Whitakers Chocolates in Skipton to launch new range next year

Skipton-based Whitakers Chocolates will unveil its new look and extended product range, which includes chocolate truffles, foiled chocolate hearts, truffle spheres and new flavours of fondant creams, in January.

William Whitaker, managing director of Whitakers Chocolates, inset, said: “We’re so excited to launch into 2020 with our new range of products and packaging.

“We identified the rising demand for ethically sourced chocolate and sustainable products and we have worked hard to meet the stringent requirements set to achieve these. I am so proud of what the team have achieved.”

The firm, which has 110 full-time staff, launched a new logo in the last quarter of 2019.

A key factor in the rebranding exercise has been to improve recyclability and reduce plastic use, the firm said.

Whitakers Chocolates has worked closely with packaging specialist Qualvis to create new packaging styles that reduce plastics and increase recyclability across the whole range.

Richard Pacey, sales director at Qualvis, said: “This has been a truly exciting project for us to work on with the team at Whitakers.

“They have embraced a wide range of packaging and printing innovations, to enable their products to have the impactful visual shelf stand out, tactile feel to the packs and importantly deliver all of this in a fully recyclable and sustainable route.”

Whitakers Chocolates was launched in 1889 from a grocer’s shop in Cross Hills by John and Rebecca Whitaker.

In the 1960s it began selling chocolate to pubs, hotels, restaurants and shops.

William Whitaker is the fourth generation of the family to run the business.

Mr Whitaker became managing director in 1986 at the age of 26.

Today, the business produces more than 10 million chocolates a week and supplies confectionery across the globe.