Pemberton’s chocolates set for closure
The tourist attraction and artisan chocolate producer in Llanboidy, Carmarthenshire has been on sale for £1.2M for more than a year.
The factory employs 12 people and has an annual turnover approaching £500,000.
Products on sale at the site and available wholesale and by mail order include dairy and gluten- free chocolate, seasonal ranges, chocolate figures and boxes of chocolates.
Profitable business
A spokeswoman told FoodManufacture.co.uk that the business is profitable. It was put on the market as founder Elizabeth Jones wanted to retire following the death of her husband, the co-founder, from cancer in 2008.
She said: “We have had interest from potential buyers, but in the current economic climate none of them has been able to raise the money from the banks.”
Delis and giftshop supplier
Customers, which include delis and gift shops and the House of Fraser in Cardiff, had already been told of the closure, and staff had been given redundancy notices.
The hill farm site includes over 30 acres of land, a six-bedroom farmhouse, a range of farm buildings, a delicatessen, shop, cafe, gallery, cinema, museum and a factory, along with parking for 120 cars.
The farm where it is based is an award-winning attraction bringing in up to 30,000 visitors a year.
