Whittaker's stick by Nigella

Nigella Lawson appearing in an advertisement for Whittakers Chocolate. Photo / file

Revelations about Nigella Lawson's drug use have not deterred New Zealand's most trusted company from reflecting fondly on its association with her this year.

British celebrity chef Nigella Lawson 53, admitted at a London court this week to twice using cocaine and occasionally cannabis, but dismissed claims she was a drug addict.

Speaking at the fraud trial of two ex-aides, Lawson said she took cocaine when her first husband John Diamond was dying, and again in 2010 while suffering a "very difficult time" with ex-husband Charles Saatchi.

Chocolate-maker Whittaker's signed Lawson last year to promote the company's new 5 Roll refined chocolate in a TV ad campaign, however the company's contract with the self-styled "domestic goddess" ended in October.

"Whittaker's has had a fantastically successful year this year," chief marketing officer Philip Poole said.

"We have been voted New Zealand's Most Trusted Brand with Reader's Digest and the Colmar Brunton [top New Zealand brand] ... we also got voted the Fair Trade Most Popular Brand ...

"Nigella has obviously been part of our marketing campaign this year and we'll sit down at the beginning of next year and review what we've achieved this year and see what our marketing objectives are next year and review everything then."

No firm decision had yet been made whether to work with Lawson in future, Mr Poole said.

"We'll look at the whole context and review it at the beginning of next year. I can say that the Nigella campaign worked very well for us, and in all the dealings we've had with Nigella she's been very professional and very pleasant to deal with as well.

"She's worked well for the brand."