Hames Chocolates in Skegness applies to extend factory

A leading chocolate business in Skegness has submitted a planning application to extend its factory and build a new warehouse facility at the site.

Hames Chocolates in Hawthorn Road in Skegness is Lincolnshire’s answer to Willy Wonka’s fictional chocolate factory, creating the tastiest sweet treats from inside its four walls before distributing them to corporate retail customers via private label sales.

The business began in the realms of a different confectionery, the seaside treat rock in 2005, before transitioning into one of the largest chocolatiers in the county of Lincolnshire.

Last year, some 120,000 Easter eggs made at Hames Chocolates sat on the shelves of supermarket Aldi across the country. These eggs were made by the approximate 60 staff members working at the factory.

But now, an application has been submitted to East Lindsey District Council for “the biggest little factory that nobody has heard of” to grow a bit more.

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The application seeks “extensions and alterations” to the existing factory itself, as well as a new warehouse facility.

This will be used for a new test kitchen, as well as a training area for current staff members, and a space for staff socials and filming of social media content.

It would enable a scale-up of business operations, as well as creating more space to welcome clients and customers for development or corporate days out.

The extension measures at a proposed total gross new internal floorspace of 246.36 square metres for storage and distribution, with another 301.4 square metres gross for office space. This means the overall proposed new floorspace is 547.76 square metres.

Consultation is now underway for this development, which you can comment on by visiting the application on East Lindsey District Council’s planning portal.

Carol Oldbury, the extension applicant and a director at Hames Chocolates, said the application looks to “improve and build on what we already have” by offering more social and office spaces for staff and large corporate customers.

She said: “We’re chronically short of space for socials and training at the minute, so it would be amazing and beneficial for the business and our staff members to have this space.

“We like to have a positive impact on all the lives we touch, and this is in line with our vision as a business. There are lots of positive things we can do with this, if it gets approved.

“Basically we want to make the best of the space and give it a bit of a wow factor.”

The application was submitted on February 1 and will be discussed by East Lindsey District Council’s planning committee at a future meeting.