PEOPLE have been turning to some of York's famous chocolates for comfort during the coronavirus crisis, it has emerged.

Nestlé UK CEO Stefano Agostini said yesterday that sales of some of the brands made at the company's factory in Haxby Road, such as Aero, had soared during the lockdown,

A company spokeswoman said consumers had turned to familiar favourites during the crisis and its flagship brands, such as KitKat, Aero, Smarties and Quality Street, had been much in demand.

"Aero, for example, has recorded 36 per cent growth in the first half of the year," she said.

"At the same time, we have seen big changes in the way people are buying confectionery.

"Not surprisingly, the closure of high street stores and on-the-go outlets such as you find in train stations etc, has resulted in a fall in demand for single bars and packs, while there has been a big rise in the demand for sharing bags, blocks and multipacks as people share confectionery at home with their families."

She added that overall confectionery sales were up, with 1.8 per cent organic growth for the first six months of the year.