THESE vintage images show Easter eggs being decorated at Rowntrees in York in its heyday.
The pictures highlight a slice of York’s chocolate heritage, showing workers at the factory hand decorating eggs – a task they did up until the Second World War, after which machines took over.
The photographs will feature in one of the city’s tastiest attractions, York Chocolate Story, in King’s Square which is celebrating its first anniversary this Easter. Its Story Zone charts the history of chocolate from its earliest creation to its strong connection with York, where thousands of people have worked in the industry.
Before the war, Rowntrees’ Easter catalogues were goldplated and full of gigantic Easter eggs in expensive caskets. But even a year after sweet rationing ended, the 1954 Easter catalogue only had two eggs in it.
James Maxton, spokesman for confectionery giant Nestlé, said the factory stopped making eggs in the late 1980s, but between 12 million and 20 million are now made in Halifax annually, with an estimated 80 million eggs consumed in the UK each year. Children are thought to eat on average about five or six.
Mr Maxton said: “Some of the nation’s best-loved brands were born in York and continue to be made in the city.
“We have worked closely withYork’s Chocolate Story to tell the tale so far, and we wish the team a very happy first birthday and look forward to many more years of working together.”
Juliana Delaney, from Continuum, the company behind the attraction, said: “What better way to celebrate Easter and our first birthday than in York, the UK’s home of chocolate.
“In our first year we’ve shared York’s confectionery stories with people from as far afield as New Zealand and Japan, and spread the word to those who live in and around York but perhaps didn’t know about the city’s rich chocolate heritage.”
The attraction is offering free entry to visitors who can prove they share its birthday tomorrow – like film star Ewan McGregor – with stacks of chocolate giveaways, a giant chocolate cake, party bags and face painting for children.
Throughout the Easter holidays, the attraction will hold a number of seasonal events.
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