Mondelez has committed to maintaining UK production of Cadbury Dairy Milk after opening four new production lines at its Bournville site in Birmingham.
The new production lines are part of a £75m investment that began in 2014 to update the chocolate factory. Two of the lines will produce the core range of Cadbury Dairy Milk tablets, including the Caramel, Fruit & Nut and Whole Nut variants. The other two will focus on Cadbury Roses and Heroes.
“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,” said Glenn Caton, president of Northern Europe at Mondelez.
“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.”
The new tablet lines will produce up to eight tonnes of chocolate per hour, equivalent to 900,000 200g bars or 1.2 million 110g bars per day, while the assortment lines will produce about 13 million sweets per day.
Environment secretary Andrea Leadsom said: “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.”
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