THE Yorkie bar has been named Nestlé’s fastest growing confectionary product as the company reports global operating profits of £9.4 billion.

The Yorkie chocolate bar, which is produced at Nestlé’s York factory in Haxby Road, saw sales grow by 31.6 per cent in 2013, compared to 2012.

Milky Bar, also produced in York, was another success story of the year with sales rising 7.4 per cent from 2012, alongside Breakaway, which saw a rise of 21.2 per cent.

The figures have been released as Nestlé announced its global results for 2013.

The Swiss-based company saw total sales increase by 2.7 per cent to £62 billion, with a 4.6 per cent organic growth of the business.

The group’s trading operating profit was £9.4 billion, representing a margin of 15.2 per cent, up 0.2 per cent on last year.

Also produced in York is the Kit Kat, with more than six million made in the city every day. The product was one of only two in the list of the confectionary industry's top ten individually packaged items to grow in 2013 with an increase in sales of five per cent. The other product was Kinder Surprise.

Nestlé attributed the success of the Yorkie bar to a “renaissance of the brand” which has seen growth of more than 50 per cent over the last two years, resulting from the return of television advertising and the launch of Yorkie Man Sized Buttons.

Following the financial results announcement Fiona Kendrick, Nestlé UK & Ireland chairman and chief executive, said: “2013 was a challenging year but Nestlé UK & Ireland performed well in its core businesses of beverages, confectionery and food.”

“UK and Irish consumers are changing the way they shop and it is reshaping the food industry.

“We are responding to this new reality, particularly in fast growing channels such as online shopping, convenience stores and discounters. Innovation continues to be key in growing our business and we are offering our consumers new products to meet their changing needs.”