The sweet smell of success

With the wind in the right direction, a sweetish smell in the air over York is a reminder of one of the city's biggest employers.

In the nineteenth century York grew to be a major centre of the new chocolate industry, initially in making ingredients for that health-giving drink, cocoa. Raw materials came in via the River Ouse and the finished product left via the flourishing railways. (York's other main employer at the time.)

Rowntree's became the largest company, and the city was home to brands such as the legendary KitKat in this video, Smarties, After Eight and of course the newer Yorkie bar.

The company's Quaker owners played an important role in the city, creating a model village for the workforce (New Earswick), and campaigning for the understanding of the causes and alleviation of poverty. Three large York-based trusts founded with the family's proceeds continue the good work, both nationally and locally, today.