It was during the 18th and 19th century that chocolate began its long, slow journey from a gritty, fatty drink into the refined product we know today, with chocolate starting to appear as eating chocolate in the form of pastilles and bars.

In the early 1700s, Walter Churchman and company - later to become the great JS Fry - invented a water powered engine to mill chocolate. During the early 19th century in Holland, Van Houten created the world’s first chocolate, which separated the cocoa butter from the cocoa powder. Shortly afterward Van Houten developed the Alkalisation of cocoa with the addition of potash - still known today as 'Dutching'. In 1847, the grandson of Joseph Fry invented a way of mixing cocoa butter with cocoa paste to produce the world first chocolate bar.

The Swiss were also influential in the development of chocolate... Rodolphe Lindt discovered conching by accident when an assistant left the machine on all night! Another Swiss, Daniel Peter discovered a way of mixing milk with chocolate to create the first milk chocolate in 1875 using condensed milk manufactured by his friend Henri Nestlé.

In the UK, the three great Quakers of the time - George Cadbury, Joseph Rowntree and Joseph Storrs Fry - created an immensely wealthy industry producing cocoa and chocolate (to drink) as an alternative to the demon alcohol (gin in particular). They made an enormous contribution to the quality of chocolate and cocoa - cutting out adulteration which was rife in Victorian times, at the same time revolutionising working conditions - not only of their own factories but also within the community. Bournville was created by Cadbury's as a utopia for its chocolate factory workers. Likewise, Rowntree and Fry also felt it essential to reward their workers with the best possible living and working conditions. That way, not only did they fulfil their true philanthropic ethos, but this was also good for business! They were indeed, significant social benefactors.

By 1909, after six years of intensive negotiations with the Portuguese Government, British Chocolate companies, led by Cadbury, persuaded the chocolate makers of Europe to boycott cocoa from enslaved plantations in Portuguese West Africa.

Looking to modern times, the last few years have seen chocolate come of age, with a breathtaking revival of fine quality chocolate from chocolate houses like Barry Callebaut, Valrhona, l'Opera, El Rey, Amedei and Lindt. Even in the States, not renowned for its fine chocolate - there are a few entrepreneurs endeavouring the raise the profile of good chocolate – in particular Scharffenberger.

We now eat on average just under 7 oz per person per week. The confectionery industry is worth over £5 billion in UK alone of which chocolate is £3½ billion.

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A chocolate timeline

1824
John Cadbury opens his first chocolate shop in Birmingham

1875
First milk chocolate created in Switzerland

1905
Cadbury Dairy Milk is launched

1909
European chocolate makers boycott cocoa from enslaved plantations