08 June 2023 , 09:23
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The heir to the Cadbury's name has launched his own chocolate company - without taking any money from the company's £4.6billion fortune.
James Cadbury is the great-great-great grandson of John Cadbury, who founded the world-famous confectionary makers in Bourneville, Birmingham in 1824.
But with the brand now owned by global giant Mondelez International (formerly Kraft) and the 37-year-old holding no shares in the modern-day company, he does not profit from its success - and his family's charitable Quaker traditions mean he has not been given a large inheritance either.
Instead, he has embarked on his own journey with the launch of ethical chocolate start-up Love Cocoa, which produces 'climate positive' treats for customers in the UK.
The 37-year-old is the great-great-great grandson of John Cadbury, who founded Cadbury's in the 19th century (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)His £14million company pledges plant a tree for every single product sold in a mission to create a "fairer, more sustainable chocolate industry", and on their website accuse the mainstream manufacturers of "damaging the environment and contributing to global warming on an alarming scale".
People using Terry's chocolate orange packaging for stand branded 'genius'
It wasn't always clear that he would follow in the family's entrepreneurial footsteps however, and prior to his current venture he spent five years at a pension before realising it wasn't where he wanted to be.
His famous surname also inevitably drew the taunts of his peers in his younger years, and he told The Sun he was given the nickname 'Curly Wurly' back at school - though says the moniker was one he took in "good stead".
James does not have shares in the modern-day company, which is owned by Mondelez International (Getty Images)James appeared on the BBC's Dragon's Den back in 2018 after being approached by producers, and memorably left Deborah Meaden raising her eyebrows when he revealed who his ancestors were.
On the show, he accepted an offer from Vitabiotics founder Tej Lalvani for £75,000 in exchange for a 5% share in Love Cocoa- but revealed that after "a lot of back and forth" off-screen the deal eventually fell through.
The lasting publicity from his TV appearance however helped Love Cocoa boom, and he says the company tripled their revenue within just 18 months after receiving a flood of new orders and stockists.
His own company Love Cocoa has an emphasis on sustainable chocolate, and he once appeared on Dragon's Den (BBC)James told the newspaper: "It was really big for us and ever since that we've continued to be able to grow.
“It’s a great programme to go on - it’s definitely helped the business. We're 10 times the size now.”
His great-great-great grandfather John Cadbury has gone down in history not only for chocolate but for the emphasis he put on workers' living conditions, and James says that part of Love Cocoa's success has come from putting a new, modern focus his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for good causes.
The company say they have already planted over 1.6 million trees as part of their 'buy one, get one tree' scheme as they expand, and are currently planning to open a store in London this year before expanding to seven branches across the UK in the next five years.