A chocolate bar made entirely from British ingredients has been produced for the first time in nearly a century. The 'Reading 100 Chocolate Bar' was created at the University of Reading using cocoa grown in Berkshire.
Food security master's student Maha Khan developed the chocolate bar by harvesting, fermenting, and processing the Reading-grown cocoa. The last known 100% UK-grown chocolate bar was made in 1932.
The cocoa used for the bar was sourced from the University of Reading's International Cocoa Quarantine Centre. This climate-controlled facility houses over 300 types of cocoa plant and is managed to prevent the spread of pests and diseases.
Maha Khan stated that she made the bar to highlight challenges facing the cocoa growing industry, noting estimates that 30 to 40% of cocoa is lost due to issues like climate change, pests, and diseases. Professor Carol Wagstaff, director of AgriFood Futures at the University of Reading, highlighted the UK chocolate industry's reliance on imported cocoa and the importance of research to address threats to the global supply chain.