1) Why have you changed where you make products like Moro, Minties and Eskimos?Moving products to different factories, especially overseas, was not an easy decision to make as we know many consumers would prefer the products they love are made in their backyard.
The reason we moved some of our products to factories outside of New Zealand was to help secure manufacturing and employment in New Zealand for the long term. In the last two years, we have invested heavily to restructure our factories in both New Zealand and Australia so that they specialise in manufacturing particular types of products. These specialist factories (including Dunedin) have had antiquated equipment replaced with modern, state-of-the-art technology that allows us to make products more quickly, efficiently, and more cost effectively.
We are investing for the long-term in New Zealand so that our Dunedin factory will operate to world class standards. Confectionery manufacturing is an incredibly competitive business and we need to operate smarter to secure local production and provide Kiwi jobs. It’s simply not economical for us to make the same types of products in all of our factories so by specialising our products to certain factories we are able to keep costs down.
Creating specialist manufacturing facilities has also been an important part of helping us keep costs down for consumers, especially at a time when the price of confectionery ingredients such as cocoa and sugar has skyrocketed as it has in the last two years.
2) What Kiwi products have moved to different factories?The products that have moved to different factories include some lolly and chocolate products. Please see the table below for the full list.
3) When did the products that are now made in different countries arrive on the shelves?
We completed the transfer of products to different factories earlier this year.
4) Will these products taste the same when they move to different factories?
Wherever possible, we have not changed the recipes of the products when they moved to different factories and we've done everything possible to ensure the taste that people love so much has been retained.
In isolated cases in the early stages of factory change-over, as occurred last year with Minties, you may notice slight taste differences in some products. In many cases this can be caused by the different machinery used in the manufacturing process and not by a change in the recipe itself. Where such differences occur, we will continually work to ensure the taste is kept as close to the original as possible.
We understand that moving the production of some of these products away from New Zealand has been upsetting to some people and it was tough decision for Cadbury to make because we know how much people love these products. Unfortunately we can’t make them here anymore because the equipment is old and we need to specialise so that we keep jobs in Dunedin and ensure our products remain affordable for consumers.
5) Will you make the products you’ve moved offshore in New Zealand again?
No. The Dunedin factory is at full capacity making all of the boxed chocolate for New Zealand and Australia, chocolate crumb (the base ingredient in Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate) for both countries, as well as some Asian countries. Dunedin is also making marshmallow products as well as sugar panned products like Jaffas and Pebbles.
Whilst we would like to be able to make all of New Zealand’s iconic products in New Zealand, it is no longer possible. Confectionery manufacturing is incredibly competitive and it’s simply not economical for us to make the same types of products in all of our factories. By specialising our products to certain factories we are able to keep costs down.
6) How much have you spent at Dunedin to make it a specialist factory?
We have invested $69million dollars to replace old and tired equipment with state-of-the art machinery at the Dunedin factory.
So far we’ve built a new chocolate ‘crumb’ factory inside Cadbury Dunedin. Chocolate crumb is the base ingredient in Cadbury Dairy Milk milk chocolate and we export some of this to Australian and Asian Cadbury factories.
We’re now making Jaffas, Pebbles and Turkish Delight in Dunedin as well as marshmallow eggs. The Dunedin factory is now making all of the boxed and assorted chocolates such as Roses, Milk Tray and Continental for the entire New Zealand and Australian markets.
7) What will be made at Dunedin?
A number of popular products are made at Dunedin including: Jaffas, Pebbles, Pineapple Lumps, Roses, Continental, Milk Tray, marshmallow eggs, Buzz Bar, Easter Eggs, Snowballs, Chocolate Fish and Turkish Delight.
Let's chat about these changes at www.choclovers.co.nz