Reading Scientists Grow First UK Chocolate Bar Since 1932

For the first time since Queen Elizabeth II tasted one as a child in 1932, someone can bite into a chocolate bar made entirely from British ingredients.

Master's student Maha Khan grew, harvested, and processed cocoa beans right on the University of Reading campus in Berkshire. She handled every step herself, from pod to bar, creating chocolate with a rich, complex flavor unlike anything most people have tasted.

The chocolate itself surprised Khan with its intensity. Before processing, the raw cacao beans are coated in white flesh that tastes like lychee, a flavor most chocolate lovers never experience.

But this isn't just a fun experiment. The bar celebrates Reading's 100th anniversary while shining a light on a serious problem facing the $10.4 billion UK chocolate industry.

Britain makes some of the world's finest chocolate, yet every single cocoa bean comes from overseas. Climate change is threatening those supplies as cocoa plants struggle with rising temperatures and extreme rainfall across Africa.

Why This Inspires

The University of Reading houses more than 300 varieties of cocoa plants at its International Cocoa Quarantine Centre, which manages 97% of the world's cocoa plant movement. These diverse varieties could hold the key to developing hardier plants that survive changing weather patterns.

Khan's chocolate proves that protecting plant diversity isn't abstract science. It's about ensuring farmers have options when their traditional crops fail and that future generations can still enjoy chocolate.

"This British bar of chocolate highlights the precarious nature of our food supplies," Khan explained. "Protecting different varieties is vital if farmers need hardier plants that can cope with a changing climate."

So far, only six bars exist. Each cocoa pod takes six months to grow, making mass production challenging.

Khan hopes to gift one bar to the Princess of Wales, continuing a royal tradition while highlighting that both the chocolate and Catherine were born in Reading.

The project shows people how much work goes into their favorite treats and reminds us why protecting cocoa farmers and their communities matters so much.