If you’ve never heard of the best British chocolate brands, please allow me to ask you: where were you all this time? For those who have a sweet tooth, this article will be the best article you’ve come across in the past year, I can guarantee that! Cadbury chocolate bars, House of Dorchester chocolate, or even a simple Galaxy chocolate bar is something that you can even find outside of the United Kingdom, in plenty of grocery and delicacy stores around the world! Not only because I would be a greedy person, but because the benefits of chocolate were scientifically proven. Such as lowering stress levels, and helping you produce happy hormones. Of course, it should be consumed in moderation!
10 Best British Chocolate Brands – UK Chocolate Brands
If we are looking only at the UK, the stalls of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Marks and Spencer are filled with the best chocolate brands. After living in the heart of London for about two years, I can tell you that I have had my fair share of the most famous British chocolate brands as I had to try them to be able to speak about them, right? Whittaker’s chocolate creams, Artisan du Chocolat truffles, Marks and Spencer chocolates, and sweets… None has escaped my greedy lips!
It is almost unexplainable how comforting a Galaxy chocolate bar can be after hours spent working in an office or hospitality. More than once, Marks and Spencer food chocolates have saved me from a breakdown. And if you have tried, you understand perfectly the love I have for British chocolate. But also, if you’ve never been to the UK, this is your moment to dream and drool! Many of these brands are available also on Amazon!
1. Cadbury – Best British Chocolate Brands
Calbury made history as a British chocolate, being one of the first brands that exist today, and it also became one of the most famous British chocolate brands known at home and abroad. It all started in 1824 when John CAlbury opened his grocer’s shop in Bull Street in Birmingham. He was selling here cocoa and hot chocolate too, which he prepared himself.
This, with time, has become famous, and in 1831 John bought a warehouse to start manufacturing with his sons, Richard and George Cadbury. In 1847 as the company was growing, they moved into a larger factory. As John retired, his sons took over the business in 1861 and invested in a brand new way to process cocoa. The brand has grown from here til today when the Cadbury chocolate bars come in all sizes, shapes, textures, and tastes.
Cadbury, the British chocolate bars brand is most famous for its classic Dairy Milk chocolate. However, there are so many more options that you can choose from. Caramel, Oreo, and even special recipes for fall and winter like gingerbread, latte, and chocolate mint Cadbury chocolate bars. Sometimes, the brand will run polls on their social media so people can choose what recipes they have enjoyed the most out of a capsule collection and they’d bring back these.
2. Hotel Chocolat
Hotel Chocolat is one of the luxury British chocolate brands, and you will not find this one in supermarkets. If you can’t make it to one of their stores, you can order their delicious products online too! We prepared a Hotel Chocolat review as well, as we do think that the brand sits among the most famous British chocolate brands, and there is a reason why!
I have personally visited their stores quite a few times in the center of London. Hotel Chocolat offers the best British chocolate gift baskets, as well as is an engaged brand on the ethics scene. Their recipes are all very interesting and mix classic and unexpected ingredients. It is also one of the best British hot chocolate brands, with delicious recipes to wake up to in the morning!
They offer everything from Easter eggs to Mother’s Day gifts, and different gift ideas are available on their websites. They have a million types of pralines, and on their website, they’ve got complete gift lines ready for all sorts of occasions. If you need to buy a gift for someone, you search on their website for the gift idea for the occasion, and you will be taken to countless options that fit the situation or the occasion!
3. House of Dorchester – British Chocolate Brands
House of Dorchester is one of the most famous British chocolate brands. The small luxurious truffles are a delight to receive as a British chocolate gift basket. House of Dorchester started as a chocolate shop in 1963. At this time its name was the Dorset Maid and it offered only the very best chocolate. House of Dorchester Chocolate became famous as the Dorset-made shop could not find luxurious enough chocolate for the defined customer base.
This has grown since into the brand we know as one of the greatest brands in the UK in this category. Today you can buy House of Dorchester products in their stores and on their website as well. House of Dorchester also provides scrumptious chocolate-based items for some of the UK’s leading restaurants and hotel shops. The brand name is famous around the world and rightly so!
House of Dorchester keeps a close eye on detail when it comes to provenance service quality and design. Here we must think about the design of the edible products, and their packaging too! They have a wide range of sweets and chocolates to offer and they are one of the UK’s top chocolate brands.
4. Artisan du Chocolat
The British chocolate gift basket addiction can easily be neutralized by delicious Artisan du Chocolat truffles. This luxurious brand deserves its spot among the best British chocolate brands for its incredible chocolate truffles. There’s no doubt why Artisan du Chocolat locations count stores all over the world.
This is not an Artisan du Chocolat review, however, I have personally tried the amazing chocolate bites more times than I can count. Far from the usual British chocolate bars, the brand, founded in 1999, smells and tastes like a luxury. The way they serve their products, the outlooks, the designs, and especially the gift sets are love at first sight.
All the chocolates sold in the store stem from the Kent-based atelier, far from the noise and the pollution. Artisan du Chocolat is also one of the top British hot chocolate brands. If you like to taste and delicacy, that’s a score for you. By the way, if you are not in the UK, an Artisan du Chocolat Amazon seller offers quite an array of exquisite fine chocolates. But their products are available on their website too!
5. Montezuma’s
The story behind the brand starts with Helen and Simon who fall in love and they left their jobs as lawyers, to travel South America. While they were camping on cocoa plantations and eating lots of chocolates, they had an idea for a business. They started their chocolate brand, Montezuma’s with a lovely shop in Brighton in 2000. Since then, Montezuma’s has become one of the best British chocolate brands on the market.
The idea was to bring something innovative to the chocolate market. And they did. They brought beautiful colors, designs, and ethically sourced ingredients, that made the best chocolate boxes and bars. Montezuma’s is a family business the couple has run since. They have now a few store locations, they supply other stores in the UK, and they also had three children since.
Their chocolate bars are the best sellers, as they’ve got plenty of delicious varieties of tastes from orange to butterscotch, royal mint, to cherry, chili, lime sea salt, ginger, and many others. They also sell chocolate buttons and different types of pralines, and they’ve got gift boxes too. The products created are mouthwatering, which sets Montezuma’s as one of the luxury British chocolate brands. Not that much in terms of price tag, but rather in terms of chocolate quality.
6. Thorntons – UK chocolate brands
Since we love the stories behind the brands, we should share that if we already speak about true British chocolate brand names. Thorntons starts with Joseph Thornton, a traveling confectioner who opened his sweet shop in Sheffield back in 1911. The shop was run by his son, Norman Thorntons. At the time, they didn’t expect the shop to become as popular as it did. Originally, they were selling sweet treats such as Violet Cachous and Sweet Lips.
As the shop’s popularity grew, Norman brought his brother Stanley in, to help out. The brothers started making their handmade fondants and truffles in the 1920s. This was the time when the true craftsmanship of the chocolate brand began. I have decided to mention this brand even though the owners have decided after the pandemic to shut down its 61 shops altogether. After 110 years of chocolate trade, the artisanal premium chocolate brand was hit too severely by the pandemic.
However, the good news is, that they still operate based on online orders. And even better, they offer a service that not many in the UK do. You can order personalized chocolates. They’ve got lots of options for doing this too. And everything can be done within a few clicks on their website. Thornton was so much appreciated in the United Kingdom, that Her Majesty the Queen (Elisabeth II) opened the Thornton Par in Alfreton, Derbyshire.
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7. Whittaker’s
Whitaker’s chocolate creams are well-renowned in the UK. They’re actually from New Zealand and a family business that has extended to Great Britain. If you don’t know this name, just know they are not one of the luxury British chocolate brands.
However, they have their spot on this list because of their tremendous quality. Whitakers has been around since 1889 and produces today around 10 million chocolates per week. Although not completely one of the best British chocolate brands, Whitakers is a true family affair that reminds us of UK sophistication.
One of their core values is sustainability and responsible trading. Not only do Whitakers act on protecting the planet, but they also play a role in better cocoa farmers’ lives. If you’re wondering: “Where can I buy Whittaker’s chocolates?”, the answer is: Google is your best friend.
8. Galaxy
Now, Galaxy is one of those UK chocolate brands that everyone, and literally everyone must know about! This is one of the most famous, largest brands that you’d find in every single grocery store on the islands. Galaxy is also available on Amazon in Europe and the United States too! If you’re looking for British chocolate brands you can purchase overseas, and it’s also not a pricy brand, then Galaxy is the right choice!
Galaxy has many options to choose from, and even more flavors. The brand itself launched in 1960 and they’ve had a very colorful, luxurious, tasteful production history. They didn’t rush through different tastes, but they went for long-term development. The brand also sponsored some great movies like Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Sex and the City: The Movie.
They also offer different types of products from the Galaxy chocolate bar to sharing bags. If we look at the lines, they have their famous Galaxy Ripple line, as well as a vegan line, and the popular hot chocolate line too. As for the flavors, you can choose from over 10 different delicious flavors. My personal favorite is the Smooth Caramel one. That’s delicious!
9. Mars
Among British chocolate brand names, you can find Mars too! Funny, right? Mars is not only a group that gathers Snickers, Skittles, M&M’s, and more. They are also one of the more comforting and best British chocolate brands. Sustainability is what Mars focuses on most. And as we know, this is the chocolate that is sold all around Europe, and in the States too. And we all love, love, love the Mars bars!
They work at improving the way they source raw materials and invest millions in smallholder farms. Five principles make up Mars: quality, responsibility, mutuality, efficiency, and freedom. And they all work towards offering us the gooey chocolate bar we all love so much.
10. M & S
If I had a cent for every time I was shopping for Marks and Spencer chocolates and sweets, I’d be rich. I’m talking really rich. Marks and Spencer food chocolates taste a million times better than I could try to describe. Those British chocolate bars and truffles taste like quality, like House of Dorchester chocolate quality. Period.
The brand was founded in 1884, and since then, they have worked on offering the best produce. M&S, one of the best British chocolate brands, also offers all kinds of baked goods, like croissants, trifles, and more sweet treats. They also have a wide array of cured meats, cheeses, and ready-to-eat dishes. I’ve never bought anything from Marks and Spencer that wasn’t top-notch, and that’s a fact.
Among luxury British chocolate brands, this one sets the bar very high. By the way, if you’re looking to switch things up a bit from your usual tea or coffee, M&S is also one of the top British hot chocolate brands. With fall and winter on their way, that’s a piece of gold advice.
Wrapping up the 10 best British chocolate brands
House of Dorchester Chocolate. Galaxy chocolate bar. We are always open to exploring, trying, and working with new UK-based brands, to make sure our articles are up-to-date, true, and original. Within our current list there’s taste, finesse, and a touch of creativity in all of those brands, whether we’re talking Marks and Spencer chocolates and sweets or Cadbury chocolate bars which many are also using for desserts in the UK.
If you’re ever visiting the UK, you might want to take a good look at UK chocolate brands. Also, if you are that much of a foodie and love to travel, take a look at the most delicious Italian pastries, Italian desserts, but also the best Italian chocolate brands, and the best chocolate brands in the world.
PIN: Best British Chocolate Brands – UK chocolate brands
