Joseph Rowntree

The Rowntree name is linked to some of the most iconic and well-loved brands of the 20th century, including the KitKat, Aero and Fruit Pastilles. On the way he transformed a small factory in York into a global business. But there is much more to the Joseph Rowntree story than chocolate. A prominent Quaker, social reformer, political campaigner and educationalist, he reshaped his home city and improved the welfare of generations of workers. Rather than diminish with his death in 1925, Rowntree’s legacy has grown as the charitable trusts he founded become ever-more influential. This fascinating biography traces Joseph Rowntree’s life from grocer’s son to great Victorian philanthropist and beyond.