Mondelez International has unveiled four new £75m production lines at its Bournville chocolate factory in Birmingham. The group said the investment would ensure that Dairy Milk production remained at the site – the iconic home of the Cadbury brand.
Two of the new lines will be dedicated to the Cadbury Dairy Milk brand, producing the core classic range including Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel, Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut, Cadbury Dairy Milk Whole Nut and plain Cadbury Dairy Milk bars.
The other two lines will be used to manufacture chocolate assortments like Cadbury Roses and Heroes – the first significant investment in Cadbury’s assortments for 30 years.
The Cadbury Dairy Milk tablet lines produce up to 8 tonnes of chocolate an hour, making up to 1.2 million bars per day depending on the size of the bar. The Cadbury Roses and Heroes lines produce up to 6 tonnes an hour, making 13 million sweets a day.
Mondelez International northern European president, Glenn Caton said, “This £75 million investment we’ve made means our Bournville factory can now favourably compete against manufacturing facilities in other European markets and retain the majority of Cadbury Dairy Milk and Cadbury chocolate production right here in the UK.
'Previously it cost three times more for us to make a chocolate bar here in Bournville than it did in Germany. That wasn’t sustainable. That’s why our investment in these world class production lines is so vital.
“In total we have invested £200 million in our manufacturing operations and R&D facilities across Britain to ensure we continue to make the nation’s favourite treats in the UK for years to come.'
Caton continued, “We are proud to be the custodians of Cadbury and remain committed to the delicious taste and high quality of our brands. Our Bournville factory is not only an integral part of a thriving, modern British manufacturing sector, it is the home of Cadbury and heart of chocolate manufacturing to our global business.
'We don’t just make delicious Cadbury products at Bournville, we also invent them here. Every single chocolate product, wherever in the world it ends up being sold, starts life, in one form or another, in Bournville.”
Andrea Leadsom, the UK government’s secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, added, “This £200 million investment into world class production lines in the UK, including at the Bournville site, is a real vote of confidence in the UK as a great, global, trading nation and the ideal place to do business.
“Our thriving food industry is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK – bigger than cars and aerospace combined – which is why we remain committed to supporting investment and championing the excellence of British food and drink at home and abroad.”