Brian Sollitt facts for kids

Brian Lawrence Sollitt (born 1938, died 2013) was a super creative person. He worked for a long time at Rowntrees, a famous candy company. Brian invented many popular chocolates. These include the After Eight mints, Lion bars, and Yorkie bars. He was a true chocolate wizard!

Brian's Early Life

Brian Sollitt was born in York in 1938. When he was just 15, he started working at the Rowntree factory. His first job was piping chocolates by hand. He helped make the famous Black Magic chocolate boxes. Later, he moved to a special team. This team experimented with new cream fillings. Here, he was asked to create a dark chocolate with a peppermint center.

His Amazing Career

Brian Sollitt worked for 53 years at Rowntree's in York. He helped create many of the company's best-selling chocolate bars. He was part of the team that made the Yorkie, Matchmakers, Drifter, and Lion Bar.

The Secret of After Eight

He also developed the famous After Eight mint. This chocolate was first sold in 1962. Over a billion of them have been sold worldwide! When he created the After Eight, he was told to keep the project a secret. The special way Brian stopped the liquid mint from leaking out is still a secret today. After Eight mints are now sold in over 50 countries. Brian loved collecting After Eight items. He had one of the biggest collections in the world.

Brian retired in 2007 when he was 68. But he came back to work in 2012. This was to celebrate the After Eight's 50th birthday! He even presented a huge 3 kg After Eight to the Parliament. Brian also taught his amazing skills to other staff at Rowntree.

What People Said About Brian

Kath Musgrove, a fellow chocolate maker, shared her thoughts. She said watching Brian work was like seeing a true artist. He spent hours making chocolates by hand. Each one had its own special mark. Brian was full of ideas. He always gave the marketing team new thoughts on what to sell next. He helped launch many new products over the years.

Alex Hutchinson, a historian for Nestle (who now owns Rowntree's), also spoke about Brian. He said Brian's impact on British chocolate was huge. It's easy to forget that the sweets we buy today were once handmade by Brian. He spent months, sometimes years, perfecting his creations. Alex called him an incredible man. Brian was asked to invent a new chocolate, and he did it!

Helping Others

Brian Sollitt also raised money for charities. He made giant Easter Eggs for good causes. One time, he even made a 3-foot chocolate Pudsey Bear. This was for the Children in Need charity event. Every Christmas, he decorated his home with 500 Father Christmases. He opened his house to help charities, charging a small entry fee of £1.

His Passing

Brian Sollitt passed away on July 16, 2013. He was 74 years old. He died from a heart attack. He is remembered by his sister, Hazel, and his two nieces and two nephews.