York, my city of birth, is known for a lot of historical things – the Romans, the Vikings, the medieval city walls and others. But it’s also known for chocolate, and was once home to three large confectionary companies: Rowntree’s, Terry’s and Cravens. And the story of York’s chocolate industry is the focus of one of its newer museums: York’s Chocolate Story.
Christine and I visited shortly after it opened, back before we got married, in 2012. Then, it was known as Chocolate: York’s Sweet Story, but its name has changed since. I hadn’t been back since – Christine had her hen do there – but last weekend I took our nine-year-old along.
Having visited Cadbury World earlier in the summer, it was good to compare the two. Cadbury World is a Merlin attraction, and so it’s more of an indoor theme park with some history. Meanwhile, York’s Chocolate Story, is primarily a museum, although both offer you chocolate samples to eat on your way around.
Inside York’s Chocolate Story
Guests follow a guided tour around the museum, although there are videos to watch as well. Whilst we waited for the rest of the group to come up in the lift, our knowledgeable guide asked everyone what their favourite chocolate bar was, and he was able to quickly look up when they first went on sale. It turns out that many chocolate bars have been around longer than we might expect.
The first room is about the ancient history of chocolate, and how Spanish colonialists ‘discovered’ it when they reached Mexico. At this point, you get to try a sample of the bitter chocolate drink that people would have drunk back then.
Next, we’re introduced to the aforementioned three confectionary businesses, and the people behind them. Of these, Rowntree’s still has a factory in York, but is now part of the massive Nestlé conglomerate. Terry’s are still making chocolate, but the York factory (close to where I went to secondary school) is now flats, with production shifted to Strasbourg. Whilst I’m old enough to remember Craven’s sweets, the company is no longer around.
Making chocolate
We then head downstairs, to find out more about how chocolate bars are made. This included a chance to make our own white chocolate lollipop, with a choice of flavours. They use white chocolate as it sets more quickly. We could also watch a demonstration where filled chocolate truffles were made, and of course we got samples to taste. The same room has a history of KitKats, and you can watch various classic KitKat TV adverts too.
All in all, it takes about an hour to get around. Of course, there’s a shop at the end which also does a range of hot chocolate.
Accessibility
Being a newer museum, accessibility is good – there’s a lift taking you to all floors. It’s in York city centre, around the corner from The Shambles, so within walking distance of the station. Whilst you can try to park your car in York city centre, please don’t – we saw loads of people queueing to get into car parks and blocking the roads whilst doing so, and besides, you’ll pay a small fortune. Instead, take one of the six Park and Ride services.
It’s best to book in advance – if you turn up on the day, all the tour slots may have gone or you may have to hang around for a while. Plus, there’s a 20% discount for booking in advance, and York residents get a 30% discount for visits on Sundays.
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