Quick Answer: Thorntons Limited is a British chocolate manufacturer owned by the Italian confectionery company, Ferrero. It was established in 1911 by William Joseph Thornton and Joseph Thornton, his father, in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. When Cadbury became part of the Mondelez International predecessor Kraft Foods, Thorntons had become the largest confectionery-only parent company in Britain. The company was purchased by the Italian firm Ferrero in June 2015 for £112m. Until and during the Second World War, the company was an established toffee and fudge maker. With post war rationing ending, the group's primary focus shifted to Belgian and Swiss-style chocolate in sets.