Terry's

Terry's was a British chocolate and confectionery maker based in York, England. It was founded in 1767 and in 1993 it was taken over by Kraft Foods. The company's headquarters, later renamed The Chocolate Works factory, was closed by Kraft in 2005; products using the Terry's brand name are now produced in Kraft facilities in Poland, Sweden, Belgium, and Slovakia. The Terry's name eventually became part of Mondelēz International.

The business began in 1767 as a shop close to Bootham Bar, York, selling cough lozenges, lemon and orange candied peel, and other sweets. When Robert Berry formed a partnership with William Bayldon the firm took the name Bayldon and Berry and by 1818 the business had moved to St Helen’s Square, York.

Joseph Terry, who was born in Pocklington in 1793, went to York to serve as an apprentice apothecary in either Stonegate or Spurriergate. On gaining his certificates, he set up as a chemist, firstly ‘opposite the castle’ before moving to Walmgate. In 1823 he married Harriet Aktinson, who was either a niece or sister-in-law or Robert Berry and after closing his chemist shop he joined the Berry confectionary business, from which William Bayldon had retired in 1821.

In 1825, after the death of Robert Berry, Terry agreed to a new partnership with George Berry; they renamed the business Terry & Berry. The partnership was joined by John Coultherd, but in 1828 George left and the business was renamed Joseph Terry and Company. Two year later Coultherd also left and Terry became to sole owner of the business. Using the skills he learnt as a chemist, Joseph developed new lines of chocolate, confectionery, sugared sweets, candied peel, marmalade, and medicated lozenges. He began using the developing railway network of the North Eastern Railway to distribute his products in the North of England and in London.

After Joseph Terry died in 1850 the company was in the control of solicitors and executors until 1854 when it was handed over to his sons Joseph Jnr, Robert, and John. Joseph quickly expanded the business; four years later he moved production to a leased site at Clementhorpe, beside the River Ouse. This allowed easy shipment of raw products into the new production facility from the Humber estuary; twice weekly a steam ship brought ingredients, including sugar and cocoa, as well as coal to power the new steam-powered machinery. Joseph was knighted for his services to industry in 1887 and became Lord Mayor of York for the fourth time in 1890. He renamed the business Joseph Terry & Sons and it became a limited liability company in 1895. The Grade II listed St Helen's Square premises was retained by the company as a shop and restaurant until 1980 after which it was sold and the restaurant was converted into offices. As of 2017^[update] the Terry name is still on the front of the building, which reopened as a restaurant in 2017.