The History of Cadbury

From humble beginnings in a grocery shop to the worldwide brand we know today, Cadbury’s history is as delightful as its chocolate. 

 

Hungry to know how it all started? Dive into the history of the Cadbury company!

Who Founded Cadbury​?

Cadbury was founded by John Cadbury, who originally started a grocer’s shop at 93 Bull Street in Birmingham. Here, John sold cocoa and drinking chocolate, preparing this himself with a pestle and mortar.

 

Seven years after opening his shop, John bought a warehouse and began manufacturing with his sons, George and Richard Cadbury, who would later take over the business when John retired.

 

George and Richard played a significant role in shaping Cadbury into what it is today. When the shop opened in the 1820s, cocoa was made with lots of cocoa butter - which didn’t taste anywhere near as delicious as it sounds. 

 

George heard of an innovative cocoa press that the Dutch manufacturer van Houten was using. The press squeezed so much cocoa butter out of the beans that it significantly improved its taste.

 

George and Richard started using the press on their cocoa, resulting in a 100% cocoa product - Cadbury Cocoa Essence.

When Was Cadbury Founded?

Cadbury was founded in 1824, when John Cadbury opened his grocer’s shop. Of course, the Cadbury we know today has had many milestones between then and now.

Here’s a Cadbury history timeline:

 

• 1824 - John Cadbury opens his grocer’s shop, selling cocoa and drinking chocolate.
• 1831 - John buys a warehouse to start manufacturing with his sons, George and Richard.

• 1847 - The Cadbury family business moves to a bigger factory in Bridge Street.

• 1866 - Cadbury launches Cadbury Cocoa Essence. 

• 1879 - Building begins on their new factory, the Bournville chocolate factory.

• During WW1 - The firm sends its milk supplies to people in Birmingham, while the buildings are transformed into hospitals to support the country’s war efforts.

• During WW2 - The Bournville chocolate factory makes gun doors for Spitfires, jerrycans, aircraft parts, gas masks, and more - all to support the country through the war.

• 1955 - A Cadbury Drinking Chocolate ad airs on ITV - on the first night ITV ever aired TV ads.
• 1970s - 1980s - Cadbury releases a range of smaller chocolate bars, including the Double Decker and Wispa.

​Where Was Cadbury Founded​?

Cadbury was founded in Birmingham - John Cadbury opened his grocery shop along Bull Street.

When Did Cadbury World Open?

Cadbury World opened in 1990, originally created as a PR tool. However, our site quickly became a popular attraction for the public to enjoy. 

The vision for Cadbury World was to uphold the value “Cadbury means chocolate means fun”. Over the years, our wonderful attraction has grown and stands today as a fun and educational day out for people of all ages.

 

200 Years of Cadbury

This year marks the 200th anniversary of Cadbury. To celebrate, we created the original Bull Street grocery shop entirely out of Cadbury chocolate! 

 

Speaking of recreations, at Cadbury World, you can also visit our life sized recreation of Bull Street (sadly not made out of chocolate!), featuring John Cadbury’s grocery shop. Discover what would’ve been for sale in John’s first shop, and take pictures with the first Cadbury products! 

Cadbury World has a ton of attractions to explore. Take a look at our full list of attractions here.