images team and reflect their personal opinions. If you’re a local business and would like to be featured, reach out to us at imagesdawndotcom@gmail.com.