Chocolate manufacturing firm to hit the small screen

A Yorkshire manufacturer is to star in a national television show this spring as it documents the work of some of the region’s most prominent food factories.

Whitakers Chocolates, based in Skipton, is one of four businesses featured in ‘Made in Yorkshire’ which will be screened in May on Channel 5 and is presented by former deputy prime minister and honorary Yorkshireman, John Prescott.

The firm is the UK’s largest distributor of personalised chocolates, producing 10 million chocolates each week and is a fifth-generation run family business.

‘Made in Yorkshire’ explores behind the scenes of some of Yorkshire’s best known food brands and sees Prescott experience life on the factory floor of the historic chocolate maker to understand how they grew from a village grocer’s shop to a multi-million pound company with customers in 25 countries around the world.

Managing director, William Whitaker, said: “We had a great time hosting Channel 5 and Mr Prescott at Whitakers Chocolates. This is an exciting time for us so to be able to share it with the rest of the nation, and someone as passionate about the county as the former deputy prime minister, is a real honour.

“We have a lot to be proud of here and we hope viewers will be interested in seeing how Whitakers Chocolates works and the contribution we make to the region.”

John Prescott added: “What an eye opener for me to explore Yorkshire food products that went from the village shop to supermarket shelves across the UK. It was an absolute pleasure to appear in.”

Whitakers Chocolates supplies personalised chocolates and truffles to the hotel, restaurant, catering and retail sectors and recently diversified into the bespoke gift market with an innovative range of full-colour digitally printed personal chocolate bars and boxes.

The two-part series ‘Made in Yorkshire’ was produced by Crackit Productions.