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Researchers at the University of Reading have successfully produced a 100% British chocolate bar using cocoa cultivated entirely within Berkshire, alongside domestic sugar and milk inputs.

Named the "Reading 100 Chocolate Bar" to commemorate the institution's centenary in 2026, the project marks the first known attempt to manufacture chocolate from UK-grown cocoa since Rowntree's produced a single experimental bar in 1932.

While serving as a technical showcase of domestic food science, the initiative underscores the UK chocolate industry's total reliance on imported raw ingredients across a sector currently valued at £10.4 billion.

Historic Milestone for British Cocoa Production

The chocolate was created by food security master’s student Maha Khan within the University’s Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences.

Khan managed the complete manufacturing process on-site, harvesting raw cocoa pods before conducting fermentation, drying, roasting, and grinding using commercial-grade processing equipment. The resulting cocoa powder was blended with British-sourced sugar and dairy to produce a finished, solid chocolate bar.

Historically, cocoa plants have required tropical environments to thrive. The only other documented instance of UK-grown cocoa chocolate was gifted by Rowntree’s to Princess Elizabeth in 1932, derived from a single glasshouse plant at the manufacturer's York headquarters.

Supply Chain Resilience and Global Climate Risks

Although the project demonstrates technical viability under controlled conditions, researchers emphasised that local production remains a symbolic experiment rather than a commercial alternative to international trade.

The UK confectionery market depends entirely on raw cocoa imports sourced primarily from smallholder farming communities across West Africa, South America, and Asia. These growing regions face systemic operational threats driven by extreme weather volatility, shifting rainfall patterns, and rising global temperatures.

Maha Khan stated that the process highlights the fragile nature of agricultural supply chains, noting that cocoa crops are sensitive to climate fluctuations and that protecting crop diversity is essential for breeding hardier plant strains.

Technical Processing and Quarantine Research Capabilities

The cocoa utilised in the bar was cultivated at the University of Reading's International Cocoa Quarantine Centre (ICQC), a facility managing more than 300 cocoa plant varieties.

The ICQC oversees approximately 97 per cent of all international cocoa germplasm transfers, operating strict climate-controlled environments to monitor plant genetics and prevent the cross-border transmission of agricultural pests and diseases.

Key technical stages in the Reading 100 manufacturing process included:

🍫 Harvesting and Pod Extraction: Manual extraction of fresh cocoa beans directly from climate-controlled quarantine greenhouse pods.

🌾 Fermentation and Sun Drying: Controlled fermentation of raw seeds followed by thermal drying to stabilise moisture levels.

🔥 Roasting and Grinding: Precision roasting and mechanical crushing to separate nibs and refine the cocoa mass into fine powder.

🥛 Conching and Tempering: Formulation with British sugar and dairy inputs, followed by thermal tempering and moulding into solid retail-style bars.

The project demonstrates the critical role of genetic conservation and agricultural research as global chocolate manufacturers face raw material cost pressures and supply volatility.