Cadbury celebrates 100 years at Claremont factory
Three generations of Tassie dairy farmers and local families have helped Cadbury notch up an incredible 100 years. Read their touching stories on why they love the brand as much as us.
Tasmania
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DARREN Fielding is proud his father is one of the longest suppliers of the milk that goes into the Cadbury chocolate bars he loves.
The North-West farmer enjoys telling mates that his milk contributed to every chocolate block they eat.
“I tell them three per cent of the block they are eating is mine,” Mr Fielding jokes.
“Who’s not a chocolate fan?”
Mr Fielding says his family has been farming at South Riana “forever” since his great grandfather cleared the land many years ago.
“My dad Robbie has been milking cows for over 60 years,” he said.
“He’s 77 now and he’s the longest serving supplier to Cadbury at Cooee – my grandfather started it so we’re third generation suppliers.”
The family, including Robbie’s son Michael, have 250ha with 320 cows.
They currently provide Cadbury with 2.3m litres a year.
The dairy herd has gradually built up from 20 cows.
“When dad started milking it was harder, you stood on the flat concrete and had to bend over.
“We’ve gone from 10 to 30 cows being milked at once
“You had to wash the vats by hand instead of now pressing a button and plugging the hose in.
“It’s a lot quicker so you do a lot more.
“Everything’s automated and bigger and easier.”
Fluctuations in the price of milk have also eased.
“The price of milk at the moment is on an upward trend and the next year coming looks good,” Mr Fielding said.
“It used to run on a bit of a cycle it’d be good for one year then bad for two or three then sneak its way back up again.
“It’s a bit more stable now and not quite as bad since that crash five or six years ago.”
Mr Fielding said the family has stuck by Cadbury and as a child he regularly visited the Claremont factory.
“Cadbury’s always used to pay the most so everybody liked them,” he said.
“Nobody ever left them.
“Now they are based out of Singapore now but the guys down here (at Cooee) are really good to get on with.”
He and his brother have five daughters between them and he’s not convinced they will take over the farm.
“I don’t think my daughters will run it but one does milk for me,” he said
Mondelez Australia president Darren O’Brien said Cadbury sources more than 100m litres a year from Tasmanian farmers.
“We’re incredibly proud of the deep relationships we’ve built with our dairy farming communities. Some families have been supplying us with their fresh milk for three, four generations.”
“Today consumers want to know where their products come from - how they’re produced and who produces them, and we’re proud to tell them that our fresh milk comes from Tassie farmers,” he said.
Cadbury a family affair for the Staceys
Iconic chocolate producer Cadbury is celebrating 100 years at its Claremont factory, but the loyal members of the Stacey family have also notched a milestone of their own.
Julie Stacey, her daughters Kath and Michelene and grandchildren Tahlia and Brayden have collectively worked for 75 years at the factory, making it “their family business”.
Julie said the Claremont factory, which was Cadbury’s first site in Australia when it opened in 1922, had always been a warm and positive environment.
“I always loved working here – it’s family orientated, they look after their workers really well,” she said.
Cadbury manufacturing manager Jamie Salter, whose own family has worked collectively for more than 170 years at the factory, said the intergenerational tradition made the workplace very special.
“That tradition’s still there, and in the past this place might not have been as big but the family tradition continuing makes it a great spot to work,” Mr Salter said.
Beginning at the factory as a forklift driver, some of the workplace features of Julie’s tenure would be unlikely to receive approval from a human resources department in the current era.
“There was actually a bar in the factory where you could have a drink after your shift,” Julie said. “It was a different time.”
Kath and Michelene remain at the factory as team leaders with Cadbury’s parent company Mondelez International, while Tahlia has begun her career as a confectioner.
Cadbury is celebrating its centenary year in Australia with limited edition commemorative packs that depict historic national moments.
Originally published as Cadbury celebrates 100 years at Claremont factory
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