In 1847, the Fry's chocolate factory on Union Street, Bristol, moulded a chocolate bar suitable for large-scale production. [1] [3] The firm began producing the Fry's Chocolate Cream bar in 1866. [1] Although it was not unheard of cacao being consumed in solid form, [9] Fry's is considered the first chocolate bar suitable for widespread consumption. [2] [3] [10] Over 220 products were introduced in the following decades, including the UK's first chocolate Easter egg in 1873 and Fry's Turkish Delight (or "Fry's Turkish bar") in 1914. [11] In 1896, the firm became a registered private company, run by the Fry family, with Joseph Storrs Fry II, grandson of the first Joseph Storrs Fry, as the chairman. [12] Even in the early 20th century, these chocolate eggs were seen as a special present and many people never even ate theirs. A woman in Wales kept an egg from 1951 for 70 years and a museum in Torquay recently bought an egg that had been saved since 1924. We’ve also got medium Easter eggs, featuring some vintage chocolate brands from the past. Plus, you’ll find smaller, mini Easter eggs that are accompanied by adorable cuddly toys – just the thing for the kids once all the treasure on your egg trail has been collected. Breast milk is the best ‘whey’ – academic explains breastfeeding benefits and why mothers shouldn’t be embarrassed

The first chocolate Easter egg in the UK was introduced in 1873 by the family-owned company, Fry’s. The founder, Joseph Fry, started out selling drinking chocolate in the 1750s, and his grandsons created the first chocolate bars in the 1860s. Fry’s particular achievement at this time was their chocolate Cream Bar, a product that is still sold today. As Quakers, Fry’s were one of the leading voices in the movement to abolish slavery. However in 1908 there was a major scandal with Cadbury, Fry and Rowntree being accused of buying slave grown cocoa beans from Sao Tome and Principe, a Portuguese owned island off of Angola. Cadbury took the major role in defending the 3 companies and in the end, they were found not guilty. Despite this, all 3 stopped buying beans from this island. Although dyeing patterned eggs is still a common Easter activity, these days eggs are more commonly associated with chocolate. But when did this shift happen?A lot of Easter traditions — including hot cross buns and lamb on Sunday — stem from medieval Christian or even earlier pagan beliefs. The chocolate Easter egg, however, is a more modern twist on tradition. Today chocolate is thought of as a solid food, but then it was only ever a drink and was usually spiced with chilli pepper following Aztec and Maya traditions. For the English, this exotic new drink was like nothing they'd ever encountered. One author called it the "American Nectar": a drink for the gods.

As chocolate-making continued to progress, other chocolate shaped treats started to appear, including those shaped like animals. Despite the closure of the Frys/Cadbury factory at Keynsham just over 20 years ago, our region is today home to many, many independent chocolate makers - using creative talent and ethical practices including fairly traded chocolate. The commitment from chocolate companies to learn from the past actions, both good and bad, of their predecessors is important.

The first ever chocolate bar suitable for widespread consumption having been created by J. S. Fry & Sons in 1847, in Union Street, Bristol, England. "Sweet sweets nostalgia". BBC News. 28 May 2008 . Retrieved 30 May 2008.

Fry, alongside Cadbury and Rowntree's, was one of the big three British confectionery manufacturers throughout much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and all three companies were founded by Quakers. [4] [5] The company became a division of Cadbury in the early twentieth century. The division's Somerdale Factory near Bristol was closed after the 2010 takeover of Cadbury's by Kraft Foods Inc. [6] [7] History [ edit ] Fry and Sons Manufactory, Nelson Street, Bristol, 1882 Cadbury’s King Edward Chocolate Box, Cadbury’s Drinking Chocolate Tin and Cadbury’s Milk Chocolate Tray Tin.Following Joseph Storr II’s death in 1913, and the introduction of the world-famous Fry’s Turkish Delight a year later, the company merged with former rivals Cadbury in 1919. Four years later they were fast outgrowing their city factory and a new one was built and opened six miles away at Somerdale, Keynsham. They also designed colourful adverts for their products in posters and postcards, some of which are on display in the Victorian sweet shop at Preston Park Museum. In England, the most popular way of decorating was with petals, which made colorful imprints. The Wordsworth Museum in the Lake District still has a collection of eggs made for the poet's children from the 1870s. More practically, eggs were a staple part of everyone’s diet – rich or poor – and crucially they were forbidden during Lent. This enforced abstinence explains their prominence in Shrovetide customs immediately before Lent, and at Easter when they make a return to the table. Eggs were given as gifts, paid as rent to social superiors in the medieval manor, and given to the church. In some farming communities, eggs functioned as a minor currency, and since hens were looked after by women within the household economy, this gave them a modest but regular income, as well as a rich source of protein with which to supplement their family’s diet.

During the 1950s Fry's was the fastest-growing chocolate firm in Britain, thanks to old favourites being revitalised and new lines introduced. By the end of the 1960s Cadbury's and Fry's had fully merged and several old-classics, such as Five Boys, disappeared or took on the Cadbury name. On the BBC television programme Being Human, an old Fry's Cocoa billboard hangs prominently on the side of the B&B where the main characters reside in Series 3–5. The billboard is a nod to the show's original Bristol location. [17] At a time when celebrating a truly great event is taking place, if you want to teat someone you know to a representative gift of that event, then we have you covered. Peruse our Easter fare online at your leisure. Remember to add a free gift card to make things just a little more special this Easter. It was only in the 1960s and 1970s that supermarkets began to offer chocolate eggs at a cheaper price, hoping to profit off the Easter tradition. Cadbury Brothers Limited first registered with us on 13 June 1899, with 5 members of the Cadbury family listed as the governing directors. In a similar way to Fry’s, several decades later on the 4 January 1970, the company passed a special resolution to change its name to Cadbury Schweppes Overseas Limited. This remains its name today, still being an active company on the UK register – alongside multiple limited companies with the Cadbury name. You can view their long filing history, including the original 1899 incorporation documents, on Companies House Service.William Gervase Clarence-Smith (2003). Cocoa and Chocolate, 1765-1914. Routledge. p.58. ISBN 0-203-46186-X. Generations of Bristol families produced Fry’s and Cadbury’s chocolate treats - like Chocolate Cream, Turkish Delight, Curly Wurly, Crunchie - at the Keynsham building until it closed its doors in 2011. Bought out by Kraft Foods, who had originally agreed to keep the factory open, chocolate production was transferred to Poland, putting more than 500 local people out of work. In general, eggs are a traditional symbol of fertility and rebirth. In Christianity, for the Easter period, they are symbolic of the empty tomb of Jesus, after his resurrection. In addition, they would often be stained red, representing the blood of Christ, shed at the time of his execution. Don’t forget to get everything you need in for your Easter tea though. Our range of Easter cakes make a delicious addition to your finger food buffet after a delicious Easter roast. While it is true that Quakers in the UK, like the Fry and Cadbury families, helped lead the anti-slavery movement, it is also correct to say that not every Quaker held this view, particularly in America.