Cadbury Chocolate Factory

[RicB]

So we were heading off to Tasmania for a week and friends and relatives told us not too miss the Cadbury Chocolate Factory tour.

Well these people obviously knew of the Cadbury Chocolate Tour but hadn't actually done it.

From where we were staying in Tassie it was an hour drive to get to the factory. Upon arriving we walked from the car park to the entrance only to see a sign that had "No tour of actual factory floor" or something to that description. Well we had driven an hour so we figured we would keep going.

We were charged $7.50 each to enter, so we assumed there must be something to see. We were greeted at the door by some guy in a Cadbury apron, which was 3 sizes too small, which covered what seemed to be what he was wearing the night before at the night club, i.e. no corporate wear or uniform. He handed us a large block of Chocolate each. We were then allowed to look around the souvenir shop, Cadbury teatowels etc, and a few bits of memorabilia.

After a while we were ushered into a smaller room were the disco guy narrated over a 10 minute video on how they make Fredo's, this was on two 32inch plasmas behind him.

After the video presentation we were taken to the Cadbury store where you could buy more chocolate a bit cheaper than you could at Coles......and that was it!

Very disappointing, waste of a drive and a waste of $15. :no:

[dabbler]

Sounds remarkably like a tour of the Bundaberg Brewing Company except you had to put up with annoying video before they offered the free samples (and minus the disco references maybe).

[snowyskiesau]

It's a real tourist trap and as you found, not worth the money. For $7.50 you could buy a couple of blocks of chocolate and save yourself the trip. :).

I remember doing the tour in 1970. It covered every area of production from the loading dock to packaging. Free samples at every stage. No silly hats or protective gear either - on us or the workers! When the tour was over, we each got a big sample box of just about everything we'd seen being made. And all for free.

[Chesand]

I remember doing the tour in 1970. It covered every area of production from the loading dock to packaging. Free samples at every stage. No silly hats or protective gear either - on us or the workers! When the tour was over, we each got a big sample box of just about everything we'd seen being made. And all for free.

I did the same in 1955 as part of a high school trip. I think we all came out filled to the brim with chocolate

[petersemple]

We did it in 1999 and it was still pretty much as Snowyskiesau described it. Shame they changed it because it really was worth the time and money

[crowie]

We did it in 1999 and it was still pretty much as Snowyskiesau described it. Shame they changed it because it really was worth the time and money
What a sad story..
As Peter stated, we too had a family holiday in early 1999 to Tassie with a great trip to the Cadbury factory.
Our girls got enough free samples to stuff themselves silly for the rest of the trip & long drive home;
plus we purchased a number of beaut specials at the factory shop.
It was a top FREE trip from memory.
Oh how sad the world has become with so much "OHS" that it totally stuffs up the tourist market.
Cheers, crowie

[wheelinround]

2004 we did the tour and went through 60% of the factory was me in the wheelchair. Sections were closed or closing down for winter (late March) as they do. I think this may have been your problem wrong season. Check their website it used to have a list of tour dates etc.

[Waldo]

I did the same in 1955 as part of a high school trip. I think we all came out filled to the brim with chocolate

I'm gonna do a me-too story as well. Did it in '88 and was loaded up with Turkish Delight.

[Waldo]

Found this.

Cadbury ends tours at its Tasmania factory - News - Travel - smh.com.au (http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/cadbury-ends-tours-at-its-tasmania-factory/2008/04/15/1208025138220.html)

Stupid OHS idiots should be shot before birth I reckon.

[crowie]

OHS - Out of Hand Stupidity; this was the way a old school teacher mate explained it to me some years back......

[Sir Stinkalot]

Found this.

Cadbury ends tours at its Tasmania factory - News - Travel - smh.com.au (http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/cadbury-ends-tours-at-its-tasmania-factory/2008/04/15/1208025138220.html)

Stupid OHS idiots should be shot before birth I reckon.

The IT department at the SMH are going to start to wonder why there has been a sudden spike in the interest in the Cadbury factory, four years after the initial article was written. I am sure that the editors are gathering around now ready for a follow up to boost the flagging reader numbers :U

[wheelinround]

Could it be that its because its now owned by KRAFT USA 2010

Kraft snares Cadbury in mega takeover | News.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/business/kraft-snares-cadbury-in-mega-takeover/story-e6frfm1i-1225821458466)

Seems even Cadbury (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2140717/Sweet-revenge-Cadbury-heiress-angered-Kraft-takeover-sells-30m-house-launch-rival-American-plastic-cheese-company.html) heiress is disgusted wish this was a lot of Aussie companies attitude.

[Big Shed]

Cadbury has never been an Australian company, it went from a UK owned entity, listed on the London stock exchange, to a US owned entity, so I don't see the difference.

This OH&S thing is not tied to which nationality owns the place but is a sign of the times, trust me OH&S is not an Australian invention, we don't have the monopoy on fluoro vests:no:

Where would pollies worldwide be without the 20 sec spot on the evening news wearing the obligatory fluoro vest, hard hat and safety glasses, all brand new of course.:doh:

[Grumpy John]

:ranton:
I get a bit sick of you guys banging on about what a pain OHS is. A very good friend of mine was seroiusly injured in a workplace accident in 1975. He was an apprentice motor mechanic at the time, employed by Malcolm Moore in Port Melbourne. He was told to fit a rear tyre to a tractor rim, at the time the tyre cage which is used to protect a worker in case the rim separates during inflation was out of action. Unfortunately for my mate the rim exploded taking off half his face and b reaking several ribs plus other injuries. At the time he received the largest compo payout ever in Victoria, made the front page of the Herald-Sun. He's been living in an aged care facility since his mid thirties. Current OHS laws may, or may not, have made a difference, but tell me, how would you feel if your child suffered injuries like this due to a negligent employer.
:rantoff:

[Waldo]

I'm not saying anything to bring oh&s down, only that the thought POlice can go too far (sometimes) as for the case of Cadbury with what was an institution.

[John Saxton]

Wint too the Cadbury's factory in Noo Zuland in Dunedin last year ...No worries there full tour ticked all the boxes as well as filled the swags.:D

Also went around the corner to Speights Brewery...full tour there as well as imbibing quite a few after the tour.
Catered for the tourists and the $$$$$

Cheers:)