Case packed, I took my shoes for night time, matching hand
bag and a couple of evening outfits
And of course, my hair straighteners.
Kissed my Hub bye bye and left him in my shoes. Not literally,
I mean, he has been known to wear my shoes before, but that’s a different
story. Hahahehehehe
He had the dog’s housework and teen to cook for and take
care of.
Both my friend and I had heavy luggage for our two night
stay.
We headed off to Birmingham.
It was about two and a half hour journey by car.
Of course we talked all the way, as we do.
I was really looking forward to visiting the Chocolate factory.
This would be our first stop.
Then onto the hotel and then a dinner, before the day of tourism
stalls at the N E C the following day and of course our second evening stay
over at a lovely hotel. The first place we were to stay wasn’t really a hotel,
more on that later.
We used the fantastic Satellite navigation unit, which gave
us the map to get to our destination!
Cadbury chocolate, was founded almost 200 years ago in 1824,
John Cadbury opened a grocers shop on 93 Bull street Birmingham. In his shop,
he sold lots of things, including Cocoa and drinking chocolate, which he made
himself, using a pestle and mortar.
In 1831, he opened a factory in crooked lane, also in
Birmingham. He bought a four story building where he
started to produce on a commercial scale!
The Cadbury’s business expanded in 1842 He was selling 16
varieties of drinking chocolate and 11 different cocoas.
1847, the business moved to Bridge street in the centre of
Birmingham.
Fry’s I think, a French company produced the first bar of
chocolate that we know it today.
In 1861, the two Sons of John Cadbury, Richard and George take
charge of the factory. The brothers were 21 and 25 when their Fathers health
made him retire and hand over the business.
The turning point for
the Cadbury business, was a new processing technique resulting in the 1866
launch of Cadbury cocoa essence, The UK’s first unadulterated cocoa
In 1875 a Swiss manufacturer put milk into the
chocolate to make the first chocolate bar.
The first Cadbury’s Easter egg, was made in 1875.
In 1878, the Bridge street factory became too small and
George wanted the new factory to be in a place of fresh air and not stuck in the
middle of a dirty town, so decided to buy some land In 18 79, the first bricks
were laid to make the new place on farm land.
16 houses were built near the site and the houses were for senior
workers.
Over 140 houses in total were built on the land and George
decided to design them in such a way to make the houses with plenty of light
and large gardens. He was an amazing employer don’t you think?
1897 Cadbury’s milk chocolate was launched. When Cadbury
started making cocoa essence, they had loads of butter left over, so decided to
make bars of chocolate!
1905, Cadbury’s dairy milk was launched and I am sure I
heard that a bar of this was sold around the world every two seconds.
Swiss chocolate was the most successful but Cadbury’s was
about to become a rival for sure.
In 1908, Bourneville chocolate was made; it was named after
the Bourneville factory in Birmingham. John Cadbury named Bourneville, the village
where his factory was again, I think I’m right in saying he named the village, born
after a new start and the Ville after a French connection.
In 1914, Fry’s Turkish delight was launched. And
in 1919, Fry & Sons, emerged with Cadbury’s.
Rose flavoured Turkish delight, with chocolate draped over
it. Yummy.
1915, Milk tray is launched
Boxes of chocolates had been made since the 1860’s but they
were really deer and were sold in small quantities and only bought by the rich
on special occasions. Milk tray was different.
Affordable for an everyday treat.
In 1928 a lot of money was put into Cadbury’s.
1939 King George and Queen Elisabeth visited Bournville
Cadbury’s was well known to the royal family. In 1955 the first advert was
launched. So, OK, stuff all of the facts and just get me to the factory?
My friend did really well in getting that far by car and we
found the chocolate factory after ten minutes of pure torment of smelling it in
the air. Did you know the Phil Collins “In the air tonight” was used in a commercial
for Cadbury’s chocolate?
In fact
the adverts for the chocolate have been going for many years and so many of
them there have been too.
Oh my nose was twitching. I was like a child. We pulled up
in the car park and I first heard the excited voices of children’s playful banter,
as there was an outdoor park for the kids.
As we entered the factory, of course we didn’t just enter
the place where they were producing the magnificent chocolate, as that would be
against all health and safety.
It was just a part of the factory
Oh I had to act so calm, hahahaha. I loved it all; this is
why I write my poetry on the chocolate elves.
OK, chocolate bar number one was given to us. Then chocolate
buttons. Yummy, double yummy. I loved
learning about the history of the Cadbury’s family, how the cocoa bean first
came to us by boats and how the English pirates took over the boats and one day
a load of beans were found by English pirates and they thought the beans were
rubbish so tipped the lot in the seas. Can you imagine the fragrance of the
beans? Unless they have no smell until they are roasted?
The processing of the beans is fascinating. How they are
steamed clean. Did you know that the Cadbury family were Quakers?
They didn’t believe in drinking alcohol, so rather than
social drinking the alcoholic drinks, they took cocoa and hot chocolate.
Oh life would be so much better if that were the way for us
all do you think?
I so wanted to be in those days. I got a real feel for the
place and almost could transport myself back into those days. Well, later on
that day, I think I did but again, more later on that.
We pushed all the right buttons to answer questions about
what we had learned on the TV screens and went into a theatre where by our seats
moved. Cold gas like air was blown on our legs making my friend screem. Hahahaha.
And our seats moved in such a way, we almost fell off.
Thankfully we had eaten most of our sweeties so didn’t spill
them.
Then on a indoor train. Oh that was so relaxing. I was
intranced byt eh fragrance of chocolate and high on it too, a strange
combination.
The train took us through a land o f cocoa bean people. You
should have heard their little squeaky voices? My friend told me that some of
the beans with their little legs and arms, were skiing or on ski lifts. Some
were fishing and there were star fish on
the hooks
There were little cocoa bean houses and trees oh it was
great, I didn’t wan’t the train to stop.
But it did and onward for more chocolate and even a cup of
melted chocolate with sweets in.
We had come to the end and into the gift shop.
What was to follow? Hahahahaaha. Just wait, you will laugh
so much.
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