Chocolate Heaven!

A group of 29 students, predominantly Y7, and five staff made their way to Cadburys world for a day immersed in the ideas behind the Cadbury business, its success, its marketing, and the way it is historically treated its workforce.

The morning was dedicated to an investigation of the actual factory itself. In its history section it highlighted how Cadbury himself had come up with the idea of taking cocoa beans from the very fashionable drinking houses of London and making them into a product that ordinary people could buy. It showed how skilfully he employed his family members, encouraged them into business, used their marketing skills, made them travel the world to copy and seek advice from other people in similar businesses, and hence Cadburys became the British leader in chocolate manufacture. Students were treated to various kinaesthetic experiences allowing them to explore the way Cadbury went from a small shop in London to an even smaller shop in Birmingham; to a large purpose-built factory with houses for all its workers.

Students toured the old factory which enabled them to take more kinaesthetic activities including the old-fashioned spreading and writing in chocolate. Several, used ICT to make digital enhanced wrappers with their own names on them. The end of the tour allowed students to enter the shop, where, of course they lingered and spent any money they had taken with them.

 4G cinema experience was next, I was sat next some of our students who started screaming as the large bird threw imaginary four-dimensional eggs at them. A brief sojourn on the adventure playground was then followed by a marketing experience.

Students had to grapple with the idea of which market they were pitching a new chocolate bar at, its unique selling point, and how they would be weaving the Cadburys marketing logos and colours to make a bar potentially attractive.

Students were asked to work in pairs, with TA support, all were able to come up with a genuinely new idea. Those who were confident enough came to the front to present their ideas; there were several pairs who were very keen to share their designs with the staff at Cadburys world and the other students. We were lucky to leave on time, navigate our way through the roadworks in Birmingham, and be back at school on time to enable the students to go home with their peers. Overall the experience was good.

Thanks to Mrs Lee, Mrs Taylor, Ms Barr and Mrs Rees.

Below are some of our students comments:

Ammaar M – "I learnt that John Cadbury was the founder of Cadburys. Also I learnt how to design a chocolate wrapper. I learnt that some chocolates have not been designed for everyone, some are aimed at men, women or children. I know this because men’s chocolate wrappers are bolder, chocolates aimed at women have a more colourful wrapper. Chocolate aimed at children have packaging that has a mascot, so that children choose them."

Muhamed C – "I enjoyed designing my own chocolate, I added popping candy and crunchy top as I thought it would make a great new taste and texture. I had never been to Cadburys world before.  The 4D cinema was amazing."

Taylor U – "I learnt that chocolate is made from cocoa beans. Chocolate used to cost a lot of money, not like today."

Kye M – "There are three different factories that are needed to manufacture the chocolate."

Xavier C – "I learnt how to temper chocolate. I understood how the packaging design helps customers identify the product. I now understand there are many different types of jobs in this industry. Chocolate temperer, Chocolate tasters, package designers."