A new historical drama based on The Cadburys – the family behind the iconic chocolate brand – has officially started production in Birmingham.

The upcoming U&Original series, inspired by Deborah Cadbury’s book Chocolate Wars, will follow the family as they build their chocolate empire with their Dairy Milk bar.

Starting as underdogs in the industry with a failing cocoa business during the 1860s, brothers Richard and George work together to establish themselves as leading names in confectionery.

In a first look at the cast and crew during a table read, The Cadburys has signed up some very recognisable UK actors to bring the tale to life.

Harry Gilby (The Last Kingdom) and Toby Regbo (A Woman of Substance), who are starring as brothers George and Richard, were seen alongside Dune: Prophecy’s Jessica Barden, who is playing their sister Maria.

The entire cast of The Cadburys pose together in front of a brown table littered with scripts. Five are sitting down, while six are standing behind them, and they're all smiling

The Cadburys cast pose at the table read.UKTV / BritBox

Pearce Quigley (The Gentlemen) completes the family unit as patriarch John and founder of the Cadbury company.

However, things get complicated when Maria falls in love with the brothers’ biggest business rival, Francis Fry (played by former EastEnders and X-Men star Ben Hardy), whose company manufactured the world famous Chocolate Cream and Turkish Delight.

Ghosts’ Mathew Baynton will also be joining the chocolate war that unfolds as fellow confectionist Joseph Rowntree (whose company is now famed for its Fruit Pastilles and Jelly Tots, but at one point was also a chocolate business).

Completing the main cast are Slow Horses actor Joanna Scanlan as Dorothy Adlington and The Other Bennet Sister’s Poppy Gilbert as Elizabeth Adlington; I’m Alan Partridge icon Felicity Montagu as Mary Brown; Bridgerton’s Adam Hashmi as William Singh; Oli Green (The Gray House) as Howard Lloyd; and Piglet’s Alexander Butler as Frank Sheldon.

The six-episode series is currently scheduled to air in 2027.

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The Cadburys will air next year on U.

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Authors

Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.