About Us
The road to sweet success
The Chocolate Factory was established in 2002 by brothers Gareth and Chris East. From humble beginnings, confirmed chocoholics Gareth and Chris have built a thriving family business. Today The Chocolate Factory is one of few UK companies to offer luxury handmade chocolates, made using real Belgian chocolate.
From Ideas to Reality
The original idea for Gareth and Chris’ business venture came from a national newspaper article. Inspired by the fact that Britain consumes more chocolate per head than any other country, the pair set about turning their chocolate-coated dreams into reality.
Starting Small
The brothers started production in the kitchen at their parents’ North Yorkshire home. They were armed with only a bain-marie for melting chocolate.
An Instant Hit
Gareth and Chris’ first batch of handmade chocolate went on sale at a local gift shop. When everything sold out on the first day, they knew they were on the road to sweet success.
Demand Increases
The brothers soon launched The Chocolate Factory shop in Thornton-le-Dale. During their first year of trading, they worked a seven-day week – manufacturing by night and selling chocolate by day. With only one melting machine, production was a slow process but demand continued to increase.
Big Business
In 2003 Gareth and Chris opened a second shop and purpose built factory in nearby Hutton-le-Hole. Over the years they have invested in new production equipment and now employ a number of chocolatiers to help meet demand. The Chocolate Factory now imports around eight tonnes of Belgian chocolate per year for its range of fresh handmade chocolates.
