It seems like we have an honest bunch of regulars on the site , so how about we dispel some of the marketing talk of chocolate companies and discuss the size , process of production and business practices in the U.K. ???[:)]

well share our knowledge of the industry . For example do we know the full story of Green & Blacks . That they don’t make their own chocolate , are just a marketing company , and now owned by Cadbury. we haven’t mentioned the riverside chocolate house in Wales as a great little chocolatier , yet mention Woolworths or Montezuma .
Lets make an effort to cut the bull and start praising the honest craftsman , its not as if there are many chocolatiers in the U.K. !!

Green and Blacks’ milk chocolate is pretty horrid.

At times I despair! I rwead what you all have to say. Chocolate, wine, cars, women, men, football…………whatever, w all have our views.

However lets have a bit of reality.

In the UK on the top shelf of most stores, chains or otherwise it is Green & Black, yes made in Italy and essentially just a marketing brand. From peanut butter to multi millioinasire…..how I wish I had thougt of that…..and Lindt.

So its down to distributuion, markerting muscle, who you know, TV ads, sponsoerships and all that stuf.

Now I know that all you 70%-ers are pretty intellectual guys and gals by the language that you use.

So just keep on enjoyong,spreading the word, and rememvber that when a little guy like me can rattle off twenty Italian chocolate companies all offering 70% and more, then what is going on.

Suddenyly not so speacial….more every day! Huh?

Geoffrey O’Brien of Delicato. Importers of fine Italian chocolates in the UK

The Riverside Chocolate house is based in North Wales ,
a little one man shop , he makes lovely fresh cream chocolates and bakes his own bread and cakes . He does not make chocolate from scratch or bars , but a great little craftsman .!!
Near Betws-y-code , Conway .

I agree that it does not matter as long as it is understood .
Green and Blacks though , do try and mislead the public , especially at tastings about who owns the company and where the chocolate is made.
As to fairtrade , their boss is published saying some pretty cynical views on the subject .

i have cuttings , how is it best to share them ?

Cadbury’s acquisition of Green & Black’s denied – March 2, 2005
Cadbury Schweppes and Green & Black’s (G&B’s) have denied a recent report in Marketing magazine that Cadbury is set to buy G&B’s for an undisclosed sum. The story appeared on Marketing’s cover last month but has been denied by both parties. Cadbury has owned a 5% stake in G&B’s since 2002 and speculation has been rife since then about a possible takeover.

The remaining 95% of G&B’s is owned by private shareholders including founder Craig Sams and majority shareholders William Kendall and Nick Beart who bought an 85% stake in the company in 1998. Kendall previously owned the New Covent Garden Soup Company, which was sold to the food group S Daniels for £22m in 1997.

http://www.naturalproductsonline.co.uk/home.asp?ItemID=502&rcid=70&pcid=69&cid=70