A glimpse into the convictions, lives and legacies of the three Quaker chocolate families – the Cadburys, Rowntrees and Frys.
A glimpse into the convictions, lives and legacies of the three Quaker chocolate families – the Cadburys, Rowntrees and Frys.
History, Modern (general), Quaker
Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, Rowntree’s Kit Kat, and Fry’s Turkish Delight are all well-known chocolate treats. The three 'cocoa families' who indulged our chocolate cravings for over a century were all Quakers, and this affected both how they amassed their fortunes and how they spent them. George and Richard Cadbury in Birmingham, and Joseph Rowntree in York, all strove to improve the lives of those living in Victorian slums. They built factories and towns in the countryside, provided recreation and medical facilities, and gave away significant proportions of their wealth to establish charitable trusts. Some of their descendants carried on the family businesses, but others made significant contributions elsewhere. Richard’s daughter Beatrice campaigned vigorously against capitalism and for peace, and Joseph’s son John Wilhelm was instrumental in bringing Quakerism in line with the latest discoveries in science. Quakers and Chocolate provides a brief history of chocolate, focusing on the convictions and actions of some members of the Quaker families who did so much to make chocolate part of everyday life.
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A must read for anyone interested in the history of chocolate. Helen Holt takes us through the origins of chocolate and the role that Quakers played in its production, its development and in making it the well-loved treat we know today. While she touches on the historical and modern-day ethical issues involved in chocolate production, her focus is on the families involved in chocolate production and the way in which they brought their Quaker values into their businesses, setting an example that businesses today would do well to follow. ~ Kate McNally, judge for the International Chocolate Awards
In this fascinating book, Helen Holt shows us how three Quaker families unlocked the cocoa bean to create the ‘food of the gods’ and how their wealth was handed on in service to others. Devotion to the search for the perfect recipe was, at times, an obsession, as these pioneer chocolatiers experimented with new-fangled processes and machines until they created the chocolates we know and love today. The profits were not all spent on their families but were used to improve the working and living conditions of their employees and to challenge injustice more widely. Together, these stories reveal a passion for innovation and a concern for all that grew out of Quaker beliefs in justice, compassion, and generosity. ~ Ruth Tod, author of Exploring Isaac Penington
