A Review of The History of Chocolate in York

History of Chocolate in York front cover - picture courtesy of Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Paul Chrystal & Joe Dickinson

Published by Remember When, Paperback, 240 pages, £14.99

For the best part of 1500 years people have associated chocolate with the promotion of sexual appetite and male vigour. And that’s certainly how chocolate was perceived by the Mayans and the Aztecs, the first known users of the sensuously dark brown sweetmeat. And, after it had been introduced to Europe, noted philanderers such as Samuel Pepys, Casanova and the Marquis de Sade all regarded chocolate as an aphrodisiac and a way of increasing sexual potency: which might make one wonder why many of the major manufacturers of chocolate in the UK had their origins in the Quaker movement.

From the 1864 to the end of the 19th century, Rowntree's manufacturing was based at Tanner's Moat, by the river Ouse. Picture courtesy of Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Paul Chrystal’s book provides an answer to that question whilst covering the early years of chocolate production in Britain. To a small extent the title of the book is misleading as, of necessity, it has chapters on Fry and Packer (who both started in Bristol), Cadbury (Bournville, near Birmingham), Mackintosh (Halifax), Needler (Hull) and Caley (Norwich). But the bulk of the book is centred on York, and of these pages, Rowntree gets the most coverage, although both Terry’s and Cravens get much more than mere mentions.

The Tanner's Moat site was near to York Railway Station and the factory's output was taken to the station by horse and cart from 1877 to 1911. Picture courtesy of Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Initially chocolate was very much a luxury item – not for the ordinary person. It was expensive to import (coming from the colonies and a product of slave labour), harder to process than, say, coffee, and it was also heavily taxed.

The breakthroughs for the chocolate producers were more trade with Britain’s colonies, mechanisation of the production process and, most significantly, the reduction of tax: chocolate duty was reduced from 2s (10p) to 1d (0.5p) per pound in 1852.

Bricklayers building the roof footings for the new Haxby Road Factory in 1904. The Rowntree lettering behind the men was 10 feet high and 112 feet long. Picture courtesy of Pen & Sword Books Ltd

There are lots of interesting nuggets in the book – for instance, the shape of the Toblerone bar wasn’t based on the shape of the Alps, as is commonly believed (the real reason is much more interesting than that). Albert Einstein also gets a mention for a small but significant contribution he made to the story of chocolate.

To compete with Cadbury's successful "Fruit and Nut" bar, Rowntree's introduced a "Motoring" bar, and used Mr York and a rather gaudy vehicle to promote it. Picture courtesy of Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Paul Chrystal has written an immensely readable account of York’s involvement in the confectionery industry. It is packed with detail and plenty of facts – but they are presented in a digestible way. It’s not a book for merely dipping into and removing the odd dainty morsel from the bottom tray. This reader was carried along and devoured the whole story in just a few sittings.

Men and women at Rowntree's had separate facilities until well into the 20th century. The Women's Dining Room was used to billet troops during the First World War soon after this picture was taken. Picture courtesy of Pen & Sword Books Ltd

The book is superbly and lavishly illustrated: lots of healthy and appealing dairy maids and rosy-cheeked cherubic children fill the early advertisements and hoardings. Much of the marketing material has been drawn from Joe Dickinson’s own collection – and indeed Joe has contributed a chapter of his own about his “mini-museum”.

The motoring age allowed reps (or Travellers) to take products and display material to wherever they were needed. Picture courtesy of Pen & Sword Books Ltd

With chapters on chocolate and its production in both World Wars; the twenties and thirties; the post-war period; aspects of marketing; Rowntree’s internal staff journal (Cocoa Works Magazine); Rowntree’s model village at New Earswick; and many other aspects of the industry, The History of Chocolate in York provides a comprehensive overview on chocolate and confectionery manufacture in York and beyond.

As well as providing medical facilities, Rowntree's encouraged healthy exercise and the Rowntree's Cycling Club was one of number of the firm's very popular sporting bodies. Here a large group of riders are in Wigginton Road, and raring to go. Picture courtesy of Pen & Sword Books Ltd

The book has an extensive and thorough index – making it useful for reference – as well as a chronology of the most important events and dates. But for those, like me, who aren’t specialists, it would have benefitted from several additions: a list of illustrations; a map of York identifying locations of the buildings mentioned in the book (with appropriate dates); and a glossary of manufacturing terms and ingredients.

Right from the start, Rowntree's Fruit Gums were aimed at children, but note the byline - "pure fruit flavours" - to get across the message of the product being healthy and wholesome. Picture courtesy of Pen & Sword Books Ltd

The publication of this volume is very timely as a museum, Chocolate – York’s Sweet Story, will be opening in York on 31 March (see a recent blog on this here) and York will be holding its first Chocolate Festival from 6^th – 9^th April.

The History of Chocolate in York is available direct from the publishers at the special price of £11.99. Click here for details.