Draft:Beech's Fine Chocolates

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Draft:Beech's Fine Chocolates
Beech's Fine Chocolates
TypeBrand
IndustryConfectionery
Founded1920; 106 years ago (1920) in Preston, England
FounderCollinson family
Defunct2025 (original company)
FateInsolvency; brand acquired by Bulk Gourmet Emporium
Headquarters
Preston, Lancashire
,
England
ProductsChocolates, fondant creams, truffles, Easter eggs

Beech's Fine Chocolates is a British chocolate brand founded in 1920 in Preston, England. For over a century, the company produced artisan chocolates — including fondant creams, truffles and Easter eggs — at a factory on Fletcher Road in the Deepdale area of the city, using traditional methods such as starch-mould production for its fondant centres.[1][2] After entering insolvency in September 2025, the brand was acquired by Bulk Gourmet Emporium, which revived it as an online business.[3][4]

History

Founding and early years

Beech's was founded in 1920 by the Collinson family, who already operated a tea and coffee importing business in Preston and added chocolate to their product range.[1] Chocolates were initially sold at fairgrounds, with the company moving into the luxury market by 1946.[5]

Changes of ownership

The company remained in Collinson family hands until it was sold in 1966 to a family of Yorkshire wool merchants. It later became a supplier to the Supercook brand, which acquired the company in 1984. In 2000, Beech's was acquired by the RenshawScott Group, before a management buy-in returned it to private ownership in late 2002.[5]

Whiting ownership and repositioning

In 2017, Andrew Whiting took over as chairman, with his son Peter Whiting serving as managing director.[1] Under the Whitings, the company moved to Fairtrade-certified cocoa and reformulated its products to be palm-oil free and gluten free, with the dark chocolate range certified vegan.[1] The brand adopted the marketing slogan "We will never compromise on our ingredients", which appeared on its packaging and promotional materials alongside references to these sourcing commitments.[6] The company also began replacing plastic with combustible packaging and invested in expanding export sales ahead of Brexit, with products shipped to markets including the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia and parts of the Middle East; in the United States, Beech's products were sold via the QVC home-shopping network, including televised product segments on QVC USA.[1][7][8][9]

Centenary and operations

Beech's marked its 100th anniversary in 2020, still operating from the same Fletcher Road site where it had begun in 1920.[1][2] By this time the company employed around 50 people, with some recipes — including the Fondant Creams — reportedly unchanged for decades.[1]

Products were stocked by retailers including Booths, Waitrose, Fortnum & Mason and Lakeland.[1][7] Although the company historically produced its own chocolate, it later sourced couverture from Barry Callebaut following a downsizing of the factory.[7]

Closure and acquisition

In September 2025, Beech's Fine Chocolates Ltd was declared insolvent, and around 40 staff were made redundant. Chairman Andrew Whiting attributed the closure to a sharp rise in cocoa prices, which he said had risen roughly threefold over the preceding year, combined with increases in energy costs, National Insurance and the minimum wage. Former managing director Peter Whiting told local press that the company had been unwilling to reduce the quality of its ingredients in response to the cocoa price rise.[4][10]

In late 2025, Peter Whiting confirmed that the Beech's brand, recipes and website had been sold to Bulk Gourmet Emporium, an online food retailer, which relaunched the brand as an online-only business.[3]

Products

Beech's product range has included fondant creams, chocolate-covered ginger, chocolate Brazils, truffles and seasonal Easter eggs. The company produced Easter eggs from its early years, reaching around 120,000 eggs in 1933 before scaling back production; Easter egg production was reintroduced ahead of the centenary.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Titley, Megan (26 February 2020). "Preston chocolatier Beech's Fine Chocolates is celebrating one hundred years in the business". Lancashire Evening Post. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Beech's Fine Chocolates celebrate centenary year in the same factory where it all began". Blog Preston. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Beech's chocolate brand set to be revived with online sales". Blog Preston. 5 December 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  4. ^ a b "Why Preston's family-run chocolate factory Beech's has suddenly shut after 105 years". Lancashire Evening Post. 30 September 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  5. ^ a b "Beech's Chocolate". Made in Preston. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  6. ^ "About Us". Beech's Fine Chocolates. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  7. ^ a b c d "Beech's Fine Chocolates in Preston is making Easter eggs after three decades". Lancashire Evening Post. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  8. ^ "Beech's Fine Chocolates". QVC.com. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  9. ^ Beech's Fine Chocolates (6) 3.2oz Boxes Chocolate Fondants on QVC (Video). QVC. 14 July 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  10. ^ "Preston's Beech's Fine Chocolates closes after a century of trading". Blog Preston. 27 September 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2026.

Category:Food and drink companies established in 1920 Category:British brands Category:1920 establishments in England Category:Food and drink companies disestablished in 2025

References

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