Britain’s best loved chocolatier, Thorntons, is this year celebrating 100 years of making delicious chocolate, with five of its employees celebrating in spectacular style by embarking on a challenge of a lifetime - to cycle 1,200 miles from John O’Groats to Lands End visiting 100 Thorntons stores along the way.

The Cycle 100 team will kick off their mammoth biking challenge in John O’Groats on 23rd July, finishing in Lands End three weeks later on 12th August.  And if the cycle wasn’t challenging enough, the team also plan on visiting 100 Thorntons stores along the route, raising money for charity in each store on the day of their visit.

The cyclists will also be passing through Thornton Park, the company’s Head Office in Alfreton, on the 3rd August, where the Board Directors and many colleagues will be joining the team for an eight mile leg of the cycle to the nearby Thorntons store at the East Midlands Designer Outlet.

The team is made up of employees from Thorntons head office and factory, along with store colleagues. Ryan Bishop, Leigh Alliss, Robert Butt, Andrew Newbould and Joanne Attenborough are aiming to raise £20,000 for the Thorntons charity of the year, the NSPCC.

Team leader Ryan Bishop of Swanwick, Derbyshire said: “I’ve always wanted to cycle the famous route from John O’Groats to Lands End and Thorntons 100th birthday seemed the perfect opportunity to do it. There is a real excitement about our Centenary and we wanted to celebrate it with as many of our stores around the UK as possible, whilst raising money for such a good cause, the NSPCC.

“There was an overwhelming response from staff wanting to get involved and take on the challenge with me but I chose a team of four other riders to accompany me on the journey and we have been training for over eight months now so we’re ready for the exciting road ahead.”

Watch out for Cycle 100 passing through your town and follow the team’s progress on their Facebook page -  ‘Cycle 100 – Thorntons’.

Cycle 100 is being supported by Stanley Fen Bikes of Matlock who have provided all of our Cycling needs, Cliff Bars and Torq Energy drinks that are fuelling us, Vodafone who are keeping us connected, DPS International and Safetrack who are keeping us on the right road and TCH leasing who are providing the support vehicle for every eventuality.