Milk Tray
Encyclopedia
Milk Tray is brand of boxed chocolates
currently manufactured by Cadbury
. Introduced by Cadbury UK in 1915, it is one of the longest running brands in the confectioner's portfolio. Milk Tray is sold in Australia
, Ireland
, New Zealand
, South Africa
and the United Kingdom
.
The name 'Tray' derived from the way in which the original assortment
was delivered to the shops. Originally Milk Tray was packed in five and a half pound boxes, arranged on trays from which it was sold loose to
customers.
In 1916 a half pound deep-lidded box was introduced with a purple
background and gold script, which has undergone minor changes in the
ninety years since it was introduced. In 1924 a one-pound box was
introduced, and by the mid 1930s the Cadbury's Milk Tray assortment was outselling all its competitors.
The pack design has been regularly updated and the assortment itself has changed in line with consumer preferences, and today it is still one of the most popular boxes of chocolates in the UK selling over 8 million boxes per annum.
The traditionally named Turkish Delight
has now been renamed to the more politically correct "Eastern Delight".
–style action man who goes through hell and high water to surreptitiously deliver a box of Milk Tray chocolates to a woman. The original strapline was All because the lady loves Milk Tray.
There were 19 adverts in the series.
Six actors played the Milk Tray Man. Actor Gary Myers
, who is most recognizable as the action figure, starred in 11 of them between 1968 and 1984. James Coombes assumed the role in 1987. Kidderminster
born actor Alan Riley was officially the last Milk Tray man. A memorable scene of the man jumping from a cliff top into the sea was performed by veteran stuntman Alf Joint
.
Top film directors, including Adrian Lyne
directed the adverts.
The music, The Night Rider, was written by Cliff Adams, who also wrote the music for Fry's Turkish Delight
advertisements. The music was recorded commercially by Alan Hawkshaw
on the album "27 Top TV Themes" (Studio 2 Stereo, 1972). This album has been rereleased on CD (EMI 7234 4 98171 2 8). Alan Hawkshaw was the pianist on the original sessions with Cliff Adams, for the advertisements. A medley of three separate arrangements of the theme, based on the authentic scores as used in the commercials from 1968 to 2010, is commercially available, performed by London Music Works, on the album "Great British TV Themes" (SILCD 1357).
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
currently manufactured by Cadbury
Cadbury
-Businesses:*Cadbury Adams, the company's North American subsidiary*Cadbury Ireland, the company's Irish subsidiary*Cadbury UK, the company's UK subsidiary*Cadbury India, the company's Indian subsidiary*Cadbury New Zealand, the company's New Zealand subsidiary...
. Introduced by Cadbury UK in 1915, it is one of the longest running brands in the confectioner's portfolio. Milk Tray is sold in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The name 'Tray' derived from the way in which the original assortment
was delivered to the shops. Originally Milk Tray was packed in five and a half pound boxes, arranged on trays from which it was sold loose to
customers.
In 1916 a half pound deep-lidded box was introduced with a purple
background and gold script, which has undergone minor changes in the
ninety years since it was introduced. In 1924 a one-pound box was
introduced, and by the mid 1930s the Cadbury's Milk Tray assortment was outselling all its competitors.
The pack design has been regularly updated and the assortment itself has changed in line with consumer preferences, and today it is still one of the most popular boxes of chocolates in the UK selling over 8 million boxes per annum.
The traditionally named Turkish Delight
Turkish Delight
Turkish delight or lokum is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios and hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; the cheapest are mostly gel, generally flavored with rosewater, mastic, or lemon...
has now been renamed to the more politically correct "Eastern Delight".
Milk Tray Man
From 1968 to 2003, the chocolate was advertised by the Milk Tray Man a rough, tough James BondJames Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
–style action man who goes through hell and high water to surreptitiously deliver a box of Milk Tray chocolates to a woman. The original strapline was All because the lady loves Milk Tray.
There were 19 adverts in the series.
Six actors played the Milk Tray Man. Actor Gary Myers
Gary Myers (actor)
Gary Myers is a British Actor, best known as the original "Milk Tray" man in the long running television advertising campaign for the Cadbury-Schweppes chocolates. His other notable role was that of Captain Lew Waterman on Gerry Anderson's cult TV series UFO. at the Internet Movie Database...
, who is most recognizable as the action figure, starred in 11 of them between 1968 and 1984. James Coombes assumed the role in 1987. Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
born actor Alan Riley was officially the last Milk Tray man. A memorable scene of the man jumping from a cliff top into the sea was performed by veteran stuntman Alf Joint
Alf Joint
Alf Joint was a British movie and television stunt performer, stunt coordinator and arranger....
.
Top film directors, including Adrian Lyne
Adrian Lyne
Adrian Lyne is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for directing films that focus on sexually charged characters and often uses natural light, a fog machine and other effects to create eroticized atmospheres...
directed the adverts.
The music, The Night Rider, was written by Cliff Adams, who also wrote the music for Fry's Turkish Delight
Fry's Turkish Delight
Fry's Turkish Delight is a chocolate sweet made by Cadbury, and formerly by J. S. Fry & Sons. It was launched in 1914 and consists of a rose-flavoured Turkish delight surrounded by milk chocolate....
advertisements. The music was recorded commercially by Alan Hawkshaw
Alan Hawkshaw
Alan Hawkshaw is a British composer and performer, particularly of themes for movies and television programmes...
on the album "27 Top TV Themes" (Studio 2 Stereo, 1972). This album has been rereleased on CD (EMI 7234 4 98171 2 8). Alan Hawkshaw was the pianist on the original sessions with Cliff Adams, for the advertisements. A medley of three separate arrangements of the theme, based on the authentic scores as used in the commercials from 1968 to 2010, is commercially available, performed by London Music Works, on the album "Great British TV Themes" (SILCD 1357).