How Quality Street chocolates are made: Specially designed machine wraps 750 sweets every minute
The home of Quality Street in Halifax has given lovers of their festive treats an insight into how the chocolates are made.
Nestlé’s new YouTube series “Amazing Machines” offers a unique glimpse into how Quality Street chocolates come to life.
Inside Nestlé’s historic 116 year-old Halifax factory, which has been producing Quality Street for nearly 90 years, sits a remarkable wrapping machine.
Operating at incredible speed and precision, it twists and seals up to 750 Quality Street sweets every minute.
Every Purple One, Toffee Penny and Green Triangle begins its journey in Halifax, using chocolate from Nestlé’s York factory before being transformed into the assortment loved across the UK.
On the countdown to Christmas Nestlé’s Halifax factory runs at full festive pace, producing up to 12 million Quality Street sweets every single day – around 500 tonnes each week in the run up to Christmas.
Designed specifically for the Halifax site, the bespoke machine features three rotating wheels working in perfect harmony to wrap 750 Quality Street sweets every minute.


This piece of machinery is the focus of the first episode of Amazing Machines, shining a light on the engineering and ingenuity behind one of Britain’s most recognisable Christmas staples.
Simon Billington, Head of Technical & Production at Nestlé UK & Ireland, said: “Every Christmas, this machine helps us deliver millions of Quality Street sweets to retailers and households across the UK, operating at a scale that reflects both the heritage of the brand and the capability of our Halifax team.
“We’re proud to share this part of the Quality Street story through the Amazing Machines series, giving people a closer look at the innovation behind one of Britain’s most-loved festive traditions.
“The Halifax factory is a key part of Nestlé’s UK manufacturing footprint, supporting skilled employment and providing long-term career opportunities in the region. As we continue to evolve and invest in our operations and our people, Halifax remains central to how we deliver for consumers at Christmas and beyond.” The Halifax factory is one of Yorkshire’s largest food manufacturing sites and a major employer in the region.
It employs more than 550 people, including around 20 apprentices and graduates, helping develop the next generation of engineers and technicians and offering people of all backgrounds the opportunity to build long-term careers in manufacturing.
Since 1936, Nestlé’s Halifax factory has been home to Quality Street, created by the Mackintosh family. Today, Quality Street is still made in the same factory where it all began, alongside other beloved Nestlé brands, After Eight, Rolo, Munchies and Matchmakers.
Amazing Machines is a four-part YouTube Series hosted by inventor and engineer, Ruth Amos, revealing the behind the scenes of some of Nestlé’s most important machines.