Fry's Chocolate Cream


Fry's Chocolate Cream is a chocolate bar developed by J. S. Fry & Sons and currently manufactured by Cadbury. Launched in 1866, Fry's Chocolate Cream is the first mass-produced chocolate bar and is the world's oldest chocolate bar brand. The original chocolate bar consists of a plain fondant centre enrobed in plain chocolate. Variants include Peppermint Cream, Orange Cream, Raspberry Cream and Strawberry Cream.

History

Fry's Chocolate Cream was first produced in 1866 and is considered the direct descendent of Fry's Cream Stick produced in 1853. The Cream Stick was the first industrialised and affordable chocolate bar. In 1875, Fry's Chocolate cream was remoulded to the shape it still has today. During production, it once exceeded half a million units per day and the foil wrapping and label would appear in 1925. The Orange Cream and Peppermint Cream, followed by Fry's Five Centre, were introduced in 1934.
Bomber crews in RAF Bomber Command were regularly issued with Fry's Chocolate Creams before missions.

Products and branding

There are currently five variants of Fry's Cream:
Over the years, other variants existed:
An unsuccessful mid-1990s relaunch attempt also saw new variants available under the modernised "Fry's Spirit" branding for a while:
Whether the Five Centre title was dropped briefly and relaunched as Fruit Medley or they sat alongside each other despite essentially being the same bar is unclear.
Cadbury also produced a solid milk chocolate bar called Five Boys using the Fry's trademark from 1902 until 1976. Cadbury produced milk and plain chocolate sandwich bars under the Fry's branding also.
Fry's chocolate bar was promoted by model George Lazenby, who later portrayed James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, in 1969.

Location and ownership

The Fry's chocolate bar was first produced in Union Street, Bristol, England in 1866, where the family name had been associated with chocolate making since c. 1761. In 1923, Fry's chocolate factory moved to Somerdale Garden City, Keynsham, England.
Following a 2010 takeover of Cadbury plc by Kraft Foods, the Somerdale factory was closed on 31 March 2011 and its machinery shipped to Warsaw, Poland. Then, after acquisition of Cadbury by Mondelez International production was relocated and Warsaw plant became part of Lotte Wedel.