Barry Callebaut unveils plans for €250 million Wieze plant upgrades

An ambitious package of manufacturing investment totalling €250 million into Barry Callebaut’s flagship Wieze production site in Belgium has been confirmed by the company, reports Neill Barston.

As the business noted, the upgrades to what is considered the largest chocolate processing plant in the world have been designed to enable it to deliver against considerable rises in global demand.

Furthermore, the company has also confirmed additional multi-year investment planned for its factory in Halle, also in Belgium, put at €125 million, which it has asserted underlines its commitment to the sector.

Confectionery Production has previously delivered a site visit feature based on Wieze, which has enjoyed a respected place at the core of the business, featuring facilities for its advanced R&D, as well as production of its ranges including ruby chocolate.

Significantly, the business confirmed that its Wieze masterplan included key infrastructure upgrades to enhance safety, and operational efficiency of the company’s pivotal site.

Among its core priorities is the delivery of advanced production lines to further elevate food safety and quality, and create a safer work environment for employees. There are also plans for upgrades to its road network to improve site safety further.

Transition period
The overall package of investment comes amid a period of notable transition for the business – which last month appointed a new CEO, Hein Schumacher, formerly of Unilever.

According to reports from Reuters, the company’s former CEO Peter Feld, who departed after 18 months leading a new digital strategy, had been ‘open’ to the possibility of splitting off its under pressure cocoa business, from its chocolate processing divisions.

But according to several reports from sources close to the business, his departure was linked to his stance on the future of the company, with chairman Patrick De Maeseneire understood to have opposed the plan – which would have effectively broken-up the firm, which was forged in 1996 as a union between Cacao Barry and Belgium’s Callebaut.

In response to its future direction, the company told Confectionery Production: “Both in our press release dated January 21, 2026, as well as in the analyst and investor call hosted by our CFO Peter Vanneste on the same day, our Chairman Patrick De Maeseneire confirmed that Barry Callebaut is and remains based on our fully integrated cocoa and chocolate business model. In the call, he reminded participants that Barry Callebaut had always been a fully integrated company since the merger between Callebaut and Cacao Barry in 1996.

As a matter of principle, we do not comment on rumours or speculation.”

As the company confirmed, part of the injection of funding into its site is as part of its BC Next Level programme, which has signalled a decisive shift in its operations, with a focus on driving operational efficiencies.

The investment comes at a significant period for the business, which has faced considerable trading headwinds in the past two years due to cocoa pricing volatility, uncertain crop harvests, amid its restructuring plans that have seen a number of roles disappear across global operations, though the business has stressed that it has made fresh rounds of recruitment in the past year.

Wim Debedts, Managing Director Benelux & Nordics commented: “Wieze is and always will be the cradle of Barry Callebaut. It is the place where our iconic Callebaut brand was born in 1911.

“With quality at the heart of its success, Callebaut is exported to customers around the world. With these major investments in our Belgian production facilities in Wieze and Halle, we now continue our journey, demonstrating our commitment to our customers and our employees.”