Why has Cadbury misplaced its royal warrant? How chocolatier went from humble Quaker store to Britain’s favorite model – earlier than US-takeover left a bitter style that fell out of favour with the King

It was the sweet-toothed love affair between the Royal family and one of Britain’s most adored chocolatiers. 

But after enduring for 170 years and surviving the reign of six monarchs, confectionery giant Cadbury‘s link to British royalty appears to have lost its sugary appeal.

The chocolate juggernaut based in Bourneville, Birmingham, was among 100 companies to lose out on an official endorsement from ‘The Firm’, after being stripped of its Royal Warrant status.

King Charles ripped away its globally-recognised mark of excellence after choosing not to renew it. 

It comes after the company’s recent takeover by an American snack giant led to claims Cadbury had ‘betrayed its heritage’, by introducing bizarre new recipes and shrinking bars – while outsourcing its chocolate production abroad.  

Queen Victoria first awarded Cadbury its Royal Warrant in 1854 – which was then repeated by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1955, who was a massive fan of the brand.

She loved Cadbury’s Bournville chocolate so much, she is believed to have received boxes of it each Christmas.

Yet it is understood the supply of Cadbury products to royal households has slumped in recent years.

The King is also known for his healthy eating, preferring a piece of fruit or fibre-rich seeds over a bar of chocolate, seemingly denting its appeal further in the Palace.

As is protocol, the brands losing their Royal Warrant status were informed by letter and not given a reason why.  

Other chocolate companies like Nestle, which owns Milkybar, and Smarties as well as Bendicks and Prestat all still have their titles.

Being awarded a Royal Warrant is considered a huge advantage for British firms both in the UK and abroad – and losing the stamp of approval has left Cadbury’s owners ‘disappointed’, the firm admitted. 

From its humble beginnings as a small grocer’s shop in Birmingham, Cadbury has been delighting the nation’s taste buds for two centuries – while its adverts, including one featuring gorilla drumming to Phil Collins’ hit In The Air Tonight, have become cult British hits. 

This year saw the beloved brand behind the likes of Dairy Milk, Flake and Heroes, celebrating its 200th birthday.

The confectionery behemoth was founded by the nation’s very own ‘Willy Wonka’, John Cadbury, in 1824 in Bull Street 

Among the array of goods sold at the grocer’s shop, John introduced hand-made drinking chocolate which laid the foundation for the brand today.

John saw cocoa as a healthy alternative to alcohol – something as a Quaker, he was keen to encourage.

He was originally a tea dealer and coffee roaster but he also sold hops, mustard, patent cocoa and cocoa nibs.

To entice wealthy customers in, the shop was the first in Birmingham to have plate glass windows with mahogany frames which John is said to have cleaned every day.

The shop had attractive displays including Chinese vases and oriental figurines that contained black and green tea.

With a commitment to quality and innovation, Cadbury rapidly expanded, captivating Britons with its irresistible treats.

John started selling different types of cocoa and moved to a factory on Bridge Street, Birmingham in 1831.

By 1864 the company was being run by John’s sons, Richard and George, and the brothers were keen to distinguish themselves from other cocoa and chocolate manufacturers.

A purer, more luxurious drinking chocolate called Cocoa Essence was introduced by the pair in 1866.

This product used a new process which pressed cocoa butter from the cocoa beans, and it is this that was the forerunner of the cocoa known and loved today.

The excess cocoa butter from the press could then be used to make an early form of eating chocolate and the company went on to launch its first chocolate assortment boxes.

Richard and George soon got sick of Birmingham slums and in 1878 they moved to a rural site four miles out of the city in a place called Bournville.

Taking the name of the model village Bournville grew into a haven for staff where they could live, work and play.

Alongside semi-detached cottages with gardens for the workers, there was a field next to the factory where men and could play cricket and football; a garden and playground for the girls; and proper welfare provisions.

Over the years, sports facilities grew to include hockey, tennis, squash and bowling facilities.

Eventually, swimming pools were built with everyone in Bournville taught how to swim.

Staff days out were common, and for workers living outside of Bournville, Cadbury’s negotiated reduced train fares with the local railway company. Education was made available for everyone and the company actively encouraged vocations outside of their business interest.

But a place of virtuous living, no pub was allowed in Bournville, a rule which still applies today.

Cadbury also forged its links with the royal family, with Queen Victoria proving a huge fan. 

In 1899, the Queen commissioned Cadbury alongside the UK two other top chocolate manufacturers, J S Fry & Sons and Rowntree and Company Limited, to produce special chocolates for British troops fighting in the Boer War. 

After Queen Victoria’s death in 1901, Cadbury went on to honour the monarch by introducing its iconic purple packaging in a nod to the late monarch, who adored the colour. 

In 1902, Cadbury went on to produce a commemorative set of tines to celebrate the coronations of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

In 1955, Cadbury’ royal warrant was renewed by the newly-crowned Queen Elizabeth – producing a similar coronation tin for the monarch. 

And with the advent of colour television in the mid-20th century, Cadbury found itself at the vanguard of the advertising revolution.

The chocolate company came up with a series of iconic promotions for its products with some of the most rememberable being ‘A finger of Fudge is just enough to give your kids a treat’ and ‘everyone’s a Fruit and Nut case’.

Cadbury went viral in 2007 with a Dairy Milk advert that showed a life-like gorilla drumming to Phil Collins’ ‘In The Air Tonight’.

In 2015 the advert was voted the best British ad in 60 years.

But a year later and the company faced the wrath of Cadbury’s chocolate-loving fans.

It followed the earlier takeover by American snack giant, Mondelez International which bought out Cadbury in 2010.

A string of complaints including changing the recipe of the brand’s iconic Crème Eggs, shrinking bars, bizarre new recipes, and job losses.

It led to claims that Cadbury had ‘betrayed its heritage’ after the takeover, according to a 2016 TV documentary from Dispatches series – which claimed workers had been sacked and chocolate – including Dairy Milk – was being produced in Poland.

Mondelez, then known as Kraft Foods, bought the British brand in 2010. But it was accused of a slew of ‘broken promises’. 

When the buyout was announced, Kraft said it would stick to Cadbury’s commitment to using Fairtrade cocoa beans to produce its chocolate. Fairtrade rules mean that cocoa farmers earn a minimum of £1,600 per tonne of cocoa sold. 

But in 2016, it confirmed it was no longer working with Fairtrade and had switched to a new cocoa production partnership known as Cocoa Life – which does not exert the same price rules.

Ruth Cadbury, a direct descendant of one of the founders, said her ancestors would be ‘spinning in their urns’ over the way Mondelez was running the business, and especially paying no corporation tax in Britain in 2014 despite making £96.5m profit. 

Speaking of no longer being granted a Royal Warrant, a spokesman for Mondelez International said: ‘Cadbury is a much-loved brand that has been a part of British life for generations and remains the nation’s favourite chocolate.

‘Whilst we are disappointed to be one of hundreds of other businesses and brands in the UK to not have a new warrant awarded, we are proud to have previously held one, and we fully respect the decision.’