Mondelēz International has announced plans to invest £15m ramping production at its Bournville site, the historic home of Cadbury.
The move comes as the firm returns some of its manufacturing from continental Europe to the UK.
The investment will include £11m to create a new line for Cadbury Dairy Milk tablets as the company consolidates the majority of its tablet production at the site. The line will enable 125 million more of its large sharing bars to be made at Bournville annually, with additional capacity for future growth.
Alongside the new line, Mondelēz is planning to invest a further £4m at the site to increase its chocolate-making capacity to ensure it can meet current and future demand.
Some production will still remain overseas and the firm said the investment wouldn’t lead to the creation of any new jobs at the Bournville factory which opened in 1879.
Louise Stigant, UK Managing Director, Mondelēz 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.”
