The world's first fully kosher Blackpool Rock factory has begun runs of confectionery and is to supply supermarkets within a week.

Coronation Rock, one of the oldest rock producers, which supplies confectionery to Harrods, the London Eye and Alton Towers, was granted a full factory kashrut licence by the Manchester Beth Din two weeks ago. The company can make up to 20,000 sticks of rock a day in over 2,000 flavours and has already begun supplying Jewish novelty lollies to kosher shops.

The man behind the products is businessman Colin Levene, who has started a joint venture with the factory called Kosherocks. He says interest has been received from Israel, America and Brazil, and Sainsbury's and Tesco are to stock kosher Shabbat and star of David lollies from January.

He said: "Kosher sweets are often expensive so I made the kosher suggestion and Coronation thought it was
a good idea. We're now putting together other concepts which will allow any logo to appear on lollies as well as
a kosher sugar-free range. I had my son's picture printed on lollies for his barmitzvah a few weeks ago."

Manchester Beth Din's kashrut co-ordinator Rabbi Hillel Royde said the koshering process took six months, including researching the ingredients of Coronation's many flavourings. "They've worked with kosher batches before so they know about the process. They can even make chicken soup flavour -if anyone would want it."