Elizabeth Shaw Ltd.

What Elizabeth Shaw Ltd. does

Elizabeth Shaw Ltd. is a UK-based premium chocolate manufacturer founded in Bristol in 1881, best known for its signature Mint Crisp — a honeycomb confection infused with mint oil and coated in dark or milk chocolate. The portfolio extends beyond the Mint Crisp line into chocolate-covered biscuits (Cappuccino, Orange, Amaretto, Coconut, Fruit & Nut), liqueur chocolates via the Famous Names Signature Collection (paired under licence with Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry, Label 5 Scotch Whisky, St-Rémy XO Brandy, and Cointreau), and bulk party packs of 300 individual chocolates. Production is built on proprietary recipes including mint oil infusion and honeycomb crisp technology, with the Dark Chocolate Mint Crisp registered with the Vegan Society.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market model. Direct-to-consumer revenue is generated through the elizabethshaw.co.uk e-commerce storefront and telephone orders, with individual SKUs priced between £3.75 and £8.00 and a £15.99 minimum order; party packs retail at £34.00 each. Wholesale distribution in the UK is handled through cash-and-carry and fine foods wholesalers including Booker, Bestway/Batley's, Hancock's, Holleys Fine Foods, Confex, Nisa, and Sugro UK, while international reach is delivered through country-specific distributors — Conaxess Trade Sweden AB (Sweden), Grocery Brand Solutions (Ireland), and Lynton Exports (Australia and Canada). UK direct shipping is restricted to the mainland, excluding Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.

Since 2016 Elizabeth Shaw has been a subsidiary of the Colian Group, a Polish family-owned food conglomerate, with Colian UK formally established in Bristol in 2021. The brand holds a Royal Warrant granted in 1963 for supplying Royal Households and continues to operate as a privately held, sub-scale UK entity with a reported 1-10 employees, relying on the Colian Group for manufacturing scale and international distribution reach. No revenue, funding, or headcount trajectory is publicly disclosed.

Name

Elizabeth Shaw Ltd.

Legal name

Elizabeth Shaw Ltd.

Website

https://elizabethshaw.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1881

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UK-based premium chocolate manufacturer founded in 1881, producing the signature Mint Crisp honeycomb and Famous Names liqueur chocolate collections. Sells direct-to-consumer in the UK mainland and via wholesale distributors in the UK, Sweden, Ireland, Australia, and Canada. A subsidiary of Polish family-owned Colian Group since 2016.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Chocolate Confectionery

NAICS

Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135), Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate (311352)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Cookies & Crackers (2052)

akta.pro primary industry

Chocolate & Chocolate Confectionery (CRADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chocolate & Candy Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAM)

Keywords

• Premium chocolate confectionery
• Liqueur chocolates
• Mint crisp chocolates
• Chocolate gift collections
• Party pack chocolates

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling chocolate products directly to consumers through the e-commerce website and telephone orders. Products include single items, party packs (bulk quantities of 300 chocolates), and gift collections. Payment collected at point of order via credit/debit card or PayPal.
2. Delivery/Shipping Charges: Additional revenue stream from delivery fees: UK Mainland Standard (£3.95), Premium Next Working Day (£5.95), Highlands & Islands (£6.45), Channel Islands (£6.95).
3. Wholesale Distribution: Products sold in bulk to UK wholesalers (Booker, Bestway/Batley's, etc.) and international distributors for resale in retail and trade channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Elizabeth Shaw Ltd. manufactures and supplies premium British chocolates and biscuits, centered on its signature Mint Crisp honeycomb recipe. The product range includes single-serve chocolate flutes and biscuits, the Famous Names Signature Collection featuring world-famous liqueurs and spirits, and bulk 300-count party packs. Sales are conducted through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront, UK wholesale channels, and international distribution partners.

Product overview

Elizabeth Shaw Ltd. is a UK-based chocolate and biscuit company with over 140 years of heritage, now part of the Colian Group. The company offers a unified portfolio of premium chocolate products centered around its iconic Mint Crisp line, complemented by various chocolate biscuit selections and liqueur-infused chocolates. The product range includes single-serve items (Flutes, Biscuits), bulk party packs (300-count boxes), and signature collections (Famous Names, Mint Collection). Products are available through the company's e-commerce platform, UK wholesalers (Booker, Bestway, Nisa), and international distributors in Sweden, Ireland, Australia, and Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Famous Names: Premium chocolate collection featuring rich dark chocolate combined with the world's most famous liqueurs and spirits, including Harveys Bristol Cream, Label 5 Scotch Whisky, St-Rémy XO French Brandy, and Cointreau.

Products and services

• Dark Chocolate Mint Crisp Rich dark chocolate and crisp honeycomb infused with mint oil. The brand's signature product and original recipe created by Elizabeth Shaw.
• Dark Chocolate Mint Crisp 300 Bulk pack of 300 dark chocolate mint crisp pieces, designed for party packs and gifting occasions.
• Milk Chocolate Mint Crisp 300 Bulk pack of 300 milk chocolate mint crisp pieces with smooth milk chocolate and mint honeycomb center.
• Cappuccino Flutes Rich dark chocolate blended with a milk chocolate and coffee centre. Contains 24 chocolates per pack.
• Orange Flutes Orange milk chocolate covered in rich dark chocolate. A citrus-infused chocolate flute.
• Amaretto Flutes Smooth milk chocolate combined with a hint of sweet-yet-bitter amaretto flavour.
• Milk Chocolate Mint Flutes Smooth milk chocolate with a mint fondant centre in a classic chocolate tube format.
• Dark Chocolate Orange Biscuits Crisp biscuit with caramel, orange flavoured pieces and dark chocolate coating. Contains 9 biscuits per pack.
• Milk Chocolate Fruit & Nut Biscuits Crisp biscuit and chewy caramel topped with raisins and hazelnuts, finished with milk chocolate.
• Milk Chocolate & Coconut Biscuits Crisp biscuit smothered in coconut and hazelnuts with chewy caramel, finished with smooth milk chocolate.
• Famous Names Signature Collection Rich dark chocolate combined with world-famous liqueurs and spirits including Irish Cream, Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry, Label 5 Scotch Whisky, St-Rémy XO Brandy, and Cointreau. Contains 16 chocolates.
• Mint Collection Collection featuring milk and dark chocolate mint varieties infused with mint oil, presented in a luxury gift box. Contains 29 chocolates.
• Party Packs Bulk party pack selections including Dark Chocolate Mint Crisp 300 and Milk Chocolate Mint Crisp 300, designed for events, parties and celebrations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mint Crisp pack has been completely recyclable as of September 2020
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Colian GroupcoreOthers · 1 January 2016Since 2016, Elizabeth Shaw and Famous Names have been part of the Colian Group, a Polish family business delivering high quality products. Colian UK was created in 2021 and the head office is based in Bristol. This acquisition brought Elizabeth Shaw under the umbrella of an established international food manufacturing group.
• BookermajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK wholesaler stocking Elizabeth Shaw products for resale to independent retailers and trade customers.
• Bestway/Batley'smajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK wholesaler distributing Elizabeth Shaw products to retail outlets across the country.
• Hancock's Cash and CarrymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK cash and carry operator distributing Elizabeth Shaw chocolate products.
• Holleys Fine FoodsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK fine foods distributor stocking Elizabeth Shaw premium chocolate range.
• ConfexmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK confectionery wholesaler distributing Elizabeth Shaw products.
• NisamajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK wholesaler and retail group stocking Elizabeth Shaw chocolate products in their independent retailer network.
• Sugro UKmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK confectionery and snacks wholesaler distributing Elizabeth Shaw products.
• Conaxess Trade Sweden ABmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwedish distribution partner handling Elizabeth Shaw products in the Swedish market. Located at Löfströms Allé 5, 172 66 Sundbyberg, Sweden. Phone: +46 8725 1400, Email: [email protected]
• Grocery Brand SolutionsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIrish distribution partner handling Elizabeth Shaw products in the Republic of Ireland. Located at Unit 5 Ashbourne Business Park, Ashbourne, Co Meath, A84 ET95, Ireland.
• Lynton ExportsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational export partner handling Elizabeth Shaw products in Australia and Canada markets. Located at Lynton House, 8 Sandbach Rd, Alsager, Stoke-on-Trent, ST7 2LU. Phone: 01270 882303, Email: [email protected]

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hotel Chocolat: UK-based premium chocolate brand with strong D2C e-commerce, retail stores, subscription model, and broad premium gifting range. Directly comparable as a British premium chocolate brand pursuing similar consumer segments via D2C channels.
• Thorntons: Long-established British chocolate confectioner (founded 1911) now owned by Ferrero. Closest heritage/positioning peer with UK gifting focus and similar product formats (boxed chocolates, biscuits, liqueur offerings).
• Charbonnel et Walker: British luxury chocolate brand (founded 1875) holding a Royal Warrant and famous for premium boxed chocolates and truffles. Highly comparable as a heritage UK chocolate maker in the premium gifting segment.
• Prestat: London-based luxury chocolate house (founded 1902) holding two Royal Warrants. Comparable as a small-batch premium British chocolatier focused on truffles, liqueur chocolates, and gifting assortments.
• Green & Black's: Premium UK chocolate brand owned by Mondelez, positioned around ethical sourcing, organic credentials, and dark chocolate. Comparable as a UK premium positioned chocolate brand with sustainability/ethical claims.
• Montezuma's Chocolate: UK-based independent premium chocolate maker with strong D2C presence and ethical/sustainability positioning. Comparable as a small premium British chocolate brand with a direct-to-consumer focus.
• Rococo Chocolates: London-based artisan chocolatier with flagship Belgravia store, premium gift positioning, and ethical sourcing commitments. Comparable as a British premium chocolate brand targeting the gifting and special-occasion consumer.

Broad incumbents

• Cadbury (Mondelez International): Dominant UK chocolate mass-market incumbent owned by Mondelez. Comparable as the same category but operates at vastly greater scale across mainstream retail rather than Elizabeth Shaw's premium heritage niche.
• Lindt & Sprüngli: Global premium chocolate incumbent with strong UK presence (Lindor, Excellence ranges). Comparable as a premium chocolate player with broader portfolio, deeper marketing budgets, and similar gifting positioning.

Regional players

• Lir Chocolates: Premium Irish chocolate brand with similar premium positioning and liqueur/truffle offerings. Comparable as a heritage premium chocolate peer serving adjacent UK/Irish market via Elizabeth Shaw's existing Irish distributor (Grocery Brand Solutions).

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elizabeth-shaw-ltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/eschocolates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elizabeth Shaw Ltd.