UK – Cadbury’s US owner, the confectionary giant Mondelez, is breaking a key promise by making an increasing amount of its iconic Dairy Milk chocolate bars in eastern Europe rather than at its traditional British base, an issue that created conflict among the Brits chocolate lovers.
The company, which was created by Kraft, has switched production of its large 300g bars of Dairy Milk and some of the classic 95g bars to its expanded factories in Wroclaw.
Mondelez said production in Poland of its 95g bars was a ‘temporary move’ because Bourneville had been busy in the run-up to Christmas and insisted it was once again being manufactured in the UK.
A Mondelez spokeswoman told the Mail: “We would like to reassure consumers that any claims that Bourneville is no longer at the heart of Cadbury production are wholly untrue.
We continue to make all the classic Cadbury Dairy Milk bars here, except for a small number of bars that have never been made in Bourneville.
In fact, we have invested £75 million at the site so we can increase the amount of chocolate we make here in the UK and secure the future of manufacturing at Bourneville for the next generation.
“The 300g bar is a new size for the UK launched just six months ago. It simply hasn’t been possible to make this bar in Bourneville because the factory is just too busy making our other Cadbury products, including the classic Cadbury Dairy Milk range, Wispa, Roses, Heroes, Cadbury Creme Egg and many more,” she added.
However, most find it as another sign that the link between Britain’s biggest chocolate brand and its old Quaker headquarters near Birmingham is being weakened.
James Cadbury, a member of the founding family, who now runs his own chocolate company, Love Cocoa, told the Mail On Sunday: “I’m very disappointed. Bourneville and Dairy Milk are synonymous.”
January 15, 2017; http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/anger-cadbury-makes-dairy-milk-12457521
