YORK’S history as The Chocolate City is to be celebrated with the creation of a new £2 million confectionery-themed visitor attraction.
Plans have been revealed for The Sweet History Of York venture in the heart of York, telling the story of the science and manufacturing of confectionery in the city, creating more than 30 jobs and promising to boost the evening economy.
It is the brainchild of visitor attraction company Continuum, which originally set up Jorvik Viking Centre in York, and the proposal has already been welcomed by city, tourism and business leaders.
The company said it was in talks with Nestlé about the venture, which it hopes to open in spring next year, providing planning consent is granted.
Juliana Delaney, Continuum chief executive, said specialist design companies were still working on the detail of the attraction, which will illustrate the city’s trading and manufacturing legacy, as well as showing the present- day science and technology behind confectionery in York.
“It is early days but we are having conversations with Nestlé. We cannot disclose what these have been about but they have been positive. Nestlé are important to York and that’s why we started with them.”
Continuum is seeking planning consent to convert the former Alison Homes Décor shop on Kings Square into the chocolate-themed attraction with retail space and a café, spread over three floors totalling 6,400 square feet.
The museum would open into the early to mid-evening, she said. “There is still a long way to go. Reports produced by the council call for additions to the tourism offer in the city and we hope to add value to the fantastic visitor experience the city already offers and give visitors a reason to come back. We hope to add over 30 new jobs and add to the early evening economy too; all positive news.”
She said they had already received support from the city council, Science City York, several of the city’s biggest companies, Visit York and Welcome to Yorkshire.
Continuum, originally called Heritage Projects, was founded in York in 1984 when the team was instrumental in creating Jorvik Viking Centre, which it ran for the York Archaeological Trust for 18 years.
Continuum currently operates Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, Real Mary Kings Close in Edinburgh, The Canterbury Tales in Canterbury, Unlocked In Oxford at Oxford Castle and Kent Life, a 50-acre heritage farm park near Maidstone.
A Nestlé spokesman said: “The city is perfect for such an attraction with its strong heritage as The Chocolate City. York remains Nestlé’s head office for confectionery and the site of one of the world’s biggest confectionery factories and we were aware of the plans and look forward to speaking further with Continuum. We wish them every success.”
City of York Council leader Coun James Alexander welcomed the plans from such a credible group as “a fantastic offer for residents and visitors, building on our heritage as a confectionery trade city”.
“This attraction will bring economic growth and new jobs for local people,” he said, adding that the £2m investment in the city centre would make the city centre more attractive to shoppers and visitors.
Nicola Spence, chief executive of Science City York, said the attraction would celebrate York’s manufacturing tradition and offer an opportunity to learn about the science behind chocolate and confectionery, which could be a platform for learning about nutrition and diet and where the raw materials come from.
“Nestlé is investing heavily in research capability in York, so it is brilliant and anything we can do to celebrate tradition and history and highlight the advanced manufacturing of the future of the confectionery industry is great for raising the profile of York’s capability.”
Ian Tempest, external relations manager for Visit York, was also “delighted” to hear of the proposal, as “another welcome investment for the tourism industry in the city” and an opportunity to share an important part of the city’s history with York’s seven million visitors.
Sweet story we can be proud of
WILLY Wonka eat your heart out! York may be getting a new museum that would knock the Wonka Chocolate Factory into a cocked hat.
The Sweet History Of York hopes to tell the story of the “science and manufacturing of confectionery” in York. And what a story!
It’s not for nothing that York is known as the Chocolate City. There is the whole story of the Rowntree family to be told, for a start – beginning with how a young Quaker named Joseph Rowntree senior arrived in York in 1822 to set up a grocery business in Pavement. Then there is the equally fascinating story of Terry’s, and how its iconic factory came to be built near the racecourse.
There is also a wealth of archive material about both factories, including stunning old photographs, as well as first-hand testimonies of generations of York people who worked in both.
The museum will also focus on the modern science of chocolate making: a subject dear to the heart of anyone with a sweet tooth.
We don’t know just how Wonka-ish and interactive the new attraction might be. Hopefully greedy little girls who eat too much chocolate won’t end up being turned into giant blueberries. But it should certainly be great fun. After all the company behind the plans, Continuum, has a great pedigree. It originally set up the Jorvik Viking Centre.
Continuum says it is already in talks with Nestlé about the £2 million museum, which it hopes to open in King’s Square. If it goes ahead, the new museum will bring new jobs, and be yet another reason for visitors to come to York.
Above all, though, it will mean the story of York and chocolate can at last be told in the way it deserves. We can’t wait.
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