A CONFECTIONARY business founded by the great grandson of one of the UK’s most famous entrepreneurs and social reformers has expanded following the completion of building work on a large new commercial unit.

Confectionery wholesaler Bon Bon’s, led by Yorkshire businessman, Mark Rowntree, a descendant of confectionery pioneer, Joseph Rowntree, has taken a further 15,000 sq ft unit at Thorp Arch Estate, near Wetherby.

The unit, 6 Ash Way, is part of Ash Way III, an extension of the existing Ash Way development.

Bon Bon’s, which was founded in 2007 and moved into a 13,300 sq ft unit on the Thorp Arch Estate in 2014, is now also occupying 6 Ash Way as part of an operational re-organisation following its diversification into healthy snacking with the launch of The Real Good Food Co.

This sells a range of flavoured and speciality nuts and seeds along with branded merchandising, to the company’s retail outlets throughout the UK.

Mark Rowntree said: “Our confectionary sales are still going extremely well but we launched the Real Good Food Co because there is clearly a growing market for snacking on nuts and seeds and we want to offer customers a wider choice.

“We are probably the UK’s largest hand-packing confectionery business and the additional space provided by 6 Ash Way will allow us to re-organise our operation to provide more packing capacity in our existing unit and to use 6 Ash Way entirely as a bulk holding and dispatch warehouse.

“Wharfedale Property Management manages the estate and has been very supportive in helping us to expand and has guided us through the entire process. Thorp Arch Estate is a great business location, close to the motorway network, and we are confident of continuing our expansion, which is seeing double digit sales growth.”

Bon Bon’s luxury confectionery, from Belgian chocolates to boiled sweets, gourmet mallows and specialist liquorices, is sourced nationwide and supplied to hundreds of high-quality independent retailers including farm shops, delicatessens, department stores and tourist attractions.

The business has 85 staff and supplies household name venues including The British Museum, Chatsworth House, The Tower of London, The Shard, London, and English Heritage sites, including Stonehenge.