Hotel Chocolat's headquarters in Royston will be unaffected by the company's recent sale to Mars.

It was announced today that Mars has bought Hotel Chocolat in a £534 million deal.

The company's head office, Mint House, is located in Newark Close, just off the A505. Hotel Chocolat's website states: "Our head office is our hub where we generate and share that spirit across all brand communication and connect with our growing portfolio of stores.

"Ideas, campaign direction, product innovation, connecting with customers and corporate clients are all managed through our teams at Mint House."

There are around 124 Hotel Chocolat stores in the UK, the first of which opened in Watford in 2004.

Following the announcement of Mars' purchase, a spokesperson for Hotel Chocolat said: "There are no material changes to UK jobs and the head office in Royston is staying open."

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According to the BBC, Hotel Chocolat chief executive Angus Thirwell hopes the partnership with Mars will help the business grow its international presence.

There are apparently no plans to introduce Mars confectionary in Hotel Chocolat shops, or to change the company's recipes.

While the head office is based in Royston, manufacturing is based in Huntingdon, the design studio in London and distribution in St Neots.