UKTV commission with BritBox and Sony Pictures Television and inspired by Deborah Cadbury’s book, Chocolate Wars
The six-part series is produced by Fable Pictures, in association with Alfresco Pictures
(L-R) Jessica Barden, Toby Regbo and Harry Gilby
Filming for brand-new U&Original period drama, The Cadburys (6x60’) is now underway in the city of Birmingham, with the series set to launch on free-streaming service U in 2027.
The star-studded cast stepping into the leading Cadbury family roles are Harry Gilby (Boarders, The Last Kingdom) as George, Toby Regbo (Outrageous, A Woman of Substance) as Richard, Jessica Barden (Dune: Prophecy, The End of the F****ing World) as Maria and Pearce Quigley (Small Prophets, The Gentlemen) as John, alongside wider cast including Ben Hardy (The Conjuring: Last Rites, Unicorns) as Francis Fry, Joanna Scanlan (Riot Women, Missed Call) as Dorothy Adlington, Poppy Gilbert (The Other Bennett Sister, My Oxford Year) as Elizabeth Adlington and many more.
(L-R) Harry Gilby, Jessica Barden, Toby Regbo, Chloë Mi Lin Ewart (writer) and Poppy Gilbert
The Cadburys (previously announced under the working title of Chocolate Wars) is a UKTV commission with BritBox and Sony Pictures Television, produced by Fable Pictures, in association with Alfresco Pictures, and written by Chloë Mi Lin Ewart (Curfew, All Creatures Great and Small, Beyond Paradise). Sony Pictures Television will handle worldwide sales as international distributor, with Creative UK providing regional support through the ERDF funded West Midlands Production Fund.
Further cast include Felicity Montagu (Beyond Paradise, I’m Alan Partridge) as Mary Brown, Mathew Baynton (Ghosts, Wonka) as Joseph Rowntree, Adam Hashmi (Joseph of Egypt, Bridgerton) as William Singh, Oli Green (The Gray House, Lift) as Howard Lloyd and Alexander Butler (Fackham Hall, Piglet) as Frank Sheldon. The series also introduces Leah Swain-Heath as Mabel Froggatt, Maisie Britton as Aoife Jinkins and Emma Montrochet as Winnie Smith.
The Cadburys is a warm-hearted family drama following the visionary Cadbury family, the underdogs of the cocoa world, on their journey towards creating the world-famous Cadbury’s chocolate bar.
In 1860s Birmingham, when chocolate as we know it doesn’t yet exist, two very different brothers, Richard (Regbo) and George Cadbury (Gilby), find themselves in charge of their family’s failing cocoa business. Together, they have the radical genius and burning ambition to turn Cadbury into one of the world’s most beloved confectioners – if they can only learn to trust and rely on each other. Their sister Maria (Barden) is navigating her own role within the family and the business, but things become even more complicated when she falls in love with Cadbury’s biggest rival, Francis Fry (Hardy) and is forced to question where her true loyalties really lie. Infused with historical delights and magical invention, The Cadburys is about how we build, break and rebuild the bonds of family - and how the sweetest things in life are rarely simple.
Fable Pictures said: “Casting this show has been a highlight of a journey – we are incredibly proud to bring together exceptional actors to honour and embellish these much-loved historical figures. We can’t wait for audiences to meet this remarkable family.”
Alfresco Pictures added: “As we embark on telling this extraordinary story, it’s an honour to be collaborating with such a hugely talented group of actors. We couldn’t be more excited to see them bring Chloë’s words to life.”
The Cadburys has been commissioned by Helen Perry, head of drama commissioning at UKTV, and ordered by Emma Tibbetts, director of scripted programming, and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. The series is produced by Fable Pictures in association with Alfresco Pictures and executive produced by Faye Ward, Freddie Highmore, Hannah Price and Claire Londy with Helen Perry for UKTV and Jess O’Riordan and Jon Farrar for BritBox. Directors for the series will be Tom McKay (After the Flood, Ten Pound Poms, There She Goes) and Jill Robertson (The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Ludwig, Dalgleish) with Hannah Farrell, co-creative director from Fable Pictures as series producer and Jo Farrugia as casting director. Chloë Mi Lin Ewart leads the writing team, alongside Eve Hedderwick Turner and Karim Khan.
The Cadburys is a brand-new U&Original commission and will launch on free-streaming service, U, in 2027. The series will also be available on free-to-air channel, U&DRAMA. The commission sits alongside hit dramas for U including Bergerac, starring Damien Molony and written by Toby Whithouse, Outrageous, telling the true story of the Mitford sisters with Bessie Carter and Joanna Vanderham, as well as The Marlow Murder Club, starring Samantha Bond, Jo Martin, Cara Horgan and Natalie Dew. Bookish, created, written by and starring Mark Gatiss, will also return to U&Alibi this August.
For more information, please contact:
Kelly Phelps, Communications Manager - Scripted, UKTV
Shannon Bulmer, Publicist - Scripted, UKTV
Notes for Editors:
- Images available HERE
- Cast headshots available HERE
- The Cadburys was previously announced under the working title ofChocolate Wars
- The Cadburys is inspired by Deborah Cadbury’s book, Chocolate Wars
About U
U is UKTV’s free streaming service in the UK, offering on-demand access to programmes from UKTV’s free-to-air channels: U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&W, U&YESTERDAY and U&eden.
U is available online at u.co.uk and via the U app on mobile devices and tablets, as well as on smart TVs and streaming platforms including Freeview Play, Freely, Amazon Fire TV, YouView, Samsung TV, Apple TV, Freesat, Sky Glass, Sky Stream, NOW and Roku. Thousands of hours of selected U content are also available on Channel 4’s streaming service.
U provides access to over 9,000 hours of programming, including exclusive original commissions, UK premieres and iconic BBC titles across drama, comedy, entertainment and factual entertainment. It was nominated for Best Streaming Service at the 2025 Edinburgh Television Festival Awards.
Programmes available on U include Bergerac, Whitstable Pearl, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Marlow Murder Club, Outrageous, The Bill, Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, Guy Martin: Proper Jobs, Bangers & Cash, Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake and MasterChef Australia.
U is the streaming home for UKTV’s channel brands and their on-demand catalogue in the UK.
About U&DRAMA
Sky 143, Virgin Media 130, Freeview 20, Freesat 158, Freely 20
+1 Sky 243, Virgin Media 226, Freeview, 60
On demand on Sky, Virgin Media, &
Free-to-air channel U&DRAMA is passionate about bringing Britain the best quality drama. From period to contemporary, family to comedy, the channel is a treasure trove of well-loved classics and modern drama with stories for viewers to fully immerse themselves in. Shows from U&DRAMA can be watched for free in the UK on UKTV’s free streaming service, U (u.co.uk).
With programmes including familiar favourites Call the Midwife, The Bill, Sister Boniface Mysteries, Chelsea Detective and Whitstable Pearl, and brand new hits such as Harry Wild and Art Detectives, this is the channel where viewers can escape and indulge in a handpicked range of the nation's most celebrated TV dramas.
The channel’s offering has also expanded in recent years with a wealth of U&Originals. These include the TV adaptation of Robert Thorogood’s hit novel The Marlow Murder Club, starring Samantha Bond as no-nonsense, crossword-setter and wild-swimmer, Judith Potts, alongside Jo Martin, Cara Horgan and Natalie Dew, and the true story of the Mitford sisters brings the 1930s to life on screen in Outrageous, starring Bessie Carter, Joanna Vanderham, Anna Chancellor and James Purefoy. The re-imagined series of the iconic Bergerac, starring Damien Molony and Zoë Wanamaker, became the highest rating show on the network in 2025 and received a nomination for Programme of the Year (Non-PSB) at the Broadcast Digital Awards, with the series recently returning.