The imminent sale of Cadbury to Kraft Foods has to be the biggest business story to hit Birmingham this year and it’s one that has proved extremely emotive for those living and working in the city. 

Seen as one of the few remaining vestiges of British and indeed Birmingham’s manufacturing trade, the impending loss of Cadbury is a massive blow to the city.  Having already watched iconic Birmingham brands including Birds Custard and HP sauce disappear overseas, the shareholders decision to sell Cadbury to America has heralded another sad day for the city.

While some have argued that selling the company in a global marketplace where we have free flows of capital no longer makes the sale an ownership issue, one wonders how American society would react to seeing hero brands such as CocaCola or McDonalds being handed to another nation.  Cadbury is a brand which we grow up on, which we have an innate affection for and, which we simply feel should rightly be run from where it was born.

Selling Cadbury to Kraft Foods also raises massive questions about the future of our economy.  Having already witnessed massive decline in our energy (coal anyone?) and manufacturing industries and having yet to replace them with any significant new technologies, exactly what is the Britain of the future going to have left to export abroad? Of course our economy is not reliant upon chocolate sales, but it is the investment in the brand, products, technology and most importantly the British workforce, that this sale threatens the most.  Without retaining leading British products which we can develop, sell and be proud of, our long term commercial and international status can only decline.  With fewer British products in the international marketplace, long term recession is a serious threat.

Ultimately, Cadbury’s was a business founded on strong values and a sense of social responsibility, created by John Cadbury as an alternative to alcohol, which he viewed as a cause of poverty and deprivation amongst the working classes.  The business was involved in the early anti-slavery movement, it called for better housing and sanitation and pushed for inner city smoke abatement.  In essence, it was pioneering, it was principled and it was ours.

Cadbury’s glass and a half is looking decidedly empty at the moment.

It is far too early to say in what direction Kraft Foods intends to take our favourite chocolate brand but we just hope that the likely new owners take the time to respect its heritage and ensure its Birmingham beginnings are not forgotten.

For Core, Cadbury’s glass and a half is looking decidedly empty at the moment. If you’ve got an opinion on Kraft Foods offer for Cadbury please add a comment below…