They were one of our proudest exports. The Terry’s Chocolate Orange was despatched around the world from the York factory for seven decades.
But 20 years ago, the factory closed and their manufacture was outsourced to Poland.
However what you are looking at here are some genuine York originals – in fact the very last batch of Chocolate Oranges to roll off the city’s production line.
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Video: David Dunning
And this collection has found a new home right in the heart of town, at York’s Chocolate Story.
General manager Stuart Wood told YorkMix the full story. “This is one of the last, if not the last, sets of Terry’s Chocolate Oranges to come off the production line from Bishophorpe Road in York, opposite the racecourse.
“It was donated to us by a gentleman called Ian Bradshaw, who was in HR in the wages department. And it was actually due to go to Australia.
“But the the order was withdrawn from Australia, and Terry’s took the decision that, for the 70 employees that were left at the site, each employer will be presented with an outer of these Terry’s Chocolate Oranges.”
And these oranges emerged from the famous factory 20 years ago today, on 30 September 2005.
York’s Chocolate Story is now looking at putting them on display in the New Year.
Stuart says he’s been guarding the set with his life!
“There’s a lot of history and heritage behind it, so we’ve got to look after it.”
How valuable are they? “How do you put a value on something like this? I wouldn’t like to eat one at present, because obviously it’s 20 years old.
“Probably if you were to open one, it’d look a bit dull and it tastes a bit bitter. But who knows.
“It’s something we won’t be doing. We won’t be opening it. We’ll be leaving it as it is in its cling film and celebrating history and heritage of chocolate in York.”
It’s not York’s Chocolate Story’s only new aquisition though. “We’ve actually just acquired a Queen Victoria’s tin,” Stuart said.
“It dates from 1899 to 1902 and it was actually a gift from Queen Victoria that was sent out to all soldiers.
“I t was one of the rare occasions where all the chocolate manufacturers, the UK, came together.
“So Rowntree’s, Cadbury and Fry’s came together, and they produced a tin that was sent out to all those soldiers at the front line in the South African Boer War, which is a nice piece of nice piece of history for us.”
