The post war sugar rush

While World War II ended in 1945, rationing on sweets was not lifted until February 1953. The return of sweets and chocolates to shelves marked a return to normality and ‘sweet freedom’. As demand for these affordable and accessible treats surged, confectioners began to bring back old favourites – and introduce new products to the market.

Fry's

Long before Cadbury or Nestlé, there was Fry's. Their Chocolate Cream was born in 1866 while their Turkish Delight was an exotic addition to British sweet shops in 1914. Although it came under Cadbury in 1919, Fry's continued as a brand, and became a symbol of comfort and morale in chocolate rations for the troops during the war.

Fry's Five Centres 1934-1999

Like the Chocolate Cream, but with five different flavoured fondant centres: orange, strawberry, lime, raspberry and pineapple. Oddly, the bar had seven segments, meaning there’d be two chunks each for two out of the five flavours – and you could work out which ones once you started eating from one end!

Inside the Fry's factory, Bristol (19th Century)

1978 - Thermos = Picnic Essential

Mackintosh

Mackintosh began way back in 1890 when John and Violet Mackintosh opened a confectionery shop in Halifax famed for its toffee. They acquired Caley's Chocolate in 1932, and their chocolates were soon just as popular. They merged with rival Rowntree's in 1969, then Rowntree Mackintosh was bought by Nestlé in 1988.

Quality Street 1936-today

Named after J. M. Barrie’s play, Quality Street was created by John Mackintosh’s heir, son Harold, who wanted to make a more affordable box of chocolates. He introduced the world's first twist-wrapping machine to wrap each chocolate, so they could be jumbled enticingly together in a tin rather than in a costly segmented box.

Mint Cracknell 1970-1999s

How many of us have (sort of) fond memories of having our mouth ripped to shreds by one of these? Described by fans as “beautiful chocolate coated minty shards of glass” and “mint fibreglass coated in chocolate”, there was nothing quite like it!

Taking good care of our precious planet

While brightening our homes with a little greenery lifts our spirits, it also gently reminds us of the beauty and importance of nature in our everyday lives. Taking good care of our precious planet is something we feel deeply about.

As a sign of our commitment to combatting climate change, we are making a pledge to become ‘net zero’. We want to get there by 2040, which might be a little way off, but the journey has begun - and there are lots of targets along the way. We’re working together across every part of the business to identify opportunities for reducing our carbon footprint with a view to getting it all the way down to...zero!

Cadbury

John Cadbury started out by selling tea, coffee and drinking chocolate. Joined by his brother Benjamin, the Cadbury brothers moved on to selling chocolate for eating in 1842. Switching to a better produced cocoa in 1861 propelled them forward and by 1955 they were the first chocolate brand to advertise on British TV.

Cadbury Dairy Milk 1905-today

Cadbury gave their Dairy Milk bar a much higher proportion of fresh milk than competitors, giving it the smooth, creamy taste that made it the UK’s best-selling chocolate in the 1930s. Whole Nut, Fruit & Nut and Caramel followed in the 50s.

Cadbury Roses 1938-today

Launched to compete with Quality Street, the name is commonly thought to be inspired by the ‘Rose Brothers’, who made the chocolate wrapping machine. Like Quality Street, the original attractive tins were treasured long after the chocolates were gone, often used to store biscuits, buttons, or other bits and bobs!

All packed, off we go

Do you remember any other chocolate brands? 
Share them with us - we’d love to know which one was your favourite!

Liquid Gold

From the past to your plate

From ancient cacao drinks to the irresistible treats we enjoy today, chocolate has truly stood the test of time.

To bring you that deep, classic chocolate flavour in our Chocolate Desserts, we carry that legacy forward using only carefully selected ingredients — Cocoa Mass and Cocoa Butter.

If the thought of chocolate is too tempting for you why not check out our dessert range?