Thorntons

Does Thorntons make ethical and sustainable chocolate? 

Thorntons is a Ferrero chocolate brand that is listed in The Good Shopping Guide‘s Ethical Chocolate Ratings Table. Although Thorntons is yet to meet our ethical standards, we expect the brand to improve in the future.

Find out more about the ethical issues faced by the Ethical Chocolate Brands sector and see how other brands score in our Ethical Chocolate Ratings Tables.

What does Thorntons do and what is its history?

In 1911, Joseph Thornton, a traveling confectioner, opened a sweet shop in Sheffield, which he entrusted to his son, Norman. Norman brought his brother, Stanley, on board after initially selling sweet treats such as Violet Cachous and Sweet Lips. The brothers did not begin making their own hand-made truffles and fondants until the 1920s – this is when the Thorntons’ we know today began.  Thorntons joined the Ferrero Group in 2015.

For which criteria does Thorntons perform poorly? 

Despite having an extensive range of chocolate food and drink products, none of them are certified-Organic or Fairtrade, resulting in a bottom rating in both of these categories.

Thorntons also receives a bottom rating for Public Record Criticisms and Public Record Criticisms+ (which reflects the high number of criticisms received), due to several unethical practices that its parent company, Ferrero, is involved in. This includes issues such as human rights abuses, deforestation, plastic pollution and more.

In what areas does Thorntons score well for its ethics?

Thorntons receives a top rating for Nuclear Power, Fossil Fuels and Armaments, as neither the brand or its parent company are involved in any of these industries.

More information about Thorntons…

To see how Thorntons ranks against other chocolate brands, see our Ethical Chocolate Ratings Tables. If you own or work for a chocolate brand, why not see how your brand ranks? You can submit a brand, product, or company for a free assessment by filling out this short form.