Cadbury Factory

Upon arriving in London and discovering that Cadbury products were everywhere, I knew I had to visit the factory during my time here. So, on Friday, I took the two-hour long train ride out to Birmingham and then another short train to Bournville to see the factory. 

When I got there, the building seemed just like a normal factory that just happened to make chocolate, but the moment I walked into the entrance of the tour, I knew this place was something special. Immediately, I was transported into another world where anything was possible and chocolate was an integral part of life. I felt like Charlie Bucket entering the magical Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory for the first time. I didn't know where to look; each direction held something magical and exciting.

At the beginning of the tour, I was taught all about the history of chocolate and the history of the Cadbury family and how they got into this business. I learned that John Cadbury began selling tea and other products in a small store that gained popularity when he introduced a storefront window so that people could see the products they could buy from him. 

This window made his store so successful that he was able to experiment with different concoctions of chocolate, leading him to create the Cadbury company with his brother. This shows just how important design is in daily life because the design of a store sign or a product reels you in and can convince you to venture in or keep walking. His choice of opening up his store window for the public to see changed everything. 
As time went on, they knew they had to have a distinctive label to attract customers. After going through many different designs and fonts, they settled on the distinctive label you see on shelves today.

In addition to the characteristic purple lettering, Cadbury products all have distinctive colors and designs to ensure that people can find the product they are after without much trouble. For example, Creme eggs have a yellow splat shape surrounding the purple lettering, which gives people a glimpse of the heavenly treat that awaits them. 

I found it interesting how the design of the Cadbury labels changed over the years to what it is today. The text went from being large block letters to a more fancy and more playful font as the company got bigger and more successful. The company understood the importance of a distinctive color and label to ensure that people would be drawn to their products and be able to find them easily. This recognizable purple color even carries out into the rest of Bournville, making the whole village seem like it stepped out of a fairy tale.

I had so much fun on my trip to the Cadbury factory and would recommend it to anyone who likes chocolate or just wants to feel like a little kid again.