Sadness at Cadbury /Somerdale
Five hundred workers are loosing their jobs at a local chocolate factory in Keynsham, which is not far from Bristol. You may wonder why this has made the headlines. The Cadbury Somerdale site has been producing chocolate for some 70 years and over this period has been a major employer in the area. Unfortunately Cadbury's has suffered some bad publicity recently, there was a salmonella outbreak at one of their other factories and some labelling carried a printing error. This resulted in a lot of chocolate having to be recalled, and naturally this was very damaging for the company.
Anyone living in the UK and ex-pats will know dairy milk double choc, crunchie, curly wurly, turkish delight, and Creme Eggs all of which are currently made at this factory. Over the past four years about 30 of their factories have closed. The current move is to save costs and production is being transferred to factories near Birmingham and to Poland. I feel sorry for everyone who will loose their livelihood and for some this will affect several generations in the same family.
Apart from the chocolate I remember the factory site for a very different reason. This is a sign both my girls will recognise (probably Beccy more than Sam). The reason being we have battled many a tennis match at the tennis club which is one of the facilities on the site. The land will be worth a fortune if houses are built on it and would they keep the tennis club! We will have to wait and see what develops over the next year or so as 2009 is the date being given for final closure.
Somehow knowing some of my favourite chocolate is no longer going to be made in the UK, let alone locally doesn't somehow seem right.
Remember my creme egg bag I think it will definitely become a collectible now!!Archives:
October 4th 2006: Visiting
Labels: cadbury, creme egg bag
posted by ChrisB @ 8:14 am
27 comments
27 Comments:
Cadbury Eggs have always been a big hit at our house. Especially the caramel ones.
It is always sad to hear of factories shutting down and people losing their livelihoods. It is beginning to be an everyday thing here. Most jobs leaving here for Mexico.
At some point we've got to reach some sort of equilibrium or we are in for big trouble.
Now it is 8:53am and I'm craving chocolate eggs!
That is so sad to hear about the factory. Cadbury Eggs are one of my favorites.
That bag is TOO cool!!
Have a great day!!
My great-grandmother loved those eggs. It was so simple ot make her happy, just take her a few Cadbury's. I'm sorry. :(
I remember the tennis and playing an all day tournament there as well.
Is that where you got the bags of broken chocolate at Christmas?
Blue momma, gnat, lisas chaos we'll still get them of course but for me it won't be quite the same :(
beccy no more cheap broken choc /rejects :(
it is always a shame when firms/factories close down resulting in people losing their jobs, Cadbury's is Cadbury's and i agree it will be strange eating Cadbury products made abroad.
oh well of for a creme egg, mmmm how do you eat yours!
Michigan is having huge problems with businesses leaving or shutting down. Our economy is terrible. I feel for all those people who will lose their job.
That is sad. I love all of Cadbury's chocolates and I ate many while living in the UK. A local shop imports them and from time to time I continue to indulge. What a shame.
Shame indeed! Many lost their Furniture factory jobs here too where they worked for generations, really sad state of affairs here as well!
I like that bag, cute!:)
I love the Cadbury creme eggs! How sad that the factory is closing.
that is so sad! I love Cadbury chocolate!
That is sad news indeed, massive job losses always are. You scared me a bit with this post, so I just quickly went and checked that ours was still ok (it's in Tasmania), it's fine. Phew!
I did a tour of the Cadbury factory when I was a kid, it's still one of the best memories I have.
willowtree they do tours of this factory (probably should rephrase did) I can't remember if either of my girls ever went.They would probably have said if they did. Kiddy heaven all that choc.
Embee used to love all things choc. Probably contributed to the fact that he is now a diabetic!!
Of course I remember - You and I had an Epic on that tennis court. (5 love down, 40 love down in the second set and went on to win, ring any bells?)
mum never took is for a tour but i recall she seemed to go there all the time without us.
It used to be Frys where they made the best chocolate in the (old) world - Frys Five Centres.
Personally the factory was lost to me when it became cadburys. I wouldnt say no to a crunchie or a cream egg but i much prefer chocolate that is not cadbury's, myself.
ps - that's MY bag!
OH lord I have tons of those eggs!
It must be contagious. The town near us is losing their Hershey's factory.
If Sam is still there visiting, you might wanna say bye bye to the bag, Chris;).
That's sad that Cadbury's is farming out to Poland and local people are losing their jobs!
That is sad - I would have said "EAT MORE CHOCOLATE! SUPPORT CADBURY'S" - but it seems everyone is moving their companies to "cheaper" locals.
500 people? geez.
It is always a sad thing to hear when a factory like that is shutting down. It really impacts so many lives and it trickles to more then just the workers.
I love Cadbury eggs! The original ones of course.
Cadbury Creme Eggs - almost the best chocolate around ( I prefer dark chocolate but must buy these eggs around Easter time)
I can see there are a lot of you out there who enjoy Cadbury's chocolate and creme eggs in particular.
sam the tennis match you are referring to was played at Keynsham but at another site and it was against Saltford not Somerdale.
Sam do you want me to bring the bag over when I come?!?!
no the bag is your - i am teasing you - i would never use it
Sorry to hear that, Chris. One of my big regrets is that I never visited the Cadbury's factory in Birmingham. I did however read a fantastic book by Annie Murray that was sponsored by Cadbury's and took place in B'ham during WWII.
It is a sad sign of the times when even chocolate production is being outsourced. Good wishes to those people who lost their jobs, and I lament the loss of yet another tradition.
that sucks...cadbury eggs were ALWAYS our favorites at easter time...i never heard about any of those problems over here...regardless..still my favorite!!! and i will make sure it is my kids favorite also!!!
What a great shame Chris.....
It is so sad when our factories close.
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