From the moment you step off the train at Bournville station, you know you're in Cadbury Country.
This is the original reception lodge at Cadbury. Up until a few years ago, all Cadbury employees came through here on their way to work. Now most people head up the road to the new office, Bournville Place.
If you head down the path to the right, behind the Cadbury sign, you'll reach the shop. There you'll find mountains of discounted chocolate, but it's only for staff, worse luck!
Here's the famous Glass and a Half Full branding. It's been in use since 1928 and is some of the most celebrated of British iconography. Wonderful.
This is the Cadbury library. Here you can find copies of the Cadbury staff magazine, called The Bournville Works, dating back over 100 years; artifacts like chocolate novelty boxes made of velvet, and more modern research books too. On the wall you can see the Royal Crest. This was given to Cadbury when Queen Victoria issued them with the Royal Warrant of Appointment in February of 1854.
Walk through the library and you'll reach the Cadbury archives. Stuffed full of decades worth of financial records, accounts, employee details, price lists, research documents, old letters between members of the Cadbury family, and photos, advertising and packaging, it really is a historical treasure trove.
More recently, Cadbury artifacts have been used for film and TV, including Beatrix Potter, Frost/Nixon, Life on Mars and Foyle's War.
This is one of the original Cadbury's Cocoa advertisements. Depicting a young lady serving a cup of cocoa, it was in circulation during 1889.
We'll have more photos and facts for you soon, this time of the factory itself and the marvellous, magical chocolate making process.
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