The owner of Cadbury is to bring the majority of its Dairy Milk production back to its historic Bournville factory in the UK.
Mondelez International, which split from Kraft two years after the US food firm bought Cadbury in 2010, had previously made most of the chocolate bars in factories across continental Europe.
It said it will now be make most of its bars at its factory near Birmingham as it launches a £15 million (€17.1 million) investment plan for the site.
The company, which also makes Oreo and Maynards Bassetts sweets, said £11 million (€12.5 million) of the funding will go towards creating a new production “line of the future”.
This will allow it to consolidate the production of most of its Dairy Milk tablet at the site from 2022.
Cadbury increased chocolate production at the site in 2017, but it will now be able to produce 125 million more of its sharing bars, the company said.
Alongside the new line, Mondelez is also planning to invest a further £4 million (€4.5 million) at the site to increase its chocolate-making capacity amid strong demand.
Louise Stigant, UK managing director, Mondelez International, said: “At a time when manufacturing in the UK is facing significant challenges, it has never been more vital to secure the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of our business.
“We now have an opportunity at Bournville to further invest in its future as the home and heart of Cadbury by bringing more Cadbury Dairy Milk production to Bournville.
“This investment will continue the modernising of our production processes at Bournville and ensure we are meeting the need for a highly efficient and robust supply infrastructure for our iconic Cadbury Dairy Milk tablets.”
Mondelez said it has invested more than £80 million (€91.2 million) into Bournville since 2014 to modernise the factory and make it more efficient.
Roberto Gambaccini, Bournville manufacturing director, said: “Today, thanks to our investments over the last seven years and our colleagues’ commitment to improving productivity, Bournville is now much more competitive across our manufacturing network, particularly when it comes to producing high volume products such as Cadbury Dairy Milk tablets.
“It’s important that we continue this journey and this investment will see us take full advantage of the efficiencies that modernisation, and upskilling can create to continue the growth and success of the Bournville site.”
