Pick up a Peppa Pig chocolate egg or a Paw Patrol selection box and the brand on the front is never the company that actually made it - that's almost always Kinnerton, a Norfolk-based manufacturer most shoppers have never heard of despite owning a huge share of the UK's character confectionery shelf.
The company behind the characters
Kinnerton Confectionery was founded in 1978 and is based in Fakenham, Norfolk, where it still manufactures the bulk of its range. Rather than building its own consumer brand, Kinnerton's business model has always been licensing: it produces chocolate and novelty confectionery under agreements with the owners of children's characters, from Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol to various Disney and entertainment properties, putting their branding front and centre instead of its own.
A specialist in nut-free manufacturing
- Dedicated nut-free sites — Kinnerton runs production facilities specifically kept nut-free, rather than relying on "may contain" labelling, which is unusual for a manufacturer operating at this scale.
- Driven by school and parent demand — the investment reflects how central nut allergy safety has become for children's confectionery bought for lunchboxes, party bags and selection boxes.
- A real point of difference — it lets Kinnerton compete for licences that require allergen guarantees larger multi-product factories can't always offer.
What Kinnerton actually makes
The range covers hollow chocolate figures, egg-and-toy novelty products, character-branded buttons and bars, and seasonal selection boxes - the kind of impulse and gifting confectionery that fills supermarket aisles around Easter and Christmas. It sits in a different part of the market to chocolate brands built around their own name, since the whole point of Kinnerton's model is that the licensed character, not the manufacturer, sells the product.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kinnerton Confectionery?
Kinnerton Confectionery is a British chocolate manufacturer based in Norfolk that produces licensed character chocolate and novelty confectionery for brands including Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol and various Disney properties, rather than selling chocolate under its own name on the front of pack.
Why is Kinnerton known for nut-free chocolate?
Kinnerton operates dedicated nut-free production facilities, a response to demand from parents and schools for character chocolate that's safe for children with nut allergies, making it one of the few UK manufacturers producing character confectionery at scale under strict nut-free conditions.
What kind of products does Kinnerton make?
Kinnerton makes hollow chocolate figures, selection boxes, egg-and-toy novelty products, and character-branded chocolate bars and buttons, manufactured under licence for well-known children's TV and entertainment brands rather than sold as a standalone Kinnerton-branded range.