Cadbury told FoodManufacture.co.uk the move to a new factory was dependent on the company hitting production targets.
“We’ve seen over the past year that our sales have increased fourfold. We want to be making 2M products a year to make a move worth our while,” he said.
Three-year growth plan
The company’s three-year growth plan would see the manufacturer set up shop in Birmingham city centre, where Cadbury’s great-great-great-grandfather founded the world famous Cadbury chocolate company in 1824.
The site would comprise a ‘micro-factory’ and a shop, meaning it would not require the kind of big industrial space usually needed for large-scale production.
Cadbury said the company had already eyed up two potential areas to move his chocolate manufacturing business.
“Digbeth and the Jewellery Quarter would be two areas that we would look at moving to, because the rent is quite reasonable there,” said Cadbury.
“We’re London-based and to do something similar here would be way too expensive, so that’s why I want to go back to my family roots in Birmingham and start production there.”
Staff expansion
Cadbury currently employs three members of staff, with production of Love Cocoa’s confectionery outsourced to third-party manufacturers based in London and Northampton.
The creation of a factory in Birmingham would allow the company to bring production in-house, with scope to hire between 10 to 15 new staff members. Cadbury also hopes to grow the internal team to seven members.
Meanwhile, Wessanen, the food company that owns Clipper Teas, has invested £1.25M in new equipment for its tea factory in Beaminster, Dorset, allowing it to manufacture all of its tea brands from a single site.