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Cadbury's chocolate factory in Malaysia churns out 100 million chocolate bars every year... but it's not all for us
KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 – It was either a gift your grandparents secretly snuck into your pocket, a reward for an A in your school test, or a last-minute birthday gift for a dear one.
Chocolates have been these and much more to its fans over the years.
And in Malaysia, chocolates very often meant Cadbury chocolates ever since the brand formally entered the country over 75 years ago.
Even today when there are many more chocolate brands—including Malaysian ones—in the market, Cadbury still holds a special place in our taste memories.
What not many people know is that Cadbury chocolate bars have actually been made here in Malaysia for South-east Asia for more than half a century.
Founded over 200 years ago in the United Kingdom, Cadbury established its factory in Shah Alam in 1974.
The factory spans the size of five basketball courts and is Cadbury's sole manufacturing hub for South-east Asia. The factory has nine production lines, manned by some 250 workers.
Every year, the chocolate factory churns out over 14 metric tonnes of chocolate, or the equivalent of 100 million of 135g chocolate bars.
Tempering allows the chocolate to stabilise through heating and cooling for consistency in texture, colour and flavour, before it is poured into the mould. — Picture courtesy of Mondolez International
Mondolez International marketing head (Malaysia and Singapore) See Mei Sin said Malaysia is still the largest market for Cadbury chocolates in the region, making it the market leader of the chocolate industry here. (Mondolez International acquired Cadbury in 2010.)
See said the central region or Klang Valley alone make up for half of the local consumption and said the appetite for chocolate keeps growing every year.
'Malaysia is still the largest market in South-east Asia, mainly because we are the rare few Commonwealth countries (in the region).
'Commonwealth countries usually make up a larger chocolate market than non-Commonwealth countries because chocolate is a British legacy.
'There is also a shift in consumers' palates. More and more consumers are craving for richer, creamier and more chocolatey bars,' she said.
The demand prompted the company to roll out a richer, creamier version of its signature Cadbury Dairy Milk this year.
The upgrade also saw the introduction of a new King Size 200gm bar and a redesigned chunk shape across the entire range.
So, what goes on inside the factory?
Visiting a chocolate factory is... to awaken the child in you. It was so much fun.
See said Cadbury sources its cocoa beans from sustainably-cultivated farms in Indonesia, Ghana and Ivory Coast to meet its massive production demand.
The beans are fermented, dried, roasted and winnowed before they are ground to form a chocolate paste. The chocolate then undergoes 'conching' to give it a smooth texture.
After that, the chocolate is sent for tempering, where it is stabilised through heating and cooling for consistency in texture, colour and flavour.
The liquid chocolate is then poured into special moulds and cooled to set before it is finally packaged.
Pro-tip: Always keep your chocolate bars wrapped in the gold foil when storing them in the fridge. It helps to prevent chocolate bloom – the hazy white coating that appears when fat or sugar re-crystallises on the chocolate surface.
The Shah Alam factory, that spans the size of five basketball courts, is Cadbury's sole manufacturing hub for South-east Asia. — Picture courtesy of Mondolez International
Going an extra half in every bar
Before John Cadbury started serving chocolates at his grocery shop in Birmingham in 1824, chocolates were a luxury that only royalty and elites could afford and consume. So, he strived to make chocolates accessible to the masses.
Two hundred years on, his mission is still reflected in the 'glass and a half' logo on the Cadbury logo.
See said the confectionery always adds an extra half amount of milk than required in any recipe of chocolate that they make.
Every year, the chocolate factory churns out over 14 metric tonnes of chocolate, or equivalent to 100 million of 135g chocolate bars. — Picture courtesy of Mondolez International
'That is also why we also take pride in our iconic chocolate bars. When you share chocolates in other formats, it is a passive form of sharing.
'But, when you break a Cadbury bar and share it with someone, it forms connections.'
No wonder writer Roald Dahl used a childhood memory of Cadbury sending test packages to schoolchildren for their opinions on new products to write Charlie and the Chocolate Factory... which later inspired the Willy Wonka movies.
