According to Mondelez, production of 12,000 tonnes of chocolate – equivalent to 125 million bars – will be relocated from Germany and other European sites to Birmingham beginning next year. It was established in 2011 after Cadbury’s former owner Kraft demerged its grocery business.
The move means that the majority of Dairy Milk will be produced at the Birmingham plant beginning next year, adding to the 35,000 tonnes produced there in 2020.
Bournville’s costs were three times higher than those of its European sites five years ago, but Mondelez said a £15 million investment in new production line facilities has helped increase capacity at the UK factory by 30 percent.
“At a time when manufacturing in the UK is facing significant challenges, it has never been more important to secure our business’s long-term competitiveness and sustainability,” said Louise Stigant, Mondelez’s UK head.
This investment will continue to modernise our Bournville manufacturing processes and ensure that we meet the demand for a highly efficient and robust supply infrastructure for our iconic Cadbury Dairy Milk tablets.
Mondelez stated that a small number of Dairy Milk variants, such as the Big Taste range, will continue to be manufactured in Europe for technical and capacity reasons.
Moving chocolate production back to Birmingham was welcomed by trade unions as a “vote of confidence in the UK workforce.
Unite’s Joe Clarke said, “To complete consultations and negotiations to deliver this fantastic investment, even in the midst of the Covid restrictions, is a credit to the trade union representatives, members, and business.”
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