The story of Caley’s Marching chocolate is the Sleeping Beauty of the chocolate industry. Albert Jarman Caley opened his chemist’s shop in London Street, Norwich in 1857 and shortly afterwards, thanks to the combination of an inspirational mind and his knowledge of chemistry, he began to manufacture mineral water and drinks in the cellars of the premises. In 1880, he opened a factory in Chapel Field East, Norwich using water from two deep artesian wells on site for his mineral waters and in 1886, looking for something to occupy the factory during the quiet winter months, he launched into the manufacture of drinking chocolate. This was soon followed by eating chocolate. Alfred Caley retired in 1894, and handed over the very successful business to his son Edward and nephews Frederick and Stuart who diversified into production of Christmas Crackers. By the turn of the century, following Cadbury’s lead, it was fashionable to have brightly illustrated lids on packaging and in particular chocolate boxes, and Alfred Munnings, a then penniless artist living in nearby Dedham, was commissioned by one of the Caley’s directors to design both the Caley chocolate box lids and the crackers. Many of them are now famous symbols of that era and some early originals can still been seen in the Borthwick Institute/Rowntree Museum at York.
