Reading University Unveils First 100% British Chocolate Bar Since 1932

On 12 August 2026, researchers at the University of Reading produced the “Reading 100 Chocolate Bar,” the first chocolate bar made entirely from British-grown ingredients since Rowntree’s presented a similar bar to a six-year-old Princess Elizabeth in 1932. The bar was crafted from cocoa beans harvested from the university’s International Cocoa Quarantine Centre in Berkshire, then fermented, dried, roasted, ground, and combined with British-grown sugar and milk before being shaped into a ready-to-eat bar. Only six limited-edition bars have been produced so far.

Tastes like home! First 100% British chocolate bar made since 1932 - using cocoa from Berkshire The GuardianFirst British chocolate bar made since 1932 - in Reading First 100% British chocolate bar made since 1932 First British chocolate bar made since 1932

The United Kingdom’s chocolate market is valued at £10.4 billion, yet the industry depends wholly on imported cocoa from tropical regions of Africa, South America and Asia. Climate-related stresses—higher temperatures, erratic rainfall, and disease—have reduced yields in major cocoa-producing countries, driving cocoa prices up 400 % to $12,218 per ton. The University of Reading’s International Cocoa Quarantine Centre maintains a collection of more than 300 cocoa varieties and manages 97 % of the world’s international movement of cocoa plants, providing a unique platform for studying climate-resilient cultivars.

First British chocolate bar made since 1932

• Market size: £10.4 billion (UK chocolate sector).

Tastes like home! First 100% British chocolate bar made since 1932 - using cocoa from Berkshire

• Cocoa price increase: 400 % to $12,218 per ton (recent year).

First 100% British chocolate bar made since 1932

• Centre’s plant collection: >300 varieties.

First British chocolate bar made since 1932 - in Reading

• Global cocoa-plant movement handled by the centre: 97 %.

First British chocolate bar made since 1932 - in Reading

• Production run: six limited-edition bars; each cocoa pod requires six months to mature.

The Guardian

• “It has been amazing to follow the entire chocolate-making process, from pod to bean to bar, without leaving Reading.” — Queen Elizabeth II. Maha

First 100% British chocolate bar made since 1932

• “This British bar of chocolate highlights the precarious nature of our food supplies,” — Maha

First 100% British chocolate bar made since 1932

The bar serves as a tangible demonstration of how domestic cultivation of cocoa could diversify supply chains and reduce vulnerability to climate-driven disruptions abroad. By showcasing a complete “pod-to-bar” process within the UK, the project raises public awareness of the extensive work required to produce chocolate and underscores the importance of preserving genetic diversity in cocoa for future breeding programs.

First British chocolate bar made since 1932

Maha Khan indicated that further production will depend on the availability of beans, as each pod takes half a year to mature. She expressed interest in presenting a bar to the Princess of Wales, drawing a symbolic link to the 1932 gift to the future queen. The university plans to continue leveraging its quarantine centre to test climate-resilient cocoa varieties throughout its centenary year.

The Guardian