BBC | Chocolate: Meet a real Willy Wonka

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 thirty 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 confectionary 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 chocolate, 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) KitKat?

b) Snickers? or,

c) Mars?

Hmm, well, I’m going to guess that it’s KitKat.

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

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 product 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 heartshaped 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 KitKat, which was… the wrong answer I’m afraid, Neil. In fact, the UK’s most popular chocolate is the Mars bar, meaning that over 3 million bars get made every day! OK, let's recap the vocabulary we've learned 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!