Background 

1927 Trading Limited was established in 2021 by brothers Michael and Richard Webster specifically for the manufacture of chocolate. The brothers also own and run the vegan chocolate brand, Kakoa and Friars of Keswick, which was set up by their ancestor William Long in 1927.

Despite having roots going back almost 100 years, 1927 Trading now operates as a modern and digitally-savvy business with a large e-commerce operation alongside its two shops located in Keswick and Ambleside. The business employs around 50 staff across its retail, online, packing, and manufacturing operations.

The Challenge

The production process was reliant on one large chocolate mixing tank to feed the other machines with melted chocolate. This setup created a major inefficiency as every time the business needed to switch between chocolate types - such as vegan and non-vegan or milk, white, and dark varieties - the tank had to be thoroughly cleaned. This cleaning process took at least two hours and resulted in the loss of usable chocolate.

The downtime from cleaning not only reduced manufacturing efficiency but also restricted flexibility in production. As demand for their products grew, this bottleneck became a significant barrier to productivity.
The Solution

To overcome these operational challenges, Michael, decided to purchase an additional 200kg chocolate melting tank and applied to Cumbria Business Growth Hub for a grant supported by the Rural England Prosperity Fund, provided through Cumberland Council. After submitting a successful application, Michael was awarded a grant of £6,372.45 towards the purchase.

The Impact

This additional tank has allowed the team to separate different chocolate types during production, eliminating the need to stop and clean between batches. This has led to significant operational improvements. Cleaning-related downtime has been dramatically reduced, resulting in increased efficiency and allowing the team to spend more time making chocolate.
The ability to work on multiple chocolate types at once has made the production process more flexible, making it easier to respond to customer demand.

Overall, the investment has helped the business enhance its manufacturing capabilities, improve productivity, and better position itself for future growth — all while maintaining the quality and care that has defined 1927 Trading Limited for nearly a century.