One of the country's biggest retailers has teamed up with a Norfolk chocolatier to create a new range of Paddington Bear-inspired treats.
Kinnerton confectionery has worked closely with Marks & Spencer to design chocolate products that celebrate one of fiction's most famous bears, who is also the star of this year's M&S Christmas advert.
The experts at Kinnerton spent six months working alongside M&S product developers to design the new festive range, taking their inspiration from key features of the character.
They include a suitcase tin of chocolates product which is made to look like Paddington's suitcase, complete with labels from the bear's travels.
Paddington's distinctive red hat and wellington boots are also key features of the range, which will be available for a limited time across M&S stores in Norfolk and around the UK.
Katy Patino, M&S chocolate developer, said: 'Novelty Christmas gifts and goodies have always been favourites with our customers and we want to ensure we continue to capture their imagination with our Paddington Bear range.
'We have worked closely with Kinnerton to produce fun, creative treats that are inspired by character which we believe truly captures the heart-warming spirit of Christmas.'
Kinnerton is Fakenham's biggest employer and the country's largest independent manufacturer of chocolate and novelty confectionery. The company's designers have been working with M&S since 1990 and their collaboration has led to a number of unique Christmas products.
Sarah Varney, Kinnerton's Christmas innovation manager for M&S, said: 'When M&S provided the Paddington Bear brief to us we were so excited and couldn't wait to get designing.
'Once we had the outline for the products, we worked closely with product developers from M&S to refine the creations.'
Kinnertons will also produce a number of other themed products based on big name brands, including Paw Patrol and Trolls.
In September the company announced it would be expanding its workforce to deal with increasing demand by recruiting 50 new permanent roles, as well as taking on up to 250 staff members on temporary contracts.
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