The Chocolate Works facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Chocolate Works |
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The former Terry's chocolate factory, 2008. Taken from the 4th floor of the Ebor stand at York Racecourse
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| General information | |
| Type | Former Chocolate-factory |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Town or city | York |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 53°56′26″N 1°05′23″W / 53.94068°N 1.089596°W |
| Construction started | 1924 |
| Completed | 1926 |
| Owner | Grantside |
The Chocolate Works, also known as Terry's Chocolate Works, was a famous chocolate factory in York, England. It opened in 1926 and made many popular sweets. Sadly, it closed in 2005, and about 300 jobs were lost. The chocolate making then moved to other factories in Europe. Today, the old factory site is being turned into new homes and businesses.
Contents
The Chocolate Works: A Sweet History
Building the Chocolate Dream
In 1923, two brothers, Frank and Noel Terry, joined their family's chocolate business, Terry's of York. They had fresh ideas and wanted to make new products. They bought a piece of land near Bishopthorpe Road in York to build a brand new factory.
The factory was built in a cool style called Art Deco. It was named Terry's Chocolate Works and had a very noticeable clock tower.
Making Famous Chocolates
The factory officially opened in 1927. Many famous chocolates were made there. These included the Chocolate Apple, which first came out in 1924. Later, the popular Terry's Chocolate Orange and Terry's All Gold boxes were also created in 1932.
During the Second World War, part of the factory helped with the war effort. Some of Terry's workers helped make and fix parts for airplanes. The Chocolate Works still made Terry's products, which were often given to soldiers as part of their food. The factory also made chocolate for another company called Charbonnel & Walker.
Changes in Ownership
In 1978, a company called Colgate-Palmolive bought Terry's. They tried to make a new product called the Chocolate Lemon, but it was not very popular. A few years later, Terry's was sold again to United Biscuits. They even built a new part of the factory just for making the Chocolate Orange.
In 1992, Kraft Foods bought the business. They combined it with another chocolate company to create Terry's Suchard. After this, fewer types of chocolates were made at the factory. Only UK products and the international favorites like Terry's Chocolate Orange, Terry's All Gold, and Twilight were still produced there.
The Factory Closes
In 2004, Kraft Foods decided to move the production of All Gold and Chocolate Orange to factories in other countries like Belgium, Sweden, Poland, and Slovakia. This meant they would close the York factory. The Chocolate Works factory closed its doors for good on September 30, 2005.
What's Happening Now: Redevelopment
After the factory closed, a company called Grantside bought the site. They asked local people for their ideas on what to do with the land, which they renamed The Chocolate Works. Their first plan was not approved by the City of York Council.
However, in February 2010, a new plan was approved. The old Time Office and the Art Deco clock tower, which are important historical buildings, were saved and planned to be fixed up. The new plan for the site is a big project worth a lot of money. It will include:
- New and updated offices, creating over 2,700 new jobs.
- Two hotels.
- Shops, bars, cafes, and restaurants.
- Over 250 new homes.
- A nursery, a care home, and a medical center.
Work on the site started in 2011. First, special workers safely removed harmful materials like asbestos. Then, in early 2012, buildings that were not historically important were taken down.
In April 2013, two new companies, Henry Boot Developments and David Wilson Homes, took over the project. In June 2015, they received permission to build 173 apartments on the site.
In March 2023, after a lot of work, the clock in the famous tower of The Chocolate Works started working again. It had been silent for 15 years!
