Terry's Chocolate Orange

Terry's Chocolate Orange is a confectionery product and brand associated with Terry's, the historic British chocolate maker based in York, England. The product was introduced in 1932 at Terry's Chocolate Works, the Art Deco factory opened by the company in York in 1926. Its defining format is an orange-shaped ball of chocolate blended with orange oil and moulded into twenty segments. The segments are wrapped in foil printed to resemble orange peel and were traditionally joined tightly at the centre, creating the characteristic consumer ritual of striking the wrapped product against a hard surface before opening it. This became known in advertising as “Tap and Unwrap” and later “Whack and Unwrap.” The product emerged during a period when Terry's was broadening its range of boxed and novelty chocolates. The company had introduced the Dessert Chocolate Apple in 1926 and Terry's All Gold in 1931, followed by Chocolate Orange in 1932. A related Chocolate Apple was gradually discontinued in 1954 as production capacity and consumer attention shifted toward the orange. Terry's also experimented with a Chocolate Lemon in 1979, but that product was withdrawn in 1982. The Chocolate Orange became the enduring fruit-shaped novelty in the portfolio and developed a particularly strong association with British Christmas gifting and stockings. Ownership and manufacturing have changed substantially over the brand's history. Terry's York factory closed in 2005, and production moved to continental Europe under the then-owner Kraft Foods. Kraft's confectionery interests later became part of Mondelez International. Mondelez sold the brand in 2016 to the investment company Eurazeo. Manufacturing was subsequently consolidated in Strasbourg, France, where Carambar & Co has produced the product since 2018. The relocation separated the brand's British cultural identity and historic York origins from its current manufacturing base. The core Chocolate Orange remains a milk-chocolate product flavoured with orange oil, but the range has expanded into bars, small individually packaged segments, Easter products, filled eggs, alternative chocolate formats and other flavours. Variants have included white chocolate eggs, mini segments, Segsations in several inclusions, an orange-cream-filled egg, and Chocolate Mint. The brand's product architecture retains the original emphasis on segmented, shareable or individually portioned chocolate while adapting the concept for seasonal and convenience occasions. Marketing has been central to the brand's identity. Christmas advertising has repeatedly presented the product as something desirable that people protect, hide or try to break apart. Actress Dawn French fronted numerous campaigns in which she defended her Chocolate Orange, helping popularise the phrase “It's not Terry's, it's mine.” She was no longer used after a corporate rebrand in 2007. Later campaigns used slogans including “Round but not round for long,” “Smash it to pieces, love it to bits” and “Deliciously Unsquare,” with creative work focusing on the unusual shape and the act of separating the segments. The brand has expanded beyond the United Kingdom through importers and retail distribution. It has appeared in North America under different importing arrangements, including a period when it was sold as a Tobler product, and entered South Korean convenience retail through GS25 in 2017. Company-reported figures cited in reference material said global sales doubled between 2019 and 2022, with United States sales tripling, and that annual sales reached 44 million products across several markets. These figures are company claims rather than independently verified financial statements. Terry's Chocolate Orange remains active and is positioned as a distinctive, nostalgic and playful chocolate gift with a strong seasonal presence.

Terry's Chocolate Orange was created in 1932 by Terry's at Terry's Chocolate Works in York, England. The product followed a series of important launches from the York business, including the Dessert Chocolate Apple in 1926 and Terry's All Gold in 1931. The factory itself had opened in 1926 in an Art Deco style and became an important part of Terry's manufacturing identity. The early Terry's range included both apple- and orange-shaped chocolate products. By 1954, the Chocolate Apple was being phased out so that greater production could be devoted to Chocolate Orange. A Chocolate Lemon was introduced in 1979 as a further fruit-themed experiment but was withdrawn three years later. Chocolate Orange, by contrast, developed into the company's most enduring novelty product. The product's physical design helped distinguish it from ordinary bars and boxed chocolates. It was moulded as an orange-shaped chocolate ball, mixed with orange oil and separated into twenty fruit-like segments. The segments were wrapped in orange-patterned foil and traditionally joined at the centre. Consumers were expected to strike the wrapped ball before opening it, causing the segments to separate. This ritual became an integral part of the brand's identity and advertising language. Terry's Chocolate Orange was strongly adopted as a seasonal and gifting product in Britain, particularly around Christmas. Its advertising often portrayed people trying to protect, conceal or claim a Chocolate Orange. Dawn French became closely associated with the brand through campaigns built around possessiveness and the line “It's not Terry's, it's mine.” After a corporate rebrand in 2007, later campaigns used different creative approaches and slogans, including “Round but not round for long,” “Smash it to pieces, love it to bits” and “Deliciously Unsquare.” A major industrial change occurred in 2005, when Terry's Chocolate Works in York closed. Production moved to continental Europe under Kraft Foods, separating the product from its original manufacturing location. After Kraft's confectionery business was reorganised into Mondelez International, Mondelez sold the brand to Eurazeo in 2016. Carambar & Co became the manufacturing company associated with the brand, and production was consolidated in Strasbourg, France, in 2018. The range has broadened over time. Alongside the original ball, the brand has offered a six-segment Chocolate Orange bar, bags of smaller segments, white-chocolate Easter eggs, Segsations in several flavours, Segsations Mini Eggs, an orange-cream-filled chocolate egg and a mint-flavoured chocolate ball. The common design language is the use of orange flavour, segmented chocolate or seasonal novelty formats. Distribution has extended beyond the United Kingdom. The product has had different importers in North America and was briefly sold there as a Tobler product. Chocolate Orange products were introduced to South Korean convenience retail through GS25 in 2017. Reference material also reports company claims of substantial sales growth from 2019 to 2022, including tripled United States sales and 44 million products sold annually across several international markets. The brand remains active, with its strongest cultural associations still tied to British confectionery, Christmas gifting, distinctive packaging and the playful act of breaking the chocolate into pieces.

• 2025

  UK weight is reduced to 145g

  [1]Terry's Chocolate Orangeen.wikipedia.org

  The UK Chocolate Orange was reported to have undergone a further 12g reduction, reaching a stated weight of 145g.

• 2018

  Strasbourg becomes the consolidated production site

  [1]Terry's Chocolate Orangeen.wikipedia.org

  Carambar & Co consolidated production of Terry's Chocolate Orange in Strasbourg, France.

• 2016

  The UK product becomes smaller

  [1]Terry's Chocolate Orangeen.wikipedia.org

  The standard UK format changed from 175g to 157g through a redesigned mould that created space between segments.

• 2016

  Eurazeo acquires the brand

  [1]Terry's Chocolate Orangeen.wikipedia.org

  Mondelez sold Terry's Chocolate Orange to the investment company Eurazeo.

• 2005

  York production ends

  [1]Terry's Chocolate Orangeen.wikipedia.org

  The York factory closed and manufacturing moved to continental Europe under Kraft Foods.

• 1979

  Chocolate Lemon is introduced

  [1]Terry's Chocolate Orangeen.wikipedia.org

  Terry's launched a lemon-flavoured fruit-shaped product, though it was withdrawn in 1982.

• 1954

  Chocolate Apple is phased out

  [1]Terry's Chocolate Orangeen.wikipedia.org

  Production of the related Chocolate Apple was reduced and phased out in favour of increased Chocolate Orange production.

• 1932

  Chocolate Orange is launched

  [1]Terry's Chocolate Orangeen.wikipedia.org

  Terry's introduced the orange-shaped, orange-flavoured chocolate product at its York factory.

• 1926

  Terry's Chocolate Works opens in York

  [1]Terry's Chocolate Orangeen.wikipedia.org

  Terry's opened its Art Deco-style chocolate factory in York, which later became the original manufacturing home of Chocolate Orange.

A novelty and gifting confectionery brand built around a recognisable orange-shaped format, orange-oil flavour, segment-breaking ritual and strong British Christmas associations.

• Chocolate confectionery · 1932

  Terry's Chocolate Orange

  The flagship product is an orange-shaped ball of chocolate flavoured with orange oil and divided into twenty segments. The segments are joined around the centre and enclosed in orange-patterned foil. Its traditional preparation ritual involves striking the wrapped ball so that the segments separate before the product is unwrapped.

• Chocolate bar

  Chocolate Orange Bar

  A bar format built from six Chocolate Orange segments. Earlier versions used smooth vertical sections, while later versions adopted textured segments intended to echo the shape and appearance of the original orange product.

• Bite-size chocolate

  Chocolate Orange Minis

  Small Chocolate Orange segments sold together in bags. The format converts the original whole-ball novelty into individually portioned pieces suited to sharing, snacking and seasonal confectionery displays.

• Flavoured chocolate segments

  Segsations

  A range of individually presented segments using different textures and inclusions, including milk chocolate, puffed rice, honeycomb, cornflake and a layered milk-and-dark-chocolate double segment. The variants retain orange oil flavouring while offering more textural variety than the original ball.

• Seasonal Easter confectionery

  Chocolate Orange White Eggs

  Egg-shaped white-chocolate versions of the Chocolate Orange concept, sold as seasonal Easter products.

• Filled seasonal chocolate

  Chocolate Orange Cream Filled Egg

  A milk-chocolate egg containing orange fondant-style filling, extending the brand's orange flavour into a filled Easter format.

• Flavoured chocolate

  Chocolate Mint

  A mint-flavoured variation on the Chocolate Orange format. It uses the brand's familiar novelty-ball presentation while replacing the core orange flavour with mint.

• 2023Board of Unsquare

  United Kingdom

  A stop-motion animated campaign introduced a group of eccentric characters called the Board of Unsquare to promote Chocolate Mint and later the Chocolate Milk ball.

  Outcome. Extended the unsquare creative platform to newer product variants.

  Source
• 2020Deliciously Unsquare

  United Kingdom

  An advertisement voiced by Brian Blessed presented Chocolate Orange as an expression of “British Unsquaredness,” highlighting its round form and unconventional segmented structure.

  Outcome. Reframed the unusual product shape as a distinctive brand value.

  Source
• 2007Post-rebrand segmented-chocolate advertising

  United Kingdom

  After Dawn French was dropped following a corporate rebrand, advertising shifted toward the mechanics of breaking the product apart, using lines such as “Round but not round for long” and later “Smash it to pieces, love it to bits.”

  Outcome. Kept the product ritual at the centre of the brand while changing the campaign style.

  Source
• Dawn French ownership campaigns

  United Kingdom

  A series of campaigns featuring Dawn French presented the Chocolate Orange as a prized personal possession that others attempted to take or share. The work popularised the line “It's not Terry's, it's mine” and reinforced the product's humorous, possessive Christmas identity.

  Outcome. Helped establish one of the brand's most recognisable advertising associations.

  Source

• 2025

  Reduce the UK product weight againOther

  Background

  The UK format was reported to have undergone another reduction in packaged weight.

  Action taken

  The stated weight was reduced by 12g to 145g.

  Aftermath

  The product continued to be sold in its established segmented orange format at the lower stated weight.

  Source

• 2018

  Consolidate production in StrasbourgStrategy

  Background

  After production had already moved from York to continental Europe, the brand's manufacturing network was reorganised.

  Action taken

  Carambar & Co consolidated Terry's Chocolate Orange production in Strasbourg, France.

  Aftermath

  Strasbourg became the stated production location for the product from 2018.

  Source

• 2016

  Sell the brand to EurazeoM&A

  Background

  Following the restructuring of Kraft Foods' confectionery interests into Mondelez International, Mondelez sold Terry's Chocolate Orange.

  Action taken

  Ownership transferred to investment company Eurazeo.

  Aftermath

  Carambar & Co became the manufacturing company associated with the product, with production later consolidated in Strasbourg.

  Source

• 2016

  Redesign the standard UK formatOther

  Background

  The product's segment mould was altered as part of a reduction in the packaged weight.

  Action taken

  The UK size changed from 175g to 157g, while the Canadian format was reported at 147g.

  Aftermath

  The revised shape left an air gap between segments; reports also noted that prices increased at some retail outlets.

  Source

• 2005

  Move production away from YorkStrategy

  Background

  The closure of Terry's Chocolate Works ended manufacturing at the product's historic York site.

  Action taken

  Production was transferred to continental Europe under Kraft Foods.

  Aftermath

  The brand retained its British origin story while no longer being manufactured in York.

  Source

1. 1Terry's Chocolate Orangeen.wikipedia.org