CHOCOLATE
Bristol's Chocolate Heritage
Bristol was a major importer of sugar and cocoa in the 18th and 19th century and it was in Small Street in Bristol that J. S. Fry & Sons Ltd established the oldest firm of cocoa and chocolate manufacturers in the world in 1748.
The Fry family were Quakers and looked after their workforce by providing social benefits such as sick leave before it was introduced nationally. 
The white winged hats that the girls wore gave them the nick name " Fry's Angels". A job at the Fry chocolate factory was considered a good job for life.
The chocolate factories occupied large areas of Bristol until they grew so big that it became necessary to relocated to Somerdale, Keynsham after the First World War.
What We Did
Young people from the LAMP Project visited the Somerdale factory, now owned by Cadbury's, to find out about the history of Fry's chocolate.
We smelt chocolate in tins that were sent to the soldiers of the Crimea War in the mid-19th century and we saw the tins of Fry's drinking chocolate that Captain Scott took on his ill fated trip to the Antarctic in 1910 (they were still full!).
- Cadburys chocolate factory, Somerdale, Keynsham, tours book 5-6 months in advance. Cadbury's also have a leaflet on the history of Fry's Tel 0117 9861789 and ask about guided tours.
- This web site has history of Fry's printed in a 1960's newspaper www.bristolhistory.info/id4.html
Resources
To make your own chocolate truffles