It’s renowned for making traditional boiled sweets like Yorkshire Mixture and Voice Tablets.

Now Elland’s answer to Willy Wonka – Joseph Dobson & Sons Ltd – has joined the trend for sugar-free confectionery.

The company, established in 1850 and still run as a family business in premises at Northgate, has launched two flavours of sugar free sweets and three flavours of sugar-free Mega lollies to add to its collection of old-time favourites.

Sugar-free Mint Humbugs and Glace Fruits join Dobson’s array of boiled sweets while sugar-free Strawberry, Blackcurrant and Apple have been added the flavours available in the Mega Lollies range.

Chief executive Miriam Walshaw, great great-great granddaughter of founder Joseph Dobson, said the new lines – made using traditional manufacturing techniques – aimed to give consumers extra choice.

Joseph Dobson and Sons, Elland
Joseph Dobson and Sons, Elland

Marketing manager Claire Wollaston said the company was “dipping our toe in the water” with the new range, which had been developed in response to requests for its customers.

“If people request something, we take on board their views,” she said. “We have had a lot of people asking us for it.”

She said the company, which supplies major retailers Asda, Morrisons, Tesco and the Co-op as well as independent shops through wholesalers, was also developing new packaging for its goodies.