Largest chocolate bar: Thorntons breaks Guinness world record (Video) Somercotes, Derbyshire, UK -- Combining the company's centenary and Chocolate Week celebrations, Thorntons has created a giant chocolate bar measuring four meters wide by four meters long and weighing in at a staggering 5,792.5kg (that's almost six tonnes!) - which sets the new world record for the Largest chocolate bar, according to World Record Academy (www.worldrecordacademy.com).
Photo: Three-year-old Mia Bell samples some chocolate as she sits on Thorntons giant slab. Weighing almost six tonnes and measuring 13ft (4m) square, the giant slab of milk chocolate has officially broken the Guinness world record for world's largest chocolate bar. (enlarge photo)
The previous Guinness world record of 5,529.29kg was held by an American confectioner, who broke the record just last month.
Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the largest slab of fudge: it weighed 2.61 tonnes (5,760 lb) and was made by Northwest Fudge Factory (Canada) in Levack, Ontario, Canada.
Paul Bell, a stock controller in Thorntons' toffee department, came up with the idea to celebrate the centenary and said creating it was no mean feat.
"As you can appreciate, it was a massive task," he said. "On pouring day itself there were over 50 people involved pouring the chocolate into the mould and it took 10 hours to do it, then a further three days to cool off."
Thorntons was founded in Sheffield in 1911 and is now the largest independent chocolate firm in the UK.
Thorntons Master Chocolatier, Keith Hurdman, says: "It's been one of the biggest challenges we've ever had to face here at Thorntons, and has put all of our chocolate-making expertise to the test."
"I'm really proud of all of the team; it's taken months of planning and over 50 people were involved in the making of it so the World Record title is a fantastic achievement and a great way to celebrate our 100th birthday."
The World's Largest Chocolate Bar is four metres wide and long; it r will not go to waste.
Mr Bell said it will be broken up with axes and given to Thorntons staff and customers in shops, as well as helping to raise money for charities.