Milestone birthday for Cadbury World.
It’s set to be a bumper year for one of Birmingham’s most popular attractions, as Cadbury World gears up to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Having opened in 1990, 2015 is set to be one of the Bournville-based attraction’s busiest years to date, with a host of activities planned to mark the milestone anniversary. Cadbury World’s team of talented chocolatiers will be putting their skills to the test to create a range of show-stopping chocolate creations, whilst a number of visitors will have the chance to book on a brand-new, exclusive experience later in the year. There will also be plenty of walks down memory lane, looking back on Cadbury World’s rich history.
Diane Mitchell, marketing manager at Cadbury World, said: “Our 25th anniversary marks a really exciting time for us, and we’re delighted to be able to share that with all of our visitors. There’s plenty to look forward to for the rest of 2015 and beyond, but it’s also been really nice to look back over previous years; there’s a lot to be proud of!”
So how well do you know one of Birmingham’s most loved attractions? Find out more about Cadbury World with these 25 facts:
1. From its opening in August 1990 to the end of 2014, Cadbury World has welcomed more than 13,600,000 people through its doors. Could visitor numbers reach 14 million by August 2015?
2. The chocolatiers produce over 3,400 chocolate shoes, 3,600 chocolate footballs and 2,000 chocolate teapots each year, just three items in a wide range of handmade products only available at Cadbury World.
3. General manager, Gerrard Baldwin, and Chocolate Making team member, Lee Bromwich, are the longest standing Cadbury World employees having worked there since it opened in 1990.
4. Cadbury World holds approximately 40 events each year to provide extra entertainment for its visitors, with activities taking place almost every weekend!
5. The Cadbury World shop is the world’s biggest Cadbury shop and features gifts and merchandise that you can’t find anywhere else.
6. Each year, Cadbury World employees take part in a range of activities to raise money for charity and support projects in the community. In 2014, the team raised over £37,000!
7. Cadbury World has 14 different zones dedicated to the history, the making and the magic of Cadbury confectionery.
8. Visitors come from all over the world to visit Cadbury World, including Australia where Cadbury chocolate is also very popular.
9. New in 2014, the 4D Chocolate Adventure zone cost £2 million to build and has quickly become one of the most popular zones at Cadbury World. It is the only cinema experience in the world to feature the famous Cadbury characters.
10. The Cadbury factory is situated in the historic Bournville village and has been since 1879 when Richard and George Cadbury decided to move their expanding business from Birmingham’s city centre into the countryside to improve the lifestyle of their employees.
11. A team of dedicated in house chocolatiers work at Cadbury World, and have created items such as 57kg giant Easter eggs for charity, a chocolate model of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium and a chocolate cot to celebrate the birth of Prince George.
12. Cadbury World welcomes over 100,000 school pupils each year, offering a tailored education programme for children aged between 5 and 18.
13. The iconic tree featured in the Cadbury World logo is a cocoa tree.
14. On an average peak day, each Cadabra Beanmobile goes round the track 60 times. With 12 cars in total; that’s 720 trips round the track in total per day.
15. Cadbury World employs over 150 team members and jobs include Chocolate Creators, Pirates, and Animation Hosts.
16. Each year, Cadbury World sells more than 83,000 bags of Mis Shapes, the popular bag of chocolates that didn’t quite make the cut in the quality control, but still just as tasty!
17. Bournville train station, painted purple in celebration of Cadbury World, is just a 15 minute stroll away taking visitors past the historic factory buildings.
18. Over 200 Chuckle Beans can be found here at Cadbury World, not including the edible versions!
19. If ordered three weeks in advance, you can get your very own personalised chocolate creation. The team of chocolatiers can hand-decorate something chocolatey with your unique message, a great idea for a gift!
20. With tickets being in high demand, Cadbury World’s pre-booked ticketing system allows visitors to plan better for their day out, with the majority now booking online.
21. The Bournville Experience zone houses the only scale model of Bournville, which dates back to the 1920s. It shows the detail of the factory, recreation areas and surrounding heritage buildings which make up ‘The factory in a Garden’.
22. On an average peak day, over 800 guest photographs are taken on Cadbury World’s green screen, which are then available to purchase. Visitors can choose to surf on a bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk or take a soak in the Cadbury Flake bath!
23. In 2014 one of our employees, Peter Mallett, appeared on the popular ITV show Take Me Out and…he got himself a date!
24. Over the years, Cadbury World has welcomed a range of children’s TV characters, from programmes including The Sooty Show, Rainbow and Basil Brush. In 2015, Cadbury World will also be welcoming Count Duckula to the stage.
25. In the past 25 years, Cadbury World has seen its fair share of celebrity visitors. Peter Andre, Liz Hurley, Ben Cohen, Derren Brown and Sam Bailey are just some of the stars who have recently enjoyed a day out at Cadbury World.
