The company last produced dark chocolate at the York site in 2007, but chose to outsource production after restructuring affected capacity.
Capacity and products
Nestlé will now produce 8,000 tons of dark chocolate at the York site annually and full production will begin this month.
The company uses dark chocolate for Kit Kat 70% Dark, Quality Street, After Eight, and Matchmakers.
Nestlé did not put a figure on the investment, but indicated it was multimillion pound venture.
Back in-house
Peter Gough, Nestlé’s York factory manager said: “Dark chocolate is an important ingredient for a number of our products and the chocolate team has worked really hard to bring it back in-house.”
“Over a number of years, efficiencies in milk chocolate production has enabled an area to be made available solely for dark chocolate.
“The employees have now been trained on making dark chocolate and are now ready to go. This is another important addition to the York site and we look forward to consumers enjoying Nestlé products with York made dark chocolate from October,” he said.
Ends outsourcing deal
Nestlé produces milk chocolate at its Elect factory in York. The company has invested millions in improving efficiencies at the plant which has allowed capacity to be freed up for dark chocolate production to resume again.
Nestlé refused to communicate which third party had been producing its UK dark chocolate from 2007 to 2012.
The confectioner is known to have had outsourcing agreements with Barry Callebaut in the past. (See HERE).