TWO companies with Cumbrian operations have been listed in the top 10 of a poll of the world's confectioners.
McVitie's owner Pladis has been listed as the world's seventh-biggest confectionery business while Nestlé came in fifth spot.
This poll was published in trade publication 'Candy Industry'.
Pladis, which is headquartered in London, has 26,000 employees worldwide and 36 manufacturing plants. It has annual net sales of $5,200m (more than £4,160). It employs more than 800 people at its plant in Caldewgate, Carlisle.
Switzerland-based Nestlé meanwhile has net sales of $9,138m (more than £7,314m) and employs 335,000 people at its 436 plants worldwide. In Dalston it employs 330 people.
The top spot was taken by American company Mars with fellow Americans Mondelez, Italy's Ferrero and Japan's Meiji rounding out the top five.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here