The UK has the seventh highest consumption of chocolate in the world. The average Brit eats 17.49lbs of chocolate per year (The World Atlas of Chocolate). Switzerland takes the top spot. 40% of the chocolate eaten in the world is consumed in Europe.

66% of chocolate is consumed between meals with 22% of all chocolate consumed between 8pm and midnight (The World Atlas of Chocolate).

Britain really is a nation of chocolate lovers. In Britain we eat an estimated 660,900 tonnes of chocolate a year, an average of 11kg per person per year (about 3 bars a week).

The UK chocolate industry is worth £3.6billion (Speciality Food, 08) and sales of chocolate just keep growing and growing, with an estimated 17% increase in sales over the next five years.

In just two years, between 2005 and 2007, chocolate sales doubled (Mintel). And the clear winner of the sector is dark chocolate.

8,000 new chocolate products were introduced worldwide last year – meaning that a new chocolate treat was launched almost every hour of every day in 2008 (Mintel Global New Products Database, Feb 09)