An extra 125 million bars will be made in Birmingham.
One of the things Birmingham is famous for is its manufacturing over the years- from Bird’s Custard to bicycle bells, postage stamps to pacemakers- Brum is the hub of innovations. And we all know too well that Birmingham was the birthplace of Cadbury’s chocolate, and according to the owner of the company that makes our divine Dairy Milk, it’s coming home.
Cadbury’s was launched 115 years ago when John Cadbury opened a grocer’s shop at 93 Bull Street at the heart of what is now Birmingham city centre, and now its one of the largest suppliers of chocolate in the world.
Mondelez International, who own Cadbury and other brands such as Oreo, Philadelphia and Toblerone, has announced that it will move some of its Dairy Milk chocolate production, which currently takes place in Ireland, Germany, Hungary and Poland, back to its historic factory in Bournville, where an additional 125 million bars will be produced.
The chocolate company announced a £15 million investment in new production line facilities to increase in efficiency and allow the bar to mainly be made in Birmingham once more. In 2020, Bournville produced 35,000 tonnes of Cadbury Dairy Milk – equivalent to 234 million tablets- and with this new investment it will increase production by an extra 12,000 tonnes, that would have previously been made at other sites in Europe.
Louise Stigant, UK managing director at Mondelez International, said: “At a time when manufacturing in the UK is facing significant challenges, it has never been more vital to secure the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of our business. We now have an opportunity at Bournville to further invest in its future as the home and heart of Cadbury by bringing more Cadbury Dairy Milk production to Bournville.
“This investment will continue the modernising of our production processes at Bournville and ensure we are meeting the need for a highly efficient and robust supply infrastructure for our iconic Cadbury Dairy Milk tablets.”
Cadbury Dairy Milk was launched in 1905 and the recipe for the much-loved bar remains unchanged, with every bar still including “a glass and a half of fresh milk” sourced from British and Irish farmers.
[Featured Image: Cadbury]