The founder of Green & Blacks, the organic chocolate now owned by Cadbury, today spoke of her worry at the takeover threat from a US rival.

“The sharks from Kraft are circling,” said Jo Fairley, who founded the company with her husband Craig Sams. “I would not be happy to see Green & Blacks in their hands. They do not have the track record as a socially aware company that Cadbury has.” Kraft has offered £9.8 billion for Cadbury, which has spurned the bid as “derisory.”

Ms Fairley is due to speak to staff at Wolverhampton University on Thursday about inspirational leadership.

A full-time journalist for 16 years before starting the company – and the UK’s youngest magazine editor at 23 – she recalled a tour around Bournville in her younger days.

“It was clear that the company was about more than just making a profit. They take their heritage very seriously; their Quaker roots and social responsibility. Kraft are clearly not interested in anything other than making a profit; Cadbury are.

“I can’t think of any other company I would have wanted to take over Green & Black, and I certainly would not want to see it fall into Kraft’s hands.

“I don’t think it will, but it it did perhaps we’d have to save it for the nation.”

Jo Fairley and her husband founded Green & Black in 1991, deliberately setting out to offer a better deal to the Maya indians in Belize who supplied their cocoa.

The massive success of their organic chocolate saw the company growing 100 per cent a year, but Jo often worked 16-hours-a-day both running the company and as a freelance journalist to help pay the bills.

“We could never have done it if we weren’t committed to the ideals behind the company, to running a business in a different way without trampling on anyone or being ruthless, but trying to enhance people’s lives.”