A real life chocolate factory is coming to the Netherlands, and no golden tickets are necessary.
Every child dreams of visiting Willy Wonka’s famous chocolate factory, a fictional paradise created by author Roald Dahl. No surprise really, that place still looks heavenly to any adult. But now the nostalgic dream might just be coming to life! [Featured image: SeARCH via Tony’s Chocolonely]
Tony’s Chocolonely are planning to build that exact dreamscape. They’re aiming to bring us ‘Tony‘s Chocolonely Chocolate Circus’ by 2024, and hope to entice 500,000 visitors each year. We’re sure that won’t be too much to ask—it is literally a world of chocolate, after all.
Tony’s Chocolonely Chocolate Circus is described as a factory-meets-theme-park. The plans include a rollercoaster ride through its main building—the perfect way to view the factory in all its chocolatey glory. (Don’t worry, no one will meet the same fate as Augustus Gloop and Veruca Salt.) If the project is successful, the factory will include a restaurant, shop and, of course, plenty of chocolate samples. No word on any Great Glass Elevators yet, though.
Tony’s Chocolonely is the largest chocolate brand in the Netherlands. They base their brand on strong ethical morals that denounce the huge issue of slavery in the cocoa business. Tony’s pay all their farmers a living wage and use a system to make sure their supply chains are completely traceable.
The chocolate factory will offer an experience to learn about the workings of the ethical brand. Moreover, they will educate visitors on the harmful practices of slavery in the business and what Tony’s Chocolonely does to combat it.
Project designers hope the complex will be open by 2024 and reckon it will cost around €100 million (£89 million) to build. It will take over a converted red-brick warehouse in Zaandam, a city just outside Amsterdam, and has been designed by architecture firm SeARCH.
We’ll start queuing now to be ready for 2024 then, shall we?