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Giant chocolate coins celebrate 200th banking hub

Alexander Stevanovic,Essexand
Joshua Holmes-Bright,in Billericay
News imagePA Media Chocolatier Jen Lindsey-Clark unveils a collection of historical milk chocolate coins which were created to celebrate the opening of Cash Access UK's 200th banking hub. There are three coins, roughly the size of small dinner plates placed in front of her. She is sitting behind the coins smiling, in an orange coat or jacket.PA Media
It took chocolatier Jen Lindsey-Clark 80 hours to design and create the collection of coins on display

A chocolatier has created six giant edible coins to mark the opening of a new banking hub in Essex.

Jen Lindsey-Clark spent 80 hours designing and creating the chocolate coins, which are roughly the size of dinner plates and are replicas of historic British tender.

She was commissioned to celebrate the 200th banking hub run by Cash Access UK, which opened in Billericay.

The first customers could get a glimpse of the coins on Thursday and local Conservative MP Richard Holden said: "Anything that encourages people to the High Street has got to be a good thing."

The coins were made using 15kg in chocolate and more than 10g of metallic lustre dust.

To accurately recreate each coin, 3D moulds were filled with hand-poured chocolate ahead of being set and embellished.

The collection includes mimics of a Roman Denarius - which was a common silver coin - a medieval Henry VI noble, and a two-piece shilling.

A limited number of standard-size versions of the chocolate coins were also given out to a lucky few.

News imageJoshua Holmes-Bright/BBC Five men and a blonde woman stand in a line holding a sky-blue coloured ribbon. They are smiling. Behind them is a bricked building, and the sign above reads BANKING HUB. It is a cloudy day.Joshua Holmes-Bright/BBC
Conservative MP for Basildon and Billericay Richard Holden, pictured with town council chairman Jim Devlin to his right, cut the ribbon on Thursday

The hub in Billericay High Street was opened in the vacated unit of a Lloyds bank which closed in November 2022.

It was opened by not-for-profit company Cash Access UK and houses a Post Office where customers of all major banks can carry out transactions.

Gareth Oakley, chief executive of Cash Access UK, said: "Reaching our 200th banking hub is a huge achievement.

"It demonstrates that face-to-face banking remains vital for millions of individuals and businesses across the UK."

News imageJoshua Holmes-Bright/BBC Marilyn Stone is wearing a tan brown-coloured coat, and a neck scarf. She has glasses on. She is standing behind a black sign advertising the bank, with the building to her right. The photo is taken from below, at waist height.Joshua Holmes-Bright/BBC
Marilyn Stone is thankful that she will no longer travel to Rayleigh - another Essex town - for her banking

Jim Devlin, chairman of Billericay Town Council, said: "It's the culmination of a lot of work to get the hub to open and a tremendous asset to the town for local trade."

Marilyn Stone, 77, said the hub meant she did not need to travel to Rayleigh to access her bank: "It's excellent - and a much needed facility, especially for the elderly."

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