{"id":14131,"date":"2025-09-07T16:38:24","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T16:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.wearedeeperblue.co.uk\/history-clone\/?p=14131"},"modified":"2026-01-14T10:15:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T10:15:13","slug":"david-thorp-making-rock-confectionery-for-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.wearedeeperblue.co.uk\/history-clone\/david-thorp-making-rock-confectionery-for-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"David Thorp &#8211; Making Rock &#038; Confectionery for the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"602\"><strong>Stanton &amp; Novelty Confectioners<\/strong> is a true Blackpool institution \u2014 a family-run business that has been crafting traditional seaside sweets and novelty confectionery for more than half a century. Established in 1969, the company has become synonymous with the vibrant and nostalgic flavours of the Great British seaside, producing everything from classic rock and humbugs to custom-designed candy creations. Now led by David Thorp, the third generation of his family to run the business, Stanton\u2019s continues to uphold the craftsmanship, creativity, and quality that have defined it since the beginning.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"604\" data-end=\"1290\">The story began with David\u2019s grandfather, who founded the company during the height of Blackpool\u2019s golden age as a holiday resort. His father later carried the business forward, expanding its range and reputation while keeping its heart firmly rooted in tradition. Today, David continues that legacy with the same dedication, ensuring that every piece of confectionery still embodies the spirit of the seaside \u2014 colourful, joyful, and lovingly handmade. Like many family businesses, Stanton\u2019s has weathered the ups and downs of changing tastes, tourism patterns, and market trends, yet it has remained a staple of the town\u2019s identity and a trusted name across the confectionery trade.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1292\" data-end=\"1829\">Stanton &amp; Novelty Confectioners supplies high-quality sweets and novelty candy to a wide range of clients across the UK and Europe, including some of the country\u2019s best-known destinations and retailers. Their customers include <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.wearedeeperblue.co.uk\/history-clone\/the-pleasure-beach\/\"><strong>Blackpool Pleasure Beach<\/strong><\/a>, Alton Towers, Drayton Manor, Chessington, Thorpe Park, and even the world-renowned Fortnum &amp; Mason in London. From small independent retailers and traditional seaside shops to major theme parks and wholesalers, Stanton\u2019s products bring a touch of fun and nostalgia wherever they go.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1831\" data-end=\"2461\">Over the decades, the company has developed an enormous product range, encompassing thousands of items \u2014 from traditional rock, lollipops, and boiled sweets to bespoke designs for special occasions or promotional campaigns. Their ability to tailor-make sweets has become one of their defining strengths. Whether a customer wants personalised branding, themed packaging, or a completely custom flavour or shape, Stanton\u2019s team can bring it to life with precision and flair. Every batch reflects the company\u2019s enduring commitment to craftsmanship, quality ingredients, and the joyful experience of enjoying a perfectly made sweet.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2463\" data-end=\"2945\">Today, Stanton &amp; Novelty Confectioners remains based in Blackpool, proudly continuing its heritage as part of the town\u2019s seaside tradition while embracing the needs of modern retail. Under David Thorp\u2019s leadership, the company has successfully combined traditional techniques with contemporary business practices, offering online ordering, bespoke design services, and nationwide distribution \u2014 all while staying true to its family values and its roots in the heart of Lancashire.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2947\" data-end=\"3204\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">For over 50 years, Stanton\u2019s has been much more than a confectionery company \u2014 it\u2019s been a part of the memories of countless visitors to the seaside, a trusted supplier to leading brands, and a testament to the enduring appeal of handcrafted British sweets.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"David Thorp Discuss Blackpool Rock Under Threat From Inferior Imports On BBC Breakfast [24.04.2024]\" width=\"680\" height=\"383\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wJXTTx_Z2x0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>David Thorp is the third generation of his family to lead Stanton &amp; Novelty Confectioners in Blackpool. Stanton&#8217;s has been synonymous with candy and rock novelties since 1969. Yet, like his grandad and dad before him, David is no stranger to the challenges of running a traditional seaside confectionery business since 1969. For over 50 years, they\u2019ve been dedicated to handcrafting the finest candy confectionery that captures the nostalgia of the Great British seaside. Their products are loved by locals, tourists, and sweet enthusiasts across the UK and Europe. Now in their third generation, they proudly supply high-quality novelty confectionery&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14132,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[341],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-341"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.8 (Yoast SEO v25.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>David Thorp and the Legacy of Blackpool Rock<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how David Thorp, third-generation confectioner, continues Blackpool\u2019s rock-making tradition at Stanton\u2019s, supplying sweets across the UK.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"David Thorp - Making Rock &amp; Confectionery for the UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover how David Thorp, third-generation confectioner, continues Blackpool\u2019s rock-making tradition at Stanton\u2019s, supplying sweets across the UK.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dev.wearedeeperblue.co.uk\/history-clone\/david-thorp-making-rock-confectionery-for-the-uk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blackpool History\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-07T16:38:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-14T10:15:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dev.wearedeeperblue.co.uk\/history-clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/David-Thorp-1000.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ed\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ed\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.wearedeeperblue.co.uk\/history-clone\/david-thorp-making-rock-confectionery-for-the-uk\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.wearedeeperblue.co.uk\/history-clone\/david-thorp-making-rock-confectionery-for-the-uk\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ed\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.wearedeeperblue.co.uk\/history-clone\/#\/schema\/person\/6ba254dbcdf45d011efc9363cd4c2295\"},\"headline\":\"David Thorp &#8211; 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