Karl’s Great, Great Uncles Walter and Joshua Johnson join the Eclipse Candy Company. Joshua assumes the position of Sales Representative in Scotland whilst Walter fulfils the position of Sales Director.

Eclipse Candy Company is sold to “Casket Confectionery Company,” of Patricroft, near Manchester.

Bob Johnson joins the American company Wrigley’s and remains employed here for a staggering 32 years!

Did you know?

Wrigley’s was founded on April 1, 1891 and originally sold products such as soap and baking powder.

In 1892, however, Wrigley’s began offering chewing gum with each can of baking powder sold and the chewing gum eventually became more popular than the baking powder! The company was, therefore, restructured to produce the famous Wrigley’s chewing gum which we are all familiar with today!

Eclipse Candy Company is sold to “Maxons”, a sweet manufacturer based in Sheffield.

Image © Maxons Sweets, Bradbury Street, Sheffield, United Kingdom, S8 9QQ.

As a young boy, Karl visits his Uncle Mark’s shop and becomes fascinated by the extensive assortment of fresh chocolates, precisely stacked chocolate bars and chocolate figurines on display. Karl especially enjoys being given new chocolates to try every time he visits and is captivated by the heavenly chocolate aroma which fills his Uncle’s shop!

Influenced by his mother’s skilful cooking and through his own passion for honest, good food, Karl becomes an enthusiastic baker of breads, cakes, and pastries and discovers his TRUE PASSION for working with CHOCOLATE.

Karl, FINALLY, decides to set up his own chocolate business, Cocoa Red. In preparation of this, Karl gains experience with some of the world’s finest Chocolatiers including Keith Hurdman, Paul Wayne Gregory and Oliver Nicol.

Karl launches Cocoa Red at the Isle of Man Food Festival in September 2009.