British chocolate – or is it?
Britain is credited with producing and selling the world’s first chocolate bar at the Joseph Fry & Sons factory founded in 1728, and the Fry, Rowntree and Cadbury families all played a pivotal role in the development of British chocolate manufacturing.
There was a time when the big names associated with the UK chocolate industry could convincingly lay claim to their ‘British’ credentials, with companies like Cadbury taking on such a sizeable scale of production that the business built a whole town to accommodate the work force.
Fast track to today, when chocolate continues to dominate the confectionery market. With sales of chocolate increasing by 17% over five years, the popularity of chocolate products looks destined to increase. Growth can in part be attributed to the recession, which has fuelled the ‘cheap night in’ – a concept which inevitably incorporates a chocolate indulgence. However, in a year when ‘Brand Britain’ has taken on a whole new dimension, it has to be noted that a number of ‘chocolate players’ continue to trade on their British heritage. But, when you dig deeper, how many of these brands can truly be defined as a veritable and credible Team GB brand, flying the flag for British industry?
Firstly, it is important to identify what actually constitutes a thoroughly British brand. If we are to be literal about this, then being British should only apply if the company remains under British ownership. Anyone reading the financial pages of the nationals will be aware that a large number of British manufacturers are now under Icelandic or American ownership. There are many chocolate brands whose history is rooted in the UK or who may refer to the fact that they are UK based. Green & Blacks, Terry’s, Elizabeth Shaw, Bendicks, Cadbury’s, Rowntree – these are all popular brand names with an undisputed UK heritage. But to qualify as being a full-blown British brand, surely the relationship with Great Britain should permeate throughout the business rather than just relate to the origins of the company?
For me, to be eligible to cite the British chocolate brand claim, it needs to meet the following criteria:
– The parent company that owns the brand, must be British owned
– the chocolate product must be physically manufactured in the UK (accepting that the liquid chocolate / cocoa mass will need to be imported from cocoa growing countries)
– the chocolate must be made according to an original, British derived recipe
– the packaging which supports the chocolate product should be sourced from the UK
– British transport companies should be used to transfer the product to its various retailers / consumer outlet destinations
– Added kudos can be derived from the formal approval of the product by British taste authorities such as the prestigious Great Taste Awards. The holding of a Royal Warrant and therefore the recognition of the product by the British Royal family will also go some way to asserting bona fide British brand status
In the current market, upon closer inspection, many brands which are inferring the ‘Buy British’ call to action, are in reality duping consumers. A number of players have moved their production out of the UK, citing the ability to streamline costs abroad, to locations such as Germany, Poland, Sweden, Slovakia or Belgium as the rationale for the relocation.
But surely in a society where companies are being encouraged toincrease the level of transparency in their dealings with consumers, more should be done to put in place clearer British brand guidelines? When consumer research is telling us that brand integrity is being held in such high regard by our customers, how can so many brands be allowed to continue what effectively constitutes the dissemination of misinformation.
This becomes all the more critical when we examine the positive impact the true British brands play in the UK. Aside from the obvious benefits relating to the creation of jobs in roles across a myriad of disciplines ranging from manufacturing to marketing and sales, British brands also play a vital role in protecting our heritage. With so many UK chocolate players being acquired by international conglomerates, there is a real risk that the chocolate industry could leave our shores for good. We should be doing everything possible to ensure the chocolate making skills that have been honed and passed down from generation to generation remain an essential ingredient in Britain’s colourful culinary culture. And, at a time when we are seeing consumers re-embracing ‘artisan’ and choosing the passion and expertise associated with hand-crafted products over those manufactured on a mass production basis, smaller British chocolate brands should be allowed to enjoy some payback for their long term investment in UK industry.
By Natalie Dimmock, House of Dorchester
