Move over, Cadbury: the only person in history to have eaten a chocolate bar made with 100% British ingredients was the late Queen Elizabeth II, who, as a six-year-old in 1932, was gifted one by Rowntree’s. The bar, created from a glasshouse-grown cocoa plant at Rowntree’s York headquarters, has finally met its match.

Now, scientists at the University of Reading have crafted a bar using cocoa beans grown in Berkshire, proving that you don't need tropical climes to make chocolate - just a greenhouse and a healthy dose of British determination. The bar, made to celebrate the university’s 100th anniversary, uses cocoa from plants in the institute’s collection.

The UK, despite being a chocolate-loving nation with a market worth £10.4bn, has always relied on imported cocoa. But Maha Khan, a master’s student at the university, decided to change that narrative. She harvested, fermented, and processed the beans at the university’s food department, turning a science project into a delicious statement.

“It has been amazing to follow the entire chocolate-making process, from pod to bean to bar, without leaving Reading,” said Khan. “This British bar of chocolate highlights the precarious nature of our food supplies. Cocoa plants are very sensitive to changes in temperature and rainfall, and climate change is already causing problems in countries that produce most of the world’s cocoa. Protecting different varieties is vital if farmers need hardier plants that can cope with a changing climate.”

She added, “I hope this shows people just how much work goes into the chocolate we enjoy, and how important it is to protect cocoa farmers and communities around the world.”

And for those wondering if it's any good: Khan reports the chocolate is “delicious,” with a rich flavour. The beans come from over 300 varieties grown at the university, and the raw cacao, coated in a white flesh that tastes like lychee, is a rare treat for Brits.

This is more than a stunt - the university hopes to highlight its work in preserving cocoa varieties that could resist climate change, pests, and diseases. Reading’s international cocoa quarantine centre handles 97% of the world’s international movement of cocoa plants, making it a vital hub for cocoa biodiversity.

Chocolate prices have surged recently as high temperatures and extreme rainfall, both worsened by climate breakdown, have damaged crops in Africa. So, this limited-edition bar (only six made so far) is a timely reminder of the fragility of our chocolate supply. Khan hopes to ramp up production, but a single cocoa pod takes six months to grow, so patience is key.

As for who gets to taste this royal-worthy bar, Khan has a suggestion: “We haven’t decided yet who will get to eat the chocolate. As the last British chocolate made was eaten by the future queen in 1932, it would be fitting if the next bar was a gift to another future queen, the Princess of Wales, who, like the chocolate, was also born in Reading.”

Because nothing says royal recognition like a bar made in a university greenhouse.