Birmingham, England
We knew that we were traveling north on New Year’s Day and were looking for somewhere to stop between our drive from the London area to northern Wales. Not too far off the beaten path was Cadbury World, the historic location of the Cadbury factory. Fortunately, Cadbury World was open, so we planned a visit.
The drive to Cadbury World was straightforward. Once we arrived, we found free parking for all visitors, and it was an easy walk to the main ticket area. Since we were hungry, we headed straight to the Cadbury World Cafe. The café offers several kid-friendly options, ideal even for picky eaters. We also recommend ordering hot chocolate with your meal if you eat on site.
The tour is self-guided and includes mock-ups of chocolate growing and extraction, a recreation of the Cadbury Tea store, a chocolate lab with demonstrations and tastings, and historical advertisements from the Bournville Experience. Beyond the tour, there are several other opportunities, such as a large playground, a 4D ride, and the Cadbury Chocolate Quest ride. With our admission, we received several samples as well.
As for the gift shop, do yourself a favor and. It has as much chocolate as you can fit in your luggage for the return home. The gift shop offers excellent deals on chocolate and also sells Cadbury’s imperfections. Yes, the chocolate might not look as expected, but it is just as delicious. We probably had the best chocolate deals we have ever had anywhere.
As for Cadbury, most Americans are probably only familiar with the Crème Eggs that are sold for Easter, but there are multiple brands that are very popular in the United Kingdom. It’s chocolate, so it is kind of hard to go wrong with too many flavor combinations.
We felt we got good value for the money at Cadbury World. It is definitely a worthwhile experience if you have never been or if you are traveling with kids or people with a sweet tooth. Cadbury admission can also be purchased as a combo ticket with either the National Sea Life Centre, the Legoland Discovery Centre, or Warwick Castle, so travelers may want to consider bundling a couple of destinations. I would be okay with doing the tour again, but I definitely would return to the gift shop. If we make it back to Birmingham, Cadbury World would be a repeat visit.