Thorntons: From Sheffield to Ferrero – The Complete History of Britain's Beloved Chocolatier

That distinctive purple box. The buttery crunch of Special Toffee. The gold foil wrapper on a Viennese truffle. If you grew up in Britain, chances are Thorntons chocolates were part of your Christmas, Easter, or that special birthday treat from a favourite aunt. But behind those familiar purple-and-gold trimmings lies a story spanning over a century—one of family ambition, chocolate innovation, high street dominance, and ultimately, an Italian takeover that changed everything.

I've spent years following the UK confectionery industry, and Thorntons represents something fascinating: a brand that once defined British chocolate gifting, yet struggled to adapt as the market evolved around it. Let me take you through the complete history.

The Thornton Brothers: A Sheffield Sweet Shop (1911-1925)

The story begins in October 1911, when Joseph William Thornton—a travelling confectioner from Rotherham—opened a modest sweet shop at 159 Norfolk Street in Sheffield. He called it the "Chocolate Kabin," and it was nothing like the elaborate chocolate boutiques we know today. Just a small shopfront selling boiled sweets and simple confections.

What makes this origin story remarkable is the family dynamic. Joseph left his teenage son, Norman (aged just 14 at the time), to manage the shop whilst he continued travelling. Imagine that—a fourteen-year-old running a confectionery business in Edwardian Sheffield. Norman must have been quite the entrepreneur.

By 1913, business was good enough for a second shop on The Moor—one of Sheffield's main shopping streets. The family moved into the flat above, and in that cramped space, Joseph and Norman began manufacturing their own sweets. Boiled sweets in the basement, chocolates in a back room. Proper artisan production, though they wouldn't have called it that.

Joseph died in 1919, leaving Norman to run the business at just 22. His younger brother Stanley joined him in 1921, and together they formed Thorntons Limited. The brothers had different strengths—Norman handled the business side whilst Stanley obsessed over recipes and production.

The Birth of Special Toffee

Here's a detail that always gets me: in 1925, Stanley Thornton spent an entire year experimenting with butter, milk, and sugar ratios on his kitchen stove. Fifty attempts. Fifty batches of toffee, each slightly different, until he finally cracked the recipe that would become Thorntons Special Toffee.

That same recipe—with minor tweaks—is still used today. The toffee is cooked slowly in small individual pans without emulsifiers or stabilisers, then left to cool for 24 hours. It's why Thorntons toffee has that distinctive texture—slightly clumpy, properly buttery. Industrial efficiency this is not.

Building an Empire: Factory Expansion and the Continental Revolution (1925-1988)

The brothers' ambitions grew quickly. In 1927, they opened their first proper factory in Sheffield. By 1934, they'd built a purpose-built facility on Archer Road—a significant investment for a regional confectioner.

Then came the war, and with it, sugar rationing that would last until 1953. The Thorntons brothers had to be creative, but they survived.

Walter Willen and the Continental Range

The real transformation came in 1954 when Swiss confiseur Walter Willen joined the company. This is where Thorntons shifted from being a toffee maker to a serious chocolatier.

Willen brought Continental European techniques—truffle-making, praline work, the kind of sophisticated chocolate craft that British confectioners simply didn't do at the time. The result was the Continental range: Viennese truffles, Alpini pralines, those distinctive foil-wrapped pieces that became synonymous with Thorntons gift boxes.

If I'm honest, I think this was Thorntons' golden era. They weren't trying to compete with Cadbury on volume. They were positioned as the accessible luxury option—better than a Dairy Milk selection box, but not so expensive that ordinary families couldn't afford it for special occasions.

The Personalisation Innovation

In 1922, the brothers had started hand-icing Easter eggs with customers' names. It sounds quaint now, but this was genuinely innovative—mass customisation before anyone called it that. Those personalised eggs became a Thorntons signature, and the company leaned into it heavily.

By the 1980s, you could get chocolate plaques with names, messages for birthdays, weddings, new babies. The high street shops weren't just selling chocolates—they were selling personalised gifts. This gave Thorntons something that supermarket chocolate brands couldn't easily replicate.

Going Public: The Stock Market Years (1988-2015)

In 1988, Thorntons floated on the London Stock Exchange, selling 25% of its shares and becoming Thorntons PLC. At its peak, the company operated over 500 shops across the UK—those distinctive purple shopfronts were as common as Boots or WHSmith in most town centres.

But here's where things get complicated.

The Supermarket Problem

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Thorntons expanded into supermarkets. On paper, this made sense—why limit yourself to high street shops when Tesco and Sainsbury's could give you access to millions more customers?

The problem was positioning. When you could buy Thorntons products from a chilled cabinet next to the meal deals, it eroded the "special occasion" premium that made the brand valuable. Why visit a Thorntons shop when you could grab a box at the Sainsbury's checkout?

Industry analysts noted this at the time. One source told The Grocer that Thorntons was "paying the price for becoming a multi-channel brand... it's driven the price point and the brand value down."

New Competition

Meanwhile, a new player was entering the market. Hotel Chocolat launched in 2004 with a clear premium positioning—higher cocoa content, slicker packaging, a focus on chocolate expertise rather than broad confectionery. They occupied the space Thorntons had once owned, but at a higher price point.

Thorntons found itself squeezed. Too expensive to compete with Cadbury in supermarkets, too mass-market to compete with Hotel Chocolat on quality perception. By the 2010s, sales were declining and the shop estate was shrinking.

The Ferrero Acquisition: Italian Takeover (2015)

In June 2015, Italian confectionery giant Ferrero announced it would acquire Thorntons for £112 million—roughly 145 pence per share, a 43% premium on the trading price.

This was significant for several reasons. Ferrero—the family-owned company behind Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Kinder, and Tic Tac—had rarely made acquisitions. The purchase came just months after the death of patriarch Michele Ferrero, Italy's wealthiest man, suggesting a new strategic direction under his heirs.

For Thorntons, it seemed like salvation. Ferrero had deep pockets, global distribution, and expertise in premium confectionery. Surely they could turn the brand around?

What Actually Happened

The honest assessment? Results have been mixed.

Ferrero invested in the Alfreton factory (Thorntons' main production facility in Derbyshire) and reimagined some product lines. But the core challenges remained. Between 2015 and 2021, Thorntons accumulated losses exceeding £190 million.

Some industry observers have been critical. One source told The Grocer that Ferrero "didn't understand the brand or why people fell in love with it. Thorntons is a confectioner—you need breadth of range, not just chocolate boxes."

I think there's something to this. Ferrero excels at single-product brands with massive scale—Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, Tic Tacs. Thorntons' appeal was always variety: toffees, truffles, personalised gifts, seasonal specials. That's a fundamentally different business model.

The End of the High Street: Store Closures (2021)

On 15 March 2021, Thorntons announced it would close all 61 remaining UK shops. Over 600 jobs were lost.

The official explanation cited "changing dynamics of the high street, shifting customer behaviour to online, the ongoing impact of Covid-19 and the numerous lockdown restrictions." And yes, the pandemic was brutal for high street retail.

But analysts pointed out that Covid was the "final nail in the coffin" rather than the cause. In 2011, Thorntons had 364 shops. By 2021, before the closure announcement, just 61 remained. The decline had been happening for a decade.

What struck me about the closure was how quietly it happened. This was a brand that had been part of British high streets since 1911—over a century of presence—yet the announcement barely made the news cycle. Perhaps we'd already mentally filed Thorntons away as a supermarket brand rather than a destination shop.

Thorntons Today: The Online-Only Era (2026)

So where does that leave Thorntons in 2026?

The brand hasn't disappeared—far from it. You can still buy Thorntons chocolates in most major supermarkets. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, and Morrisons all stock the core ranges. The Continental collection, Special Toffee, Classic assortment boxes—they're all still available.

The Alfreton factory remains operational, producing chocolates for UK distribution. And Thorntons runs an online shop offering chocolate gifts, hampers, and those personalised items that were always a signature strength.

Quality Concerns

I should be honest here: customer reviews have been mixed since the transition. Some long-term fans have complained about changes to the Continental selection, noting that favourite varieties have disappeared. Others have raised concerns about quality control—reports of damaged chocolates in boxes, inconsistent standards.

Not everyone agrees. Some customers insist the quality remains excellent. But the shift from controlled retail environments (where staff could check stock) to supermarket distribution (where chocolates might sit on shelves for weeks) has clearly created challenges.

How Does Thorntons Compare to Hotel Chocolat?

This is the question everyone asks, and it's worth addressing directly.

Price: Thorntons is significantly cheaper. A 264g Continental box costs around £10-12, whereas comparable Hotel Chocolat offerings might be £18-25.

Chocolate Quality: Hotel Chocolat uses higher cocoa content and positions itself as the premium option. Their "Saint Lucia" single-origin offerings particularly stand out—they actually own a cocoa estate in the Caribbean.

Range: Thorntons offers more variety beyond chocolate—toffees, fudges, seasonal specialties. Hotel Chocolat is more focused.

Accessibility: Thorntons is available in virtually every supermarket. Hotel Chocolat relies more on its own stores and website (though they've expanded into Waitrose and other partners).

My take? They're genuinely different products for different occasions. If you want premium chocolate as a proper gift, Hotel Chocolat probably wins. If you want a familiar box of mixed chocolates at a reasonable price—something for the office Christmas party or a thank-you gesture—Thorntons still makes sense.

But I'll admit: when I'm buying chocolate for my own household, I increasingly find myself reaching for Green & Black's or Lindt rather than either. The market has fragmented.

Famous Thorntons Products: What's Still Worth Buying?

Let me give you my honest assessment of the current range.

Special Toffee

Still excellent. The original recipe from 1925 genuinely holds up. It's properly buttery, breaks with a satisfying snap, and tastes like toffee should taste—not the waxy, artificial stuff you get from cheaper brands. If you've never tried it, buy a bag.

Continental Collection

The classic gift box. Viennese truffles, Alpini pralines, Sicilian Mousse pieces. It's a solid mixed selection, though long-term fans might notice the range has narrowed since the shop closures. The Diplomat truffle—apparently a favourite—seems to have disappeared.

Viennese Truffles

Probably Thorntons' most famous individual chocolate. That ganache centre, the dusting of cocoa. They're good, though I'd argue Hotel Chocolat truffles have overtaken them.

Easter Eggs

Thorntons still does personalised Easter eggs, and they remain popular gifts. The novelty of having your name on an egg doesn't wear off, even if you're an adult who should know better.

What I'd Skip

The cheaper impulse-purchase bars you see at supermarket checkouts. They're fine, but you're paying for the Thorntons name rather than getting anything special. For everyday chocolate, I'd rather spend the money on Tony's Chocolonely for the ethics or a basic Cadbury bar for the nostalgia.

Where to Buy Thorntons in 2026

If you're looking for Thorntons products, here's where to find them:

Supermarkets: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, and Waitrose all stock Thorntons. The range varies by store—larger branches typically carry more options. Check the confectionery aisle and seasonal displays.

Online: The official Thorntons website offers the full range, including personalised items, hampers, and gift boxes with delivery across the UK.

Amazon: Extensive selection, often with competitive pricing.

Discounters: B&M, Home Bargains, and similar shops sometimes stock Thorntons at reduced prices—worth checking if you're not fussy about having the latest seasonal packaging.

The Future of Thorntons

Where does a 115-year-old British chocolate brand go from here?

Ferrero shows no sign of selling Thorntons, and the Alfreton factory continues production. The shift to supermarket and online sales has clearly been challenging, but the brand retains recognition and affection.

I suspect the future looks something like this: Thorntons will continue as a mid-market chocolate gifting brand, sold primarily through supermarkets and online. It won't return to the high street. It probably won't recapture the premium positioning it once had. But for customers who want a recognisable, reasonably-priced box of chocolates with British heritage, Thorntons will remain an option.

Is that a success story? Depends how you measure it. The Thornton brothers' Sheffield sweet shop became a national institution. Their recipes endure. The brand survives, even if transformed. For a 115-year-old business, that's not nothing.

But walk past the boarded-up units where Thorntons shops once stood—I see them in my local town centre—and it's hard not to feel a pang of nostalgia for something lost. Those purple shopfronts were part of the British high street. Now they're just memories.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When did Ferrero buy Thorntons?

Ferrero acquired Thorntons in June 2015 for £112 million (approximately $178 million). The Italian confectionery company, famous for Ferrero Rocher and Nutella, paid 145 pence per share—a 43% premium on the share price at the time. This made Thorntons part of the Ferrero Group alongside Kinder, Tic Tac, and Nutella.

Are all Thorntons shops closed?

Yes, all Thorntons high street shops closed in 2021. On 15 March 2021, the company announced it would close all 61 remaining UK stores after government Covid-19 restrictions lifted. Over 600 jobs were affected. Thorntons now operates exclusively online and through supermarket distribution—you can still buy the chocolates, just not from dedicated Thorntons shops.

Where can I buy Thorntons chocolate in the UK?

Thorntons chocolates are widely available in UK supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, and Waitrose. You can also purchase directly from the official Thorntons website for the full range including personalised items and gift hampers. Amazon stocks an extensive selection as well. Discount retailers like B&M sometimes carry Thorntons at reduced prices.

Is Thorntons chocolate still made in the UK?

Yes, Thorntons chocolate is still manufactured in the UK. The main production facility is in Alfreton, Derbyshire, which has been operational since the company moved there in the 1980s. Despite being owned by Italian company Ferrero, production remains British. The Special Toffee is still made using the 1925 recipe, cooked slowly in small batches.

How does Thorntons compare to Hotel Chocolat?

Hotel Chocolat is generally considered the higher-quality option with higher cocoa content and premium positioning, but at significantly higher prices (roughly double for comparable products). Thorntons offers better value and wider variety including toffees and fudges, not just chocolate. Thorntons is more accessible, available in most supermarkets, whilst Hotel Chocolat relies more on its own stores. They serve different market segments—Hotel Chocolat for premium gifting, Thorntons for affordable treats.

What happened to Thorntons Special Toffee?

Thorntons Special Toffee is still available and uses the same recipe Stanley Thornton developed in 1925 after 50 attempts. The toffee is cooked slowly in individual pans without emulsifiers, then cooled for 24 hours. You can buy it in bags and boxes from supermarkets and the Thorntons website. It remains one of their most popular products despite the shop closures.

Who founded Thorntons and when?

Thorntons was founded in Sheffield in October 1911 by Joseph William Thornton, a travelling confectioner from Rotherham. He opened the first "Chocolate Kabin" at 159 Norfolk Street, leaving his 14-year-old son Norman to manage it. After Joseph died in 1919, Norman and his brother Stanley built the business together, creating Special Toffee in 1925 and eventually growing it into a national chain.