Fry's Chocolate Cream is a

chocolate bar A chocolate bar is a confection containing chocolate, which may also contain layerings or mixtures that include nut (fruit), nuts, fruit, caramel, nougat, and wafers. A flat, easily breakable, chocolate bar is also called a tablet. In some variet ...

developed by J. S. Fry & Sons and currently manufactured by

Cadbury Cadbury, formerly Cadbury's and Cadbury Schweppes, is a British multinational confectionery company owned by Mondelez International (spun off from Kraft Foods) since 2010. It is the second-largest confectionery brand in the world, after Mars. ...

. Launched in 1866—nineteen years after Fry's created the first moulded, solid chocolate eating bar (in 1847)— Fry's Chocolate Cream is the first mass-produced combination candy bar and is the world's oldest chocolate bar brand.The first ever chocolate bar suitable for widespread consumption having been created by J. S. Fry & Sons in 1847, in Union Street, Bristol, England. Technically considered a combination bar because it combines chocolate with other ingredients, the original Fry's Chocolate Cream chocolate bar consisted of a plain fondant centre enrobed in plain chocolate. Variants include Peppermint Cream, Orange Cream, Raspberry Cream and Strawberry Cream. In the 1960s, Fry's Chocolate Cream was advertised on British television by the model

George Lazenby George Robert Lazenby (; born 5 September 1939) is an Australian retired actor. Lazenby began his professional career as a model and had only acted in commercials when he was cast to replace the original James Bond actor, Sean Connery, playing ...

who became famous as 'The Big Fry' man—the commercials rivalled Cadbury Milk Tray advertised by the 'Milk Tray Man'—a role which saw Lazenby catch the attention of the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

producers.

History

Fry's Chocolate Cream was first produced in 1866 and is considered the direct descendant of Fry's Cream Stick produced in 1853, which was probably inspired by French chocolates; similar ''chocolats à la crème'' made with fondant were sold by chocolatiers at the time. The Cream Stick was the first industrialised and affordable chocolate bar. In 1875, Fry's Chocolate Cream was remoulded to the shape it still has today. During production, it once exceeded half a million units per day and the foil wrapping and label would appear in 1925. The Orange Cream and Peppermint Cream, followed by Fry's Five Centre, were introduced in 1934. In the Second World War, British bomber crews in the

RAF Bomber Command RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the Strategic bombing during World War II#Europe, strategic bombing of Germany in W ...

were regularly issued with Fry's Chocolate Creams before missions. In 2022, the original milk free recipe was abandoned with the inclusion of skimmed milk powder in the list of ingredients.

Products and branding

There are currently five variants of Fry's Cream: *Fry's Chocolate Cream *Fry's Peppermint Cream *Fry's Orange Cream (Discontinued 2015, relaunched 2018) *Fry's Raspberry Cream *Fry's Strawberry Cream (Relaunched 2020 Limited edition) Over the years, other variants existed: *Fry's Five Centre (orange, raspberry, lime, strawberry, and pineapple), produced from 1934 to 1992. Five Centre was also sold with a combination of orange, coffee, vanilla, lime, and raspberry centres. It is probable that other combinations were sold at one time or another; for example, one reproduction 1950s advert shows a blackcurrant flavoured segment in place of vanilla. The Five Centre bar was renamed Fruit Medley during the 1960s, but this was later reversed. *Fry's Pineapple Cream An unsuccessful mid-1990s relaunch attempt also saw new variants available under the modernised "Fry's Spirit" branding for a while: *Fry's Spirit Berry Margarita *Fry's Spirit Piña Colada *Fry's Spirit Velvet Dream (cream liqueur) Cadbury also produced a solid milk chocolate bar called ''Five Boys'' using the Fry's trademark from 1902 until 1976. Cadbury produced milk and plain chocolate sandwich bars under the Fry's branding also. In 2021, Fry's launched a hot chocolate powder which can be blended with milk.

Lazenby commercials

In the 1960s, Fry's Chocolate Cream was advertised by model

as 'The Big Fry' man, making him a celebrity in the UK. The television commercials rivalled

Milk Tray which has been advertised by the 'Milk Tray Man'. Dyson Lowell, a casting director for

, saw the Fry commercials and contacted Bond producer

Harry Saltzman Herschel "Harry" Saltzman (; – ) was a Canadian theatre and film producer. He is best remembered for co-producing the first nine of the ''James Bond'' film series with Albert R. Broccoli. Apart from a ten-year stint living in St. Petersbu ...

in the belief Lazenby could be groomed for the role of 007. Lazenby later portrayed James Bond in '' On Her Majesty's Secret Service'', in 1969.

Location and ownership

The Fry's chocolate bar was first produced in Union Street, Bristol, England in 1866, where the family name had been associated with chocolate making since c. 1761. In 1923, Fry's (now Cadbury) chocolate factory moved to Somerdale Garden City, Keynsham, England. Following a 2010 takeover of Cadbury plc by Kraft Foods, the Somerdale factory was closed on 31 March 2011 and its machinery shipped to Warsaw, Poland. Then, after acquisition of Cadbury by Mondelez International production was relocated and Warsaw plant became part of Lotte Wedel.

References

External links