Chocolate: Meet a real Willy Wonka ⏲️ 6 Minute English

Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

I'm Neil. And I'm Beth.

In Britain, millions of kids grow up reading the books of Roald Dahl.

Before his death in 1990, Roald Dahl wrote over 30 children's books,

including bestsellers like Matilda and The BFG.

But one book in particular is many people's favourite.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Ah yes, I remember the story of Charlie Bucket,

the poor kid whose luck turns around when he wins a Golden Ticket

to the local chocolate factory.

The factory is run by the mysterious Willy Wonka

who invents all kinds of sweets and chocolates for the children to try –

everything from strawberry-coated fudge to marshmallow pillows.

Neil, I really wanted to visit that chocolate factory.

Now, if that story sounds familiar,

then maybe as a kid, you also dreamed of tasting chocolate for a living.

In this programme, we'll be meeting a real-life Willy Wonka. Someone

whose job involves exactly that – inventing and tasting chocolate bars.

And as usual, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary too.

Helle Anttila has the kind of job most people can only dream of.

Helle is head of research and development

at Fazer, a confectionery company in Finland which has been making

and selling chocolate for over 130 years.

Helle is responsible for buying the cocoa beans used to make chocolates

and coming up with ideas for new chocolate products to sell.

So, my question for you, Neil, is this: what is

Britain's best selling chocolate bar?

Is it a. Kit-Kat? b. Snickers or c. Mars?

Hmm. Well, I'm going to guess that it's Kit-Kat.

OK, Neil, I will reveal the correct answer at the end of the programme.

With over 6,000 employees,

Fazer is Finland's largest chocolate maker.

Just like Willy Wonka, Helle and her team think up new and exciting

chocolate products. Here, Helle explains more to Ruth Alexander

for BBC World Service programme,

The Food Chain.

Part of your job is to travel around the world and eat chocolate?

That would be a dream!

But of course you get the different information from different sources

around the world. So I think there is a brilliant amount of ideas.

Then it is just that OK, when is the right time to actually develop

and launch certain type of products,

when there is a like a consumer demand?

How does it feel when you've developed a new product, a new taste,

and it's on the shelves and people are going for it?

It feels great. You really feel proud of my team who is creating the products

and creating the taste experience.

It's really a great feeling.

Can you tell us about any flops where you just feel like we,

chocolate eaters, just weren't ready for it?

I think those flops are as important as the products

which are gaining great sales because you always learn.

Helle describes her chocolate maker job as a dream,

something that you want to happen very much but is not very likely to.

But in Helle's case, her dream came true.

After they invent a new chocolate bar,

Helle's team carefully choose the best time to launch it –

to introduce the new products to the public.

Usually, this only happens when there is enough consumer demand –

a measurement of how much customers want to buy something

based on factors like its price and availability.

If consumer demand is strong, Fazer starts to advertise

and promote their new chocolate bar before it hits the shelves –

an idiom meaning that it becomes available

for people to buy in the shops.

Then it's just a question of waiting to see if people go for,

or choose, the new product.

Some of Helle's biggest successes have been her blueberry truffle

and the heart-shaped geisha bar she invented.

But sometimes the new chocolate bar she thinks up is a flop –

completely unsuccessful or a failure. Flop or not,

Helle thinks she has one of the best jobs in the world,

even if she doesn't get to eat as much of her chocolate inventions

as Willy Wonka.

Anyway, speaking of best-selling chocolate,

isn't it time to reveal the answer to your question, Beth?

Right. I asked you about Britain's best-selling chocolate bar,

and you guessed it's the Kit-Kat, which was... the wrong answer,

I'm afraid, Neil.

In fact, the UK's most popular chocolate is the Mars Bar,

meaning that over three million bars get made every day.

OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt in this programme

starting with a dream –

something you really want to happen but is not likely to,

and the related idiom 'a dream come true' – when what you really want to happen

actually does.

When a company launches a new consumer product,

they introduce it to the public for the first time.

Consumer demand is a measurement of consumers'

desire to buy a product based on factors like its price and availability.

When a product hits the shelves,

it becomes available for purchase in the shops.

If you go for something, you choose it.

For example,

in a restaurant, you might say, 'I think I'll go for the fish'.

And finally, if something is a flop, it's completely unsuccessful – a failure.

Once again, our six minutes are up,

but remember to join us again next time for more trending topics

and useful vocabulary here at 6 Minute English. Goodbye for now.

Bye!