Chocolate War May Take A Bite Out Of St. Paul Business

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- An international chocolate war is hitting home for a local business in the Twin Cities.

A lawsuit between Hershey Chocolate and British importers has put a stop to imported English Cadbury chocolate.

Hershey has owned the rights to make Cadbury in the U.S. for nearly 30 years, but a handful of shops still imported the British version.

One of these is Irish On Grand in St. Paul, whose customers come looking for a taste of home.

"They're from all over the British Isles: Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales," said Liam O'Neill, co-owner of Irish on Grand.

O'Neil and his wife, Maeve O'Mara, stock the store with specialties from their home country of Ireland.

They have a pantry full of imported favorites from sausages to crackers and tea.

But their stock of imported Cadbury chocolate from Ireland and Britain is starting to thin out.

Hershey Chocolate says imported Cadbury chocolates are taking too big a bite out of their Cadbury sales.

"We don't make a lot of money on the chocolate," O'Neill said. "But it's more a convenience for the people who come in here. Once it's gone, it's gone. We won't be able to get it again. It's the tradition more than the taste, you know."

But ask anyone from across the pond and they'll tell you there's a difference in taste.

"It is creamier, and it's also what we're used to," O'Mara said. "It's what we grew up with, and it's what our customers grew up with. A lot of people do like Hershey's because they grew up with it, but I like this Cadbury's, this chocolate."

Irish on Grand has one more shipment of British Cadbury Easter Eggs coming in.

And if the lawsuit sticks, that will be their last one.