Two hundred years ago, in 1824, a young businessman founded a confectionery business in Birmingham, England that would go on to become one of the most important food brands in the world. Pioneers in the making of chocolate, Cadbury’s was a family firm for most of its existence until its merger with Schweppes in 1969, followed by its hostile takeover by Kraft (now Mondelēz International) in 2010. It is an important part of British culture: its iconic Dairy Milk bar still as popular today as when it was launched 119 years ago.

Sons Saved the Business

John Cadbury’s shop sold tea, coffee and drinking chocolate. A Quaker, he wanted to encourage people to stop drinking alcohol. The business was failing until John’s sons Richard and George took over in 1861. With the business now prospering, the sons began to introduce new products, such as Easter eggs in 1875. Giving and receiving chocolate Easter eggs is now one of Britain’s most-loved traditions. 

Cadbury

Fair Trade Practices

From the beginning, John had insisted on fair trade practices — the cocoa beans came from farmers paying fair wages. George Cadbury once said: “No man ought to be condemned to live in a place where a rose cannot grow.” In 1893, he started to build a model village, called Bourneville, just outside Birmingham. By 1900 the estate included 314 cottages and houses. Employees had pension plans and free dentistry. But, in accordance with the Cadbury family beliefs, there were no pubs. Through the generations, the family donated millions of pounds to charities, while living humble lives. One sister, Beatrice, lived with her eight children in a tent! 

The Dairy Milk Bar

With the dawning of the 20th century, the company continued to prosper. In 1905, after ten years’ research, George Cadbury Jr. introduced the Dairy Milk bar. The first example of mass-produced milk chocolate, the bars had a higher content of milk than usual. They quickly became a household name and the country’s favourite treat. By 1910 Cadbury’s was Britain’s largest manufacturer of chocolate. New products continued to flow from the factory: Milk Tray(1915), Fruit and Nut (1928), Crunchie (1929) and Roses (1938). Cadbury still has a firm hold on the British heart … and on its sweet tooth!