Breast milk is the best ‘whey’ – academic explains breastfeeding benefits and why mothers shouldn’t be embarrassed In 1878 Joseph Storrs Fry II and Francis James Fry took over but didn't see eye to eye. They only communicated by letter! During this time they faced stiff competition from Cadbury Bros. of Birmingham. The city-centre location of Fry's was unsuitable for bringing in fresh milk so they used dried milk as a substitute. Meanwhile, Cadbury's were introducing new products and using modern technology.

The first ever chocolate bar suitable for widespread consumption having been created by J. S. Fry & Sons in 1847, in Union Street, Bristol, England. "Sweet sweets nostalgia". BBC News. 28 May 2008 . Retrieved 30 May 2008. For the Victorians, chocolate was much more accessible but still something of an indulgence. Thirty years later, in 1873, Fry's developed the first chocolate Easter egg as a luxury treat, merging the two gift-giving traditions. The Fry’s eggs were so successful that rivals Cadbury copied the idea two years later, paving the way for countless more imitations and an enduring global tradition. It was no accident that Fry’s were the innovators in the field; they had, after all, already been delighting customers with their chocolate treats for more than a century. Left): Advertisement c. 1910; (right): Drink FRY'S pure breakfast COCOA. "No Better Food". Advertisement for Fry's on the cover of The Strand Magazine, September 1917 Chocolate eggs are said to have originated in France and Germany in the early 19th century but here in the UK it was J. S. Fry & Sons Limited who produced the first chocolate egg in 1873.

Egged on

During the 1950s Fry's was the fastest-growing chocolate firm in Britain, thanks to old favourites being revitalised and new lines introduced. By the end of the 1960s Cadbury's and Fry's had fully merged and several old-classics, such as Five Boys, disappeared or took on the Cadbury name. Although dyeing patterned eggs is still a common Easter activity, these days eggs are more commonly associated with chocolate. But when did this shift happen?

We’ve also got medium Easter eggs, featuring some vintage chocolate brands from the past. Plus, you’ll find smaller, mini Easter eggs that are accompanied by adorable cuddly toys – just the thing for the kids once all the treasure on your egg trail has been collected. Chocolate was soon a fashionable drink for the aristocracy, often given as a gift thanks to its high status, a tradition still followed today. It was also enjoyed in the newly opened coffee houses around London. Coffee and tea had also only just been introduced to England and all three drinks were rapidly changing how Britons socially interacted with each other. Joseph's sons Richard, Francis and Joseph succeeded him and revived Fry's. In 1847, they made the first mass-produced chocolate bar. Then they invented Fry's Chocolate Cream, now the oldest brand of chocolate bar in the world. In 1873 Fry's produced the first chocolate Easter eggs in the UK. Even once eggs were permitted in fasting meals, they kept a special place in the Easter feast. Seventeenth-century cookbook author John Murrell recommended "egges with greene sawce", a sort of pesto made with sorrel leaves.The distinctive "five boys" design expressing "Desperation, Pacification, Expectation, Acclamation and Realization "It's Fry's". The reference to Queen Alexandra indicates a date before her death in 1925. Following Joseph Storr II’s death in 1913, and the introduction of the world-famous Fry’s Turkish Delight a year later, the company merged with former rivals Cadbury in 1919. Four years later they were fast outgrowing their city factory and a new one was built and opened six miles away at Somerdale, Keynsham. In 1803, Anna Fry died and Joseph Storrs Fry partnered with a Dr. Hunt. The business was renamed "Fry & Hunt". In 1822 Hunt retired and Joseph Storrs Fry took on his sons Joseph, Francis and Richard as partners: the firm was renamed "J. S. Fry & Sons". The company became the largest commercial producer of chocolate in the UK. In 1835, Joseph Storrs Fry died and his sons took full control. Despite this, Fry’s products including their Cream Bar and Turkish Delight Bar are still sold today under the Cadbury name. Even Easter eggs bearing the Fry’s name are still being sold for the occasion, carrying on a tradition that has lasted 147 years. The first chocolate Easter egg in the UK was introduced in 1873 by the family-owned company, Fry’s. The founder, Joseph Fry, started out selling drinking chocolate in the 1750s, and his grandsons created the first chocolate bars in the 1860s. Fry’s particular achievement at this time was their chocolate Cream Bar, a product that is still sold today.