BritBox Reveals First Look at New Historical Drama The Cadburys
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Last Updated on November 2, 2026 by Stefanie Hutson
BritBox has released the first images from The Cadburys, a new six-part period drama about the family behind one of Britain’s best-known chocolate companies. Formerly announced under the working title Chocolate Wars, the series has now finished filming in Birmingham, where much of the real Cadbury story began.
What Is The Cadburys About?
The drama begins in 1860s Birmingham, when brothers Richard and George Cadbury find themselves responsible for their father’s struggling cocoa business. Chocolate at the time looked very different from the familiar bars that would eventually make the Cadbury name famous, and the brothers need to find a way to turn an ailing family company into something that can compete with better-established rivals.
Richard and George approach the challenge very differently, making their relationship as brothers almost as important as their business ambitions. Their sister Maria is also trying to find her place within the family and the company, while her attraction to Francis Fry creates an obvious complication: his family happens to run one of Cadbury’s biggest competitors.
How Much of The Cadburys Is Based on a True Story?
The central business story is rooted in real Cadbury history. John Cadbury opened a grocery shop in Birmingham in 1824, selling tea, coffee, cocoa and drinking chocolate before moving into manufacturing. When ill health forced him to retire in 1861, his sons Richard and George took control of the business.
Those early years were difficult, but a major turning point came in 1866 when the brothers invested in a new cocoa press that allowed them to produce a purer cocoa product. Their Cocoa Essence helped revive the company and put it on the path toward becoming one of Britain’s major confectioners.
The period covered by the drama comes well before some of the Cadbury products we know today. The company’s first Easter egg arrived in 1875, the Bournville factory and model village followed later in the century, and Dairy Milk wasn’t introduced until 1905.
The Cadburys were also part of a wider network of Quaker business families involved in Britain’s early chocolate industry, including the Frys and Rowntrees. Their religious beliefs influenced ideas about business, workers and social responsibility that would become an important part of the history of all three companies.
What Is the Source Material for The Cadburys?
The series is inspired by Chocolate Wars, the nonfiction book by historian and former BBC producer Deborah Cadbury, a descendant of the Cadbury family.
Her book takes a much broader view than the television series, tracing roughly 150 years of competition and change in the chocolate industry while looking at companies including Cadbury, Fry, Rowntree, Lindt, Nestlé, Hershey and Mars. It also examines the relationship between Quaker social ideals and the increasingly competitive world of commercial chocolate-making.
The television adaptation narrows that history considerably, concentrating on the younger generation of Cadburys during a particularly important period in the family business rather than attempting to dramatize the full scope of the book.
Who’s in the Cast of The Cadburys?
Toby Regbo (Outrageous, A Woman of Substance) stars as Richard Cadbury, with Harry Gilby (Boarders, The Last Kingdom) as his brother George and Jessica Barden (Dune: Prophecy, The End of the F***ing World) as their sister Maria. Pearce Quigley (Small Prophets, The Gentlemen) plays their father, John Cadbury.
Poppy Gilbert (The Other Bennet Sister, My Oxford Year) appears as Elizabeth Adlington, with Joanna Scanlan (Riot Women, Missed Call) as her mother, Dorothy. Ben Hardy (The Conjuring: Last Rites, Unicorns) plays Francis Fry, while Mathew Baynton (Ghosts) takes on the role of Joseph Rowntree.
The wider cast includes Felicity Montagu (Beyond Paradise, I’m Alan Partridge) as Mary Brown, Adam Hashmi (Bridgerton) as William Singh, Oli Green (The Gray House) as Howard Lloyd and Alexander Butler (Fackham Hall) as Frank Sheldon. Leah Swain-Heath, Maisie Britton and Emma Montrochet also appear.
Who’s Making The Cadburys?
Chloë Mi Lin Ewart, whose previous credits include All Creatures Great and Small and Beyond Paradise, leads the writing team alongside Eve Hedderwick Turner and Karim Khan. Tom McKay (After the Flood, Ten Pound Poms) and Jill Robertson (Ludwig, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder) direct the six episodes, with Hannah Farrell serving as series producer.
The series is produced by Fable Pictures in association with Alfresco Pictures. Faye Ward, Freddie Highmore, Hannah Price and Claire Londy are among the executive producers, alongside representatives from BritBox and UKTV. Sony Pictures Television is handling international distribution.
When Will The Cadburys Premiere?
For American and Canadian viewers, The Cadburys will stream on BritBox North America in 2027, although an exact premiere date hasn’t been announced yet. In the UK, the series is also expected in 2027 on UKTV’s free streaming service U and the U&DRAMA channel.
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