The US owner of Cadbury is breaking a key promise and making an increasing amount of its iconic Dairy Milk chocolate bars in Poland rather than at its British base.

Mondelez, which was created by Kraft, is making large 300g bars of Dairy Milk and some classic size 95g bars of the brand in its expanded factories in Wroclaw.

This breaks a pledge given in the wake of Kraft’s bitter takeover of the British company seven years ago that it would continue to make the sweets at its historic Bournville home in the West Midlands.

The US owner of Cadbury is breaking a key promise and making an increasing amount of its iconic Dairy Milk chocolate bars in Poland rather than at its British base. Above, a bar on sale in Poundland last week. The factory code below the best before date is crucial. OWR means Wracklow - which refers to one of its factories in Poland

Mondelez, which was created by Kraft, is making large 300g bars of Dairy Milk and some classic size 95g bars in Poland

The Mail on Sunday found large Dairy Milk bars – brandishing a specific code on the wrapper indicating they were made in Poland – on sale in the UK in various major retailers, while the 95g bars were on sale in smaller shops.

Last night Mondelez insisted that the production in Poland of 95g bars was a ‘temporary move’ because Bournville had been busy.

But many traditionalists claim it is another sign that the link between Britain’s biggest chocolate brand and its old Quaker headquarters near Birmingham is being weakened.

James Cadbury, a member of the founding family, who now runs his own chocolate company, Love Cocoa, said: ‘I’m very disappointed. Bournville and Dairy Milk are synonymous.’

The chocolate bars are being produced at Kraft's expanded factories in Wroclaw

Within weeks of Kraft’s £11.5 billion takeover of Cadbury in 2010, it closed a factory in Somerdale, near Bristol, putting 400 people out of work.

As a result, Kraft executives were quizzed by MPs. Trevor Bond, president of Kraft Foods Europe, said the company would continue to make Dairy Milk in the UK ‘for as long as our consumers are delighted by the taste and the product’.

Last night, Mondelez said: ‘The 95g bar has returned to Bournville.’

Mondelez has issued the following statement:

'Just as Cadbury has always done, we create new and exciting flavours and formats all the time. This 300g Cadbury Dairy Milk bar is a new size for the UK launched just six months ago, which is designed to give consumers even more choice. It simply hasn’t been possible to make this bar in Bournville because the factory is just too busy making our other Cadbury products, such as the classic Cadbury Dairy Milk range, Wispa, Roses, Heroes, Cadbury Creme Egg and many more. In fact, we are increasing the amount of chocolate we make in the UK, which is good news for UK manufacturing and is made possible by the £75 million investment in our Bournville site, and an overall investment of £200 million into our British business, securing manufacturing in Bournville for the next generation.

'As we implement the £75million investment we have made to grow our Bournville manufacturing, we occasionally have to ask other Cadbury factories to temporarily produce certain products. This gives us the space to make improvements to existing lines and build new ones, without disrupting supply. This was the case with this bar, which was made in another factory for a short period of time last year, but has now returned home to Bournville. We can confirm that classic Cadbury Dairy Milk continues to be made in Bournville and we have not permanently moved any of that production elsewhere, instead we are improving the lines so that we can make even more Cadbury chocolate right here in the UK.'

FROM BIRMINGHAM GROCER'S TO GLOBAL SUCCESS: CADBURY'S HISTORY 1824: John Cadbury opened a grocer's shop in Bull Street, a fashionable part of Birmingham. Goods include cocoa and drinking chocolate. 1831: John Cadbury moved into manufacturing, renting a small factory in Crooked Lane, Birmingham, to make cocoa and drinking chocolate. 1847: With business booming, a larger factory was rented in the centre of Birmingham on Bridge Street. 1861: Richard and George Cadbury took over the business from their father John who was in poor health. They were aged just 25 and 21. 1866: The brothers launched Cocoa Essence after George bought a revolutionary cocoa press from Dutch manufacturer van Houten. Workers wrap Dairy Milk chocolates at the factory in Bournville in 1930 1879: Production began at the new 'factory in a garden' in the countryside at a greenfield site, four miles outside Birmingham, which they named Bournville. 1893: George Cadbury bought more land in Bournville in order to build a 'model village' for industrial workers. 1897: Cadbury launched its first milk chocolate for eating ,created by adding dried milk powder to cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sugar. The Bournville Almshouses, a group of cottages round a central garden, were built for pensioners who had worked at Cadbury. 1900: The Bournville Village Trust was created to create a community and safeguard the area from other developers. 1905: Cadbury Dairy Milk was launched to compete against the leading brands of Swiss milk chocolate. 1906: A pension fund was launched for workers, with a capital gift from the company. 1915: Milk Tray was launched in this year: a stylish but no-frills box of chocolates for every day eating. 1918: Democratically elected 'works councils' for men and women were set up to discuss factory issues. 1919: Cadbury merged with J.S. Fry & Sons Limited in order for both companies to compete against Rowntree. 1921: Cadbury opened their first overseas factory in Hobart, Tasmania, followed by New Zealand in 1930. 1939: The Second World War begins, rationing is enforced and the making of chocolate and cocoa comes under Government control. 1955: Cadbury move into TV advertising on the launch night of commercial television on September 22, 1955. 1969: Cadbury merged with Schweppes in order to give better value to the customer, boost its foods arm and gain the resources to enter international markets. The new company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. 2003: Cadbury becomes the world's No 1 confectionery company after buying up various chewing gum brands, such as Trident and Stride. 2008:Cadbury and Schweppes demerged, splitting its confectionery and drinks business. 2009: Cadbury Dairy Milk becomes Fairtrade. 2010: Cadbury is taken over by US owner Kraft in a deal worth £11.5billion Advertisement



