# Thorntons Chocolate Factory



## jsp77 (Mar 5, 2017)

*History* (via Thorntons)

The very first Thorntons Chocolate Kabin was opened in October 1911 in Sheffield by travelling confectioner Joseph William Thornton.

Joseph then handed the keys to his sons Norman and Stanley, 14 and 11 at the time and told them to make it the best sweet shop in town... they didn't do a bad job did they?


https://flic.kr/p/SBy4xJ

One of Thorntons most famous products is Special Toffee, this was created by Stanley in 1925. It became so popular that it soon made up half of the total sales and became the company's best known product for the next 50 years. It was often referred to as the fuel for the steel workers in the city.

This product was the engine that drove the business for many years and in many people's minds the words ‘Thorntons' and ‘Toffee' became synonymous. Stanley's recipe is still used today.

In the 1980s Thorntons toffee chopping competitions took place around the country to find the toffee chopping champion. It was a competition to find the fastest person to chop slabs of Special Toffee with hammers. Some of the original toffee hammers can still be found in Thorntons factory.

With business booming in 1931 Norman and Stanley Thornton left the Penistone Road Factory and moved to premises on Stalker Lees Road in Sheffield, where they purchased their first Enrober for £175. It was here that the brothers first made their Chocolate Truffles by hand, as well as candies, fudge and crystallised fondants.

In 1934 the brothers built a purpose built factory on Archer Road, Sheffield. By this time the company employed around 40 people in the factory, 40 in the shops and two in the office. Thorntons moved from Sheffield to Derbyshire in 1948 when they bought a factory in Belper for £8400 after seeing an advert for it in the local paper. 

The company moved to the larger site in Alferton in 1999.

As the business grew and grew they then needed a larger site so moved to Thornton Park in Derbyshire, which was opened by The Queen and remains our home today.


On arrival and looking at the buildings I nearly never bothered as this was only a back up, but so glad i did as there was so many features to photograph. Entry was a bit sketchy, but somehow managed it.
​*on with the photos*


https://flic.kr/p/Srjwaq 


https://flic.kr/p/SrjeVS

Leave only footprints


https://flic.kr/p/StJWiz


https://flic.kr/p/Rr7c7P


https://flic.kr/p/RoxSFh


https://flic.kr/p/SF5JS6


https://flic.kr/p/StJKhr



https://flic.kr/p/SBqaUN


https://flic.kr/p/SBq5Ww


https://flic.kr/p/S6ewt9


https://flic.kr/p/S6erf3


https://flic.kr/p/StJhWk


https://flic.kr/p/S6ecBw


https://flic.kr/p/StJ6Jk


https://flic.kr/p/SBppzq by JSP 77


https://flic.kr/p/RowP6o


https://flic.kr/p/StHLyB


https://flic.kr/p/SrhNF5 


https://flic.kr/p/StHAbn


https://flic.kr/p/SF4BdR


https://flic.kr/p/SF4wEH

On entering this part of factory I noticed just how poor the floor was so had to find some planks to get across the spongy part, you could see where others have had a foot go through.


https://flic.kr/p/StHkJM 


23


https://flic.kr/p/SrhmEC​
As always you can come across some nice artistic graff


https://flic.kr/p/Rr5JkV


https://flic.kr/p/SF4cXx


https://flic.kr/p/SF49L2


https://flic.kr/p/SF48aX​
*thanks for looking*


----------



## Rubex (Mar 5, 2017)

Some interesting graffiti, nice one jsp77


----------



## smiler (Mar 5, 2017)

The smoke trail in pic twelve is interesting, I noticed an object to the right but cant enlarge it clearly enough to say for sure its an aircraft, another great report and pics JSP, Most Enjoyable, Thanks


----------



## Mikeymutt (Mar 5, 2017)

That's actually a really nice place.glad you went in


----------



## Wrench (Mar 5, 2017)

Excellent work there sir and the first time I've been strangely aroused by Graf lol

Love that last photo.


----------



## lingaz (Mar 5, 2017)

grat pics i worked in thorntons shop for over 25yurs and visited both old and new factory its so sad to see it like this


----------



## Dirus_Strictus (Mar 5, 2017)

smiler said:


> The smoke trail in pic twelve is interesting, I noticed an object to the right but cant enlarge it clearly enough to say for sure its an aircraft



If the formation is a condensation trail, any aircraft associated with it will be long gone out of frame - the trail is far too dispersed for it to have been just made. As for the black blob; more likely to be a bird in the middle foreground. However; photograph 4 gives one a clear indication that the 'trail' was more likely to have been just part of the cloud formation prevalent in the area, that day.

Nice images jsp, they certainly bred them hardy in the early 1900s, Sheffield was one tough place back then.


----------



## krela (Mar 5, 2017)

Dirus_Strictus said:


> If the formation is a condensation trail, any aircraft associated with it will be long gone out of frame - the trail is far too dispersed for it to have been just made. As for the black blob; more likely to be a bird in the middle foreground. However; photograph 4 gives one a clear indication that the 'trail' was more likely to have been just part of the cloud formation prevalent in the area, that day.



Only you could use a whole paragraph when three words would have sufficed.  

"It's a cloud".


----------



## Wrench (Mar 5, 2017)

Lol
Love the reply


----------



## 5t3tcv743 (Mar 5, 2017)

Wow! Amazing


----------



## BikinGlynn (Mar 5, 2017)

Good report. Thanks


----------



## odeon master (Mar 5, 2017)

great photos, must get round this place before it falls down, i remember it open, it was defo still working mid 2000's , they had a new factory built near denby just before ripley.


----------



## mockingbird (Mar 6, 2017)

last shots a winner


----------



## HughieD (Mar 6, 2017)

mockingbird said:


> last shots a winner



Isn't it. Absolute winner of a shot.


----------



## prettyvacant71 (Mar 9, 2017)

Some unusual graff someone being sliced up lol

Im liking that bog shot, and the eye wash and soap dispenser left on the wall, very creative!

I had a failed attempt here about 5yr ago so thanks for showing us whats inside


----------

