Mondelēz unveils four new chocolate lines in Bournville Cadbury factory
Mondelēz International has unveiled four new finished production lines, the result of a £75 million investment, at its Bournville site in Birmingham, UK.
Two of the new lines are dedicated to retaining Bournville as the home of Cadbury Dairy Milk, producing the core classic range including Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel, Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut, Cadbury Dairy Milk Whole Nut and Cadbury Dairy Milk. The other two lines will create assortments like Cadbury Roses and Heroes, marking the first significant investment in Cadbury’s assortments for 30 years.
Work to implement the new lines started in 2014. The finished tablet lines produce up to eight tonnes an hour, making 900,000 200g bars or 1.2 million 110g bars per day. The Cadbury Roses and Heroes lines produce up to six tonnes an hour, making 13 million sweets per day.
Glenn Caton, president of Northern Europe at Mondelēz International, explains, “This £75m 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 £200m 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.”
Andrea Leadsom, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, comments, “This £200m 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.”
