Cadbury and Bournville
A Birmingham shop and a model village. John Cadbury opened a shop in Birmingham in 1824. How his sons built the Bournville factory and village and launched Dairy Milk in 1905.
The Bournville works, Birmingham: Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0
A grocer with cocoa
John Cadbury opened a shop in Birmingham, England, in 1824, selling tea, coffee and drinking chocolate he prepared himself. He soon moved into manufacturing cocoa and drinking chocolate. His sons Richard and George took over in 1861 and turned the struggling business around, helped by importing a Van Houten cocoa press.
A factory in a garden
In 1879 the brothers moved production out of the crowded city to a greenfield site south of Birmingham, which they named Bournville. They built the Bournville Village around it, with good houses, gardens, parks and sports fields. It became a famous example of a planned community designed to improve workers' health and living conditions, and it is now run by a trust.
Dairy Milk
Cadbury Dairy Milk launched in 1905, made with a higher proportion of fresh milk than rival bars. It became Britain's best-known chocolate bar. Other long-running products include Flake, created in 1920, and Creme Egg, sold under the Cadbury name since 1971.
The deep purple packaging became so associated with the brand that the colour itself has been the subject of trademark disputes.
Cadbury today
Cadbury became part of the US company Kraft Foods in 2010, and is now owned by Mondelez International. Bournville is still a major production site, and Cadbury World next to the factory welcomes visitors with exhibits on the history of chocolate and the company. Recipes for Cadbury products differ between countries, which is why fans notice taste differences abroad.
Visiting Bournville
Cadbury World, next to the factory in Bournville, is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the West Midlands, with exhibits on cocoa growing, the Cadbury family story and how chocolate is made, plus tastings. Bournville Village itself is pleasant to walk through, with its green spaces, the village green and historic buildings. Book attraction tickets ahead in school holidays.
Did you know? The glass and a half symbol on Dairy Milk wrappers refers to the amount of milk the company says goes into each 227 g of chocolate.
- The Bournville works, Birmingham: Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0
Text written by Chocolate Era.
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